In the Town Square Parking Garage in Silver Spring, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is starting a one-year pilot program to test Parker, a five-foot security robot outfitted with lidar and 360-degree cameras.
Before presenting the results to the County Council this fall, a number of public outreach events will be organized to answer inquiries, disseminate information, and get community input.
Per MCDOT: In order to inform the public and solicit input regarding a planned security robot pilot program in Silver Spring’s Town Square Parking Garage, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is holding a number of public outreach events. Parker, the five-foot-tall security robot, has 360-degree security cameras and uses lidar, a sensor that can identify things in its route, to navigate the garage’s parking decks.
To support the expanding security initiative that has been installing cameras in County parking garages for the past three years, MCDOT is organizing a one-year trial. The robot’s presence will be tested to see if it deters crime through MCDOT’s pilot program. The Town Square Garage, one of the biggest and busiest in the County, is situated at 786 Ellsworth Drive in downtown Silver Spring. It has seven levels, 1,280 parking spaces, and serves over 9,000 patrons each month.
MCDOT Director Chris Conklin stated, “We are aware that the public is concerned about crime and vandalism in our parking garages, and the addition of Parker will provide extra security presence.” In an emergency, the security robot can also be utilized to call for assistance.
The robot includes lights and sirens that can be turned on in case of an emergency. On top of the robot is a call button that connects to security. The security robot can read license plates and identify human presence, but it lacks facial recognition and audio recording capabilities. Parker will not be used for parking enforcement. The County owns the Parker security film and will keep it on file for 30 days. The cops will have access to the security footage solely for their investigation.
After public outreach is finished this autumn, we will bring the feedback to the County Council, and the community’s input will inform the pilot’s future, Conklin added.
There will be a number of outreach activities with interpreters in Amharic and Spanish to disseminate information, respond to inquiries, and collect input through paper and computer surveys. To give the public an idea of the robot’s scale, a life-size cutout will be made accessible.
In Silver Spring, the following public engagement activities are scheduled:
- Wednesday, Aug. 20, 8 10 a.m. and 3 5 p.m. Parking Store, 801 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring.
- Sunday, Aug. 31, noon 5 p.m. Ethiopian Day Festival, Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza,1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring.
- Sunday, Sept. 7, 11 a.m. 3 p.m. Silver Spring End of Summer Festival, Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza,1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring.
- Thursday, Sept. 18, 5-7 p.m. Parking Store, 801 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring.
- Saturday, Sept. 27, noon 4 p.m. Parking Store, 801 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring.
To learn more about MCDOT’s services and programsVisit Montgomery County’s website at MontgomeryCountyMd.gov/mcdot, subscribe to MCDOT’s Go Montgomery! newsletter, and follow @MCDOTNow on Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, and X.
