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WMATA Real-Time Parking
Information Feasibility Study
Chapter 6: PILOT PROJECT CONCEPT
System Operations
This section describes the general operation of the systems and their components. The
system components include all of the equipment needed to gather process and transmit
information to system users. The detectors monitor movements and changes at the
space or zone level. The space controllers process information from the space-level
detectors. The system server assembles and processes information from the various
system components at each station. Information signs provide information to users at
the facility, while communications equipment transmits the information to the WMATA
offices. At the WMATA offices, a central parking server monitors information from
multiple stations, and the parking web server supplies the information in real time to
WMATA’s web servers.
Detectors/Sensors
The detectors for individual spaces continuously monitor whether the space is occupied
or empty. The detectors for ingress and egress to zones (zonal detectors) will monitor
all traffic that crosses them. The zonal detectors need to be capable of detecting the
direction of travel, and will provide current counts (“ins” minus “outs”). The counters will
be checked periodically to verify accuracy. All detectors will communicate with their
respective controller continuously to report their status or count.
Sensor Controllers
The sensor controllers will monitor information from the detectors. For the space
detectors, the space sensor controller will know at all times whether the space is
occupied or empty. For zonal detectors, the zonal sensor controller will keep a running
count of the number of vehicles that have entered and exited that zone. The sensor
controllers will communicate with the local server.
Local Server
The local controller will process information from all of the detectors and subsystems
within the facility. All space detectors are located within one of the zones, so the
information from the space controller will be matched with the information from the zonal
controller, to determine whether a vehicle that entered a zone has parked in a space
monitored by a space detector, or whether the vehicle parked in a general parking space
not monitored by a space detector. This requires that occupied space counts be
compared to total zone counts and known available spaces. The local controller must
also be able to determine when the entire facility is approaching and has reached
capacity and supply that information to the communications equipment. The local
controller will also include an interface for staff to review and adjust the information
within the parking system.
Parking Information Signs
Two types of signs will be provided in two general locations within the parking facility.
The first type will be located off the parking facility, and oriented towards approaching
traffic from the local arterials. These “external” wayfinding signs will display the number
of available spaces by type. This information will assist patrons in their decision to enter
Page 6-7 June 2009