Advanced Parking Management Systems
Advanced ParkingManagement Systems:A CROSS-CUTTING STUDYTaking the Stress Out of ParkingJanuary 2007
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ForewordDear Reader,We have scanned the country to bring together the collective wisdomand expertise of transportation professionals implementing IntelligentTransportation Systems (ITS) projects across the United States. Thisinformation will prove helpful as you set out to plan, design, and deployITS in your communities.This document is one in a series of products designed to help youprovide ITS solutions that meet your local and regional transportationneeds. We have developed a variety of formats to communicate withpeople at various levels within your organization and among yourcommunity stakeholders: Benefits Brochures let experienced community leaders explain intheir own words how specific ITS technologies have benefited theirareas. Cross-Cutting Studies examine various ITS approaches that can beused to meet your community’s goals. Case Studies provide in-depth coverage of specific approaches beingtaken in communities across the United States. Implementation Guides serve as “how to” manuals to assist yourproject staff in the technical details of implementing ITS.ITS has matured to the point that you are not alone as you movetoward deployment. We have gained experience and are committed toproviding our state and local partners with the knowledge they needto lead their communities into the future.The inside back cover contains details on the documents in this series,as well as sources to obtain additional information. We hope you findthese documents useful tools for making important transportationinvestment decisions.Sincerely,Jeffrey F. PaniatiAssociate Administrator for OperationsFederal Highway Administrationi
ContentsEXECUTIVE SUMMARY . 1-1INTRODUCTION . 2-1THE PARKING CHALLENGE . 3-1NATIONAL TRENDS . 3-1SITE-SPECIFIC CHALLENGES . 3-1PUBLIC SENTIMENT . 3-2APMS—WHAT ARE THEY? . 4-1PRE-TRIP PARKING INFORMATION SYSTEMS . 4-1LOT-SPECIFIC PARKING INFORMATION SYSTEMS . 4-1FLOOR-, AISLE-, AND SPACE-SPECIFIC PARKING INFORMATION SYSTEMS . 4-2PARKING RESERVATION SYSTEMS . 4-3PARKING NAVIGATION SYSTEMS . 4-3APMS—WHO IS USING THEM?.5-1APMS—WHAT ARE THE TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS?.6-1COUNTING SYSTEMS . 6-1COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS. 6-2FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING COUNTING ANDCOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS . 6-2APMS—WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED? .7-1FORMING THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP . 7-2STUDY SITE DESCRIPTIONS .8-1SITE SELECTION . 8-1SEATTLE CENTER . 8-2CHICAGO METRA PARK-AND-RIDE . 8-6BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT . 8-8OTHER APMS APPLICATIONS .9-1FACILITY-BASED RESERVATION SYSTEMS . 9-1ONLINE RESERVATION SYSTEMS . 9-2PARKING NAVIGATION SYSTEMS . 9-3CROSS-CUTTING FINDINGS .10-1BENEFITS . 10-1COSTS . 10-3LESSONS LEARNED. 10-4CONCLUSION .11-1REFERENCES .12-1RESOURCES .13-1OVERVIEW OF APMS . 13-1APMS CASE STUDIES. 13-1ADDITIONAL RESOURCES .14-1LIST OF FIGURESFigure 1 - The “Mercer Mess” in Downtown Seattle . 3-2iii
Figure 2 - Parking Destination Information Available at ParkMilwaukee.com . 4-1Figure 3 - A Chicago Metra Sign Providing Lot-Specific Parking Information. 4-2Figure 4 - Illustration of Availability by Aisle at BWI Airport. 4-2Figure 5 - Entry/Exit Counter (Highlighted in Pavement) with TrafficDelineation Guide . 6-1Figure 6 - Map of Seattle Center Parking. 8-3Figure 7 - Seattle Center Illustrating Active and Passive Components . 8-4Figure 8 - Seattle Center In-surface, Wireless Vehicle Detector. 8-5Figure 9 - Seattle Center APMS System Architecture . 8-5Figure 10 - Map of the Chicago Metra System with the Rock Island Line Highlighted . 8-6Figure 11 - Chicago Metra’s APMS System Illustrating the ParkingInformation Network. 8-8Figure 12 - BWI Daily Garage Entrance Sign Providing Availability by Floor. 8-9Figure 13 - BART Park-and-Ride Facility in Millbrae, California. 9-1Figure 14 - Customer Satisfaction Survey Responses at BWI. 10-1LIST OF TABLESTable 1 - Potential Stakeholders and Roles. 7-3Table 2 - APMS Site Overview . 8-1iv
