feasibility study of real time parking information at ... - WMATA.com

WMATA Real-Time Parking
Information Feasibility Study
The headquarters system will include the following subsystems:
Chapter 5: OPTIONS AND PREFERRED
SYSTEM FOR WMATA
• A parking system controller that receives and displays operational and status
information from all individual stations.
• A communications/internet server that transmits information to web services,
VDOT, and other users.
• A management system that includes archiving and analysis.
The complexity of the parking system controller will increase as WMATA requirements
and the number of smart parking sites expands. For the first installation, a simple
interface that only allows staff at the central offices to monitor the system may be
appropriate. Even as the system expands with deployments at additional stations, it
may be appropriate to call up the information from stations individually, or WMATA staff
may want to see all stations at once. In either case, it is unlikely that the central staff will
actively manage the smart parking systems beyond the initial testing period. There may
be occasional use for modifying messages to direct patrons to different lots
(evacuations, major incidents, service disruptions near a station, etc.), but this is not
expected on a daily basis.
For simply monitoring a station, a small server or PC may suffice. However, the central
server will have one other function – archiving or collecting the data and placing it in a
format suitable for other uses and sharing. The central server must keep track of the
availability or occupancy every minute. This will allow all related traveler information
services to be very accurate. It is typically unreasonable to expect traveler information
to change more quickly than once a minute.
The role of the communications server is to distribute the information to other computers
and services. Many of these already exist, such as the current web server for WMATA.
Depending on the demand, the communications server could be combined with the
central server or computer.
Some of the services that require parking information already exist. This includes the
existing web server and email alert services. The web server may require upgrades as
the information from the parking system will be updated more frequently than the current
information that it handles. As the system will only be deployed at one station initially, it
is not expected to increase email alerts by a significant amount. The processing load
should be monitored as additional stations come online to determine when additional
equipment will be required.
While a connection to VDOT has not yet been formally established, many of the pieces
for this connection are already in place. The WMATA communications server will send
the information to VDOT in an already established format defined by VDOT, suitable for
both 511 and control of any local DMS. The WMATA communications server will send
the information to RITIS, as well. RITIS will distribute the information to other interested
parties.
Finally, information from one station may be required at another station. This is not
expected immediately, but future designs need to consider this possibility.
Page 5-18 June 2009