Raleigh’s City Council on Tuesday approved $5,000 in seed money for development of a smart phone app to help drivers find available parking spaces.

The money comes from the city’s contingency fund.

Developers would be asked to create an app that would help people find parking convenient to a store, restaurant or event along with walking directions from the spot to their destination. The app would also provide information about driving and parking issues like road closures, construction or detours and would push notifications to users when their time on a meter was about to expire.