Executive SummaryMany metropolitan areas have seen explosive growth in the number ofvisitors and patrons due to urban revitalization, extension of transitservices into suburban areas, and the general trend toward increasedmobility of our society. As a result, frustration with parking is becominga major concern. Parking patrons often do not know where the bestparking locations are, what the facility operating hours are, what theexpected costs are, and, most importantly, whether a parking place willbe available when they arrive.Advanced parking management systems (APMS) help people findparking spots quickly, thereby reducing frustration and enhancing thevisitor’s experience. Advanced parking management systems includeelements from traditional traveler information systems, as well asspecialized parking management applications. The applied travelerinformation concepts cover a wide range of applications, from pre-tripWeb-based information systems to navigation systems that provideturn-by-turn directions all the way to an individual parking space.This study examines advanced parking management systems in threevenues: airports, central business districts, and transit park-and-ridelocations. Specifically, the systems examined in this study providedirectional and space availability information to patrons as they proceedto the parking facility.“The impact ofSmartPark atBWI has beentremendous—ithas not only madeparking easierand faster, but ithas improvedcustomersatisfaction andreduced illegalparking.”–Harry Zeigler,Assistant Manager,Maryland Departmentof Transportation,Office ofTransportation andTerminal Services,BWI AirportThis study presents findings from current advanced parkingmanagement literature and visits to APMS project sites. Lessonscollected from six sites are presented and three sites are profiled indepth. Interviews with planners, deployers, and operators provideinsight into the benefits, costs, and issues from differing venues locatedin different regions of the country.The study discusses various types of benefits that have been attributedto APMS including the following: At Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport, nearly 13,000hourly and daily parking spaces are served by an advanced parkingmanagement system. During an initial test period, the systemincreased customer satisfaction and improved traffic flow in thehourly facilities. The stakeholders’ praise for the system is evident.Says Harry Zeigler, Assistant Manager for the Maryland Departmentof Transportation’s Office of Transportation and Terminal Servicesat BWI Airport, “The impact of SmartPark at BWI has beentremendous—it has not only made parking easier and faster, but ithas improved customer satisfaction and reduced illegal parking.”1-1
For the traveler, a survey conducted for this study indicated that over2/3 of the airport patrons felt that parking at BWI was quicker andeasier than comparable parking at other major airports in theregion.For the airport authority, the system has reduced illegal parking andrecirculation which block fire lanes and increase congestion in andaround parking facilities. In San Francisco, advanced parking management increased theprobability that commuters would leave their personal automobileand switch to transit. In downtown St. Paul, an advanced parking management systemdemonstrated positive impacts for patrons looking for special eventparking and reduced congestion at a key intersection during theperiod immediately preceding special events. In the time periodpreceding a major special event, the estimated vehicle delay at theintersection of West 7th Street & Kellogg Boulevard decreased by10 percent, while the total intersection volume increased by15 percent.This study also identifies major lessons learned to help guide others inachieving similar benefits. The following list highlights some of theseelements critical to successful APMS deployment. It is important to involve all stakeholders in a formal andcollaborative manner to ensure that the needs of all stakeholdersare met. Advanced parking management systems can benefit manystakeholders including travelers, parking operators, attractionoperators, nearby neighborhoods, and the local jurisdiction itself. There must be a champion and a formalized stakeholder group.Because APMS deployments are often integrated into urban orneighborhood environments, they take time and involve a verydiverse group of stakeholders. Therefore, it is important to maintainthe leadership role of a champion and to ensure that thestakeholder group works from a formal charter that binds themember organizations to the effort. APMS sign structure and locations require continuity of effort.Coordinating sign appearance and locations with historicalpreservation organizations, commercial property owners, and localjurisdictions requires continuity of effort over several years. In two ofthe three sites visited, changes to signage in the latter part of thedeployment introduced significant costs and delays.1-2
