Abstract: A parking availability predictor system provides a prediction of parking availability that meets a user's specified needs. When the user submits a query for parking availability, he can include desired parking criteria such as location, handicapped status, and desired time to begin parking. The system consults a parking occupancy model which gathers current and historical information about parking occupancy, including parking durations and durations of vacancies between occupancies. The model processes the gathered information into a statistical predictor of parking occupancy and vacancy. The system uses the predictor to predict when parking that meets the user's needs will become available. That prediction, including user-suitable parking locations along with the expected start of their vacancies, is then sent to the user in answer to his query.