feasibility study of real time parking information at ... - WMATA.com
feasibility study of real time parking information at ... - WMATA.com
feasibility study of real time parking information at ... - WMATA.com
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<strong>WMATA</strong> Real-Time Parking<br />
Inform<strong>at</strong>ion Feasibility Study<br />
Chapter 4: REAL-TIME PARKING TECHNOLOGY<br />
customer s<strong>at</strong>isfaction and a reduction in vehicle miles <strong>of</strong> travel and associ<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
emissions; however, results to d<strong>at</strong>e have been inconclusive.<br />
• Internal<br />
A number <strong>of</strong> systems currently include internal wayfinding to direct users to<br />
available spaces in <strong>parking</strong> garages. Siemens has installed an ultrasonic-based<br />
system in the Munich airport th<strong>at</strong> provides autom<strong>at</strong>ed guidance within a facility.<br />
Vehicles are detected within the facility and directed to available spaces. A<br />
similar system is in oper<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>at</strong> the Baltimore airport. The Se<strong>at</strong>tle airport also<br />
includes in-facility wayfinding assistance th<strong>at</strong> directs vehicles to available spaces.<br />
Internal wayfinding helps maximize utiliz<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> available spaces and reduces<br />
the <strong>time</strong> spent searching for a space. Internal wayfinding systems generally<br />
require a finer level <strong>of</strong> detail in vehicle detection. At a minimum, signage and<br />
detection capacity are needed to identify enroute vehicles and <strong>com</strong>munic<strong>at</strong>e to<br />
them the loc<strong>at</strong>ions <strong>of</strong> available spaces. The Munich and Baltimore airport<br />
systems mentioned above include space level detection to guide a driver to a<br />
specific vacant space. The Se<strong>at</strong>tle system does not include space-level<br />
detection but instead uses subzones within the facility and includes general<br />
directions to parts <strong>of</strong> the facility with available spaces.<br />
Technology Summary<br />
Table 4-3 summarizes the technological options available for this project. It shows the<br />
various characteristics <strong>of</strong> each technological option: <strong>time</strong>frame for implement<strong>at</strong>ion,<br />
benefits, issues, generalized costs, and other factors. A more detailed evalu<strong>at</strong>ion is<br />
presented in Chapter 5 rel<strong>at</strong>ive to the applic<strong>at</strong>ion to <strong>WMATA</strong> st<strong>at</strong>ions.<br />
A review <strong>of</strong> the technologies and their applic<strong>at</strong>ions to the functional requirements<br />
identified earlier in this document indic<strong>at</strong>ed very few examples where a technology is not<br />
capable <strong>of</strong> ac<strong>com</strong>plishing the objective. Many additional factors will be utilized to help<br />
ultim<strong>at</strong>ely determine which technologies are eventually used. At this preliminary stage, it<br />
should be assumed th<strong>at</strong> any technology is capable <strong>of</strong> ac<strong>com</strong>plishing the overall goals<br />
and objectives.<br />
While the system is not being designed <strong>at</strong> this point, it is helpful for those reviewing the<br />
technologies to have an idea <strong>of</strong> wh<strong>at</strong> a generic system may look like. Figure 4-3<br />
illustr<strong>at</strong>es a generic system layout <strong>at</strong> the <strong>parking</strong> facility and shows how th<strong>at</strong> system<br />
interacts with rel<strong>at</strong>ed systems.<br />
Page 4-14 June 2009