Coordination with the regional ITS architecture helps ensureinteroperability and helps leverages resources. Stakeholders shouldconsider APMS as part of a developing local ITS architecture. Indoing so, it may be possible to leverage funding for the system bysharing costs with other ITS-based traveler information systems,congestion management efforts, and clean air attainment programs.Broader stakeholder support and a wider range of funding optionsincrease the potential for successful deployment. System accuracy is a critical factor. System error characteristics cancause the inventory count to be in error in a positive or a negativedirection. Under-counting available spaces means a lost opportunityfor a patron and lost revenue for the operator. Over-countingavailable spaces results in extremely frustrated patrons and potentialloss of future credibility and revenue for the operator. It is important to identify the roles and responsibilities of eachagency for system operations and maintenance. It is critical toidentify these responsibilities early in the planning process. At one ofthe sites visited, the effort was delayed for nearly a year as thestakeholder group resolved the funding responsibilities for theoperations and maintenance costs. Failure to maintain the systemswill reduce credibility and public acceptance will be negativelyimpacted.The purpose of this study is to enable those considering advancedparking management systems to benefit from the experience of othersin their planning, design, operation, and maintenance.1-3
IntroductionMany areas have seen explosive growth in the number of visitors andpatrons as the result of urban revitalization, suburban development,and the general trend of ever-increasing mobility. Parking is increasinglybecoming an important aspect of transportation planning.As stakeholders set out to address parking management issues, theyoften consider Intelligent Transportation Systems. ITS applicationsinvolving APMS have been employed in Europe and Japan for severalyears and are beginning to be deployed in the U.S. Advanced parkingmanagement systems maintain real-time parking space inventoriesacross a set of participating facilities. These data are used to generateparking availability messages that are distributed to travelers throughseveral different means. Such data also help facility owners trackdemand. In some cases, the information is provided for pre-trip use totravelers seeking information on the Internet. In other cases, it isprovided to motorists on roadways by dynamic message signs (DMS)located at key decision points along routes to a desired destination.Advanced parking management systems help travelers find parkingspots quickly, thereby reducing frustration and enhancing a visitor'soverall experience. Advanced parking management systems includeelements from traditional traveler information systems, as well asspecialized parking management applications. Advanced parkingmanagement systems offer a wide range of applications, from pre-tripWeb-based information systems to navigation systems that provideturn-by-turn directions all the way to an individual parking space.A topic of growing interest in the U.S. is the use of ITS for finding safeand legal parking for commercial vehicles, especially large trucks. Hoursof-service regulations require that commercial vehicle drivers rest afterdriving for certain periods of time. In order to rest, drivers need to finda place to park their trucks. In cases where truck parking is notavailable, drivers are forced to choose between equally bad options,such as going over their legal hours of service or parking inundesirable—or even dangerous—locations. A 2005 white paper1 notedthat, while the number of available truck parking spaces equals demandwhen averaged nationwide, there are regional shortages, especially inthe Northeast, the Northwest, and southern California. ITS technologiesare seen as a cost-effective way to help drivers plan where they will stopwhen their hours-of-service for the day have expired. In 2007, theFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will announce theselection of one or more vendors for implementation of a project called1Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (2005). Intelligent Transportation Systemsand Truck n-truckparking.htm.2-1
IntroductionSmartPark to demonstrate the use of ITS technologies for truck parking.The cross-cutting study provided in this report, however, will onlyaddress the use of ITS for parking as it applies to automobiles, notcommercial vehicles.Among advanced parking management systems currently deployed orbeing considered, there are common elements that can be identified.This study discusses common parking problems, defines the stakeholdersand their interests, and examines the range of APMS technologies in usewithin the U.S. today. In addition, this study provides summaries ofthree case studies and concludes with findings and lessons learned thatmay help accelerate APMS solutions.2-2
The Parking ChallengeParking is an ever-growing challenge in cities and towns across the U.S.Increasingly, availability of parking is one of the more significant issuesthat town and city staffs face.National Trends In some communities, ample public parking is available, but travelersare unaware of where the parking facilities are, the hours thefacilities are open, or the costs of these facilities. In others, public parking is in short supply, and privately ownedparking is available and underutilized. In others, there is a shortage of parking facilities, and travelers areunaware of this fact until they arrive at their destination.In all three cases, travelers lack credible, timely information. Theabsence of information causes travelers to make bad decisions, includingnot making the trip, exhibiting poor driving habits due to frustration innot locating a parking place, missing the beginning of an event, andparking illegally.Parking demand is routinely high at airports, in downtown areas, andaround transit park-and-ride facilities due to several factors, includingrecord level air travel, large interest in attending downtown events, andthe desire for commuters to avoid delays by switching to transit atopportune points along their route during the trip. While servingdifferent traveler needs, each situation has one thing in common people in a hurry want to know the answers to three main questions:“Where are parking facilities close to my destination?”, “Is there anopen spot in the facility I choose?”, and “How much is this going to costme in time and parking fees?”Site-SpecificChallengesAt airports, the challenge is to provide an efficient transition for thetraveler from the roadway transportation system to the airporttransportation system. Many travelers run on tight agendas and areunder pressure to make a scheduled flight. These travelers do not havetime to search for parking. Because many BWI passengers are notfrequent air travelers, they are unfamiliar with the airport parkingfacilities. As a result, they often depart their homes or workplacesexcessively early rather than risk missing check-in times. As they circlefrom floor to floor in a parking garage looking for an empty space,frustration begins to mount. In desperation, some travelers are temptedto park illegally in fire lanes or other restricted areas.AirportsIn central business districts (CBDs), visitors may not be familiar with thedowntown street layout and get lost as they search for difficult-to-findparking facilities. Excessive circulation results in more traffic congestionon the street system, which overwhelms the traffic signals in the vicinityof the downtown attractions. Traffic congestion can become gridlock,leading to drivers’ heightened frustration levels. In Seattle, trafficCentral Business Districts3-1
The Parking Challengecongestion is so bad near the Seattle Center that locals have nicknamedit, the “Mercer Mess,” as shown in Figure 1.Park-and-Ride LotsAt transit park-and-ride facilities, the problem is three-fold: Frustration associated with a commuter hunting for a parking spotwhile trying to meet a train or bus departure schedule may result inthe vehicle being parked in nearby neighborhoods. A commuter who cannot find a parking spot and does not elect toabandon his or her vehicle in a neighborhood due to tight ticketingor towing policies will return to the freeway or arterial roadway,having lost valuable time. Commuters who habitually have problems finding parking at thepark-and-ride facility ultimately may elect not to ride transit. As aconsequence, these additional vehicles contribute to alreadyexcessive freeway and arterial roadway congestion and trafficrelated emissions.PublicSentimentThe risks of traveling in areas with inadequate parking information varywith the type of trip. For those going to the airport, difficulty finding aparking spot can lead to a missed flight. For travelers going to a centralbusiness district, the risk is evident in a late arrival at a show or sportingevent for which expensive tickets were purchased. For commutersseeking to transfer to transit, the risk is a missed transit departure.Figure 1. The “Mercer Mess” in Downtown Seattle3-2
The Parking ChallengeFollowing is a sampling of public sentiment regarding the risks oftraveling in areas with inadequate parking: A 2003 intercept survey of off-airport parking users at Detroit’sWayne County International Airport indicated that many travelersopted for off-airport parking because of the level of confidence theyhad in the time it would take to find a parking space and to take ashuttle to the terminal. Over 50 percent felt that the lack of parkingavailability signage on the freeways approaching the airport was asignificant factor in their decision.2 A 2002 Metropolitan Planning Organization survey of the SeattleTacoma region found that a majority of respondents said that theyplan to travel to the downtown area at least eight times in a givenyear. These people also indicated that parking in the downtownSeattle area is a major problem. In a separate 2003 survey developedto gain specific insight into perceptions of Seattle Center parking,visitors to the center on a major event evening were asked abouttheir satisfaction with the parking situation: 37 percent of therespondents indicated they were “Dissatisfied” or “Very Dissatisfied”with the parking situation.3 A Chicago Metra transit rider survey conducted in 2000 measuredthe parking needs of the customers and their preferences regardingparking information. Over 300 commuters were interviewed atvarious Metra rail stations during and immediately following themorning rush hour. At least 62 percent of total transit riders believedthat parking signage indicating where to park could be improved.The survey found that 80 percent of the Metra riders who feltsignage around stations could be improved were regular rush hourtravelers.4These statistics indicate that the ease of finding a parking space caninfluence the decisions people make about traveling. Betterinformation reduces the uncertainty that leads to early departures,recirculation trips, and late arrivals resulting in missed connections ormissed events.2A survey of travelers that chose off-airport parking was conducted at Detroit’s Wayne CountyInternational Airport twice in the fall of 2003. The first survey was conducted in mid-October on aWednesday, during which 34 travelers were surveyed during the AM peak departure period. Thesecond survey was conducted on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, during which 40 travelerswere surveyed during the peak AM departure period.3In addition, a survey of over 200 Seattle Center patrons attending simultaneous evening events inthree different venues was conducted in November 2003 in support of this study. Visitors weresurveyed as they made their way from the parking facility to the event itself.4Wilbur Smith Associates (1999). Parking Management Systems: Needs Assessment Report.3-3
APMS—What are They?There are several different types of advanced parking managementsystems currently in use in the U.S. today.Pre-trip parking information systems can be as low-tech as publishing amap of available parking facilities. For more high-tech systems, severalcities across the U.S. provide pre-trip parking information over theInternet. These Web pages provide a map of where the parking facilitiesare relative to major access routes and attractions. These Web pages alsoprovide other information to help the traveler make a parking plan, i.e.,the facility’s address, capacity, hours of operation, costs, and forms ofpayment accepted. One such website in Milwaukee, Wisconsin(http://www.parkmilwaukee.com), as shown in Figure 2, operatesindependent of any real-time parking information being collected at theindividual garages. Often, this approach is the first step in movingtowards a more sophisticated APMS solution.Pre-Trip ParkingInformationSystemsFigure 2. Parking Destination Information Available at ParkMilwaukee.com55ParkMilwaukee.com Website (2006). ParkMilwaukee.com—Your Downtown Parking Resource.http://www.parkmilwaukee.com.4-1
APMS—What are ific systems provide parking information using signs thattypically have both passive and active components. The passivecomponent provides simple directions to parking facilities, such as withan arrow. The active component supplements the passive component toadvise the traveler of the availability of spaces at the facility. TheChicago Metra Park-and-Ride and the Seattle Center advanced parkingmanagement systems profiled in this report both use signs to providelot-specific information. Figure 3 shows one of the signs used by Metra.Figure 3. A Chicago Metra Sign Providing Lot-Specific Parking InformationFloor-, Aisle-,and SpaceSpecificParkingInformationSystemsIn addition to providing information about which lots are full and howmany spaces are available at remaining lots, more complex advancedparking information systems have signs on every floor of a garage, atthe start of every aisle, and sometimes in front of every individualparking space. The BWI Airport advanced parking management systemprofiled in this report is an example of a system that providesinformation on the availability of parking spaces at the floor, aisle, andparking space level of specificity. Figure 4 is an artist’s rendering of thesystem used at BWI airport with signs showing the number of spacesavailable per aisle.Figure 4. Illustration of Availability by Aisle at BWI Airport4-2
APMS—What are They?Some advanced parking management systems allow the traveler toreserve and pay for a parking space using the telephone, Internet orwireless handheld devices. The system used by Bay Area Rapid Transit ata park-and-ride facility in Millbrae, California, and the services offeredby private companies such as MobileParking LLC and SpotScoutTM, all ofwhich are profiled in this report, are examples of reservation systems.(See Other APMS Applications, page 9-1.)ParkingReservationSystemsThe most sophisticated type of advanced parking management systemunder development is one that guides the traveler to an open spot. Aprototype of such a system was demonstrated by XM Satellite Radio in2005. (See Other APMS Applications, page 9-1.)ParkingNavigationSystems4-3
APMS—Who is Using Them?Advanced parking management systems have been operational in Europeand Japan since the early 1970s to reduce the congestion, environmentalimpact, and driver frustration associated with trying to find parking in citycenter areas. In the U.S., however, the use of ITS technologies to distributeparking information to travelers is still in its infancy. A 2004 survey ofstate transportation agencies shows that only four states (Arizona, Maine,Texas, and Virginia) distribute some sort of advanced parkinginformation.6 More detail about this statistic, as well as others relating toadvanced parking management systems, is available on the U.S. DOT’sITS Deployment Statistics website http://www.itsdeployment.its.dot.gov.Several advanced parking management systems are operational in theU.S. and others are in the design or installation phase. In each of theseapplications, parking information for drivers is displayed on speciallydesigned dynamic message signs that provide both d
parking locations are, what the facility operating hours are, what the expected costs are, and, most importantly, whether a parking place will be available when they arrive. Advanced parking management systems (APMS) help people find parking spots quickly, thereby reducing frustration and enhancing the visitor's experience.
Porous Asphalt Parking Lot Durham 99 42 Parking Lot Legret, 1999 59 Parking Lot Pagotto, 2000 80 Parking Lot Rosen, 2007 98 40 Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavers Drive Way Jordon Cove 67 34 Parking Lot Goldsboro 71 65 Parking Lot Renton, WA -- Parking Lot King College 81 53 Parking Lot Drake, 2012 88 88 Parking Lot
One UTSA Circle San Antonio, Texas 78249 501 West César E. Chávez Blvd. San Antonio, Texas 78207 COMMUTER C PARKING RESIDENT H PARKING RESIDENT U PARKING DISABLED PARKING RESERVED PARKING EMPLOYEE A PARKING EMPLOYEE B PARKING SHORT TERM HOURLY PARKING GARAGES (Garage Permit, Short-Term, &
Different types of vehicle parking are applied worldwide namely Multi-level Automated Car Parking, Automated Car Parking System, and Rotary Parking System. The present project work is aimed to develop a scale down working model of a car parking system for parking cars within a large parking area. The chain and
1. Stacker type car parking system 2. Puzzle type car parking system 3. Level type car parking system 4. Chess type car parking system 5. Rotary type car parking system 6. Tower type car parking system But lift is used only in tower type car parking system. Objectives:-
The process of a parking system starts with the detection of parking spaces using Around View Monitoring (AVM) systems [1-4] or ultrasonic sensors [5-8]. Then, based on the detected parking space, the parking system generates a parking path that leads the vehicle to the parking space safely. The system ends with the vehicle following the
people in saving time and will cut down the fuel spent in search of parking spaces. 3.3 Guided parking navigation Figure 5: Phase 2 - Guided parking navigation After a vehicle enters a parking facility, even be-ing aware of vacant parking spaces, searching for the nearest available parking space is not straight forward in a large or multistory .
(a) allow parking by all motorists only in designated parking stations and/or on specially marked parking bays on road and related areas within the area of operations subject to directions marked on the parking bays or on the signs erected adjacent to the parking bays; and (b) provide specially designated parking spaces/areas within the scheme
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