Parking Information Systems

Pre-trip information about parking significantly impacts users’ decision-making and results in more efficient use of parking and the traffic network. Parking Information Systems (PIS) are increasingly being used to provide drivers with real-time information about parking availability and navigate them to a vacant space – in its simplest form – to assist them with their trip planning. PIS may also include routing, fee collection and payment management, reservation, and availability forecasting features. PIS are integrated into Advanced Traveler Information Systems as part of emerging solutions for smart and more sustainable traffic network management. A typical parking information system consists of four main elements, including detection (monitoring) mechanism, data collection and processing unit (control center), information dissemination (display) mechanism, and communication technologies. Smart sensors and technologies are being used by PIS to monitor and relay real-time data on parking utilization to data warehouses and processing units to provide current information for parking decisions. Intelligent algorithms are also being used in advanced PIS. These algorithms can optimize the choice of parking for users, considering their objectives and constraints, such as price, availability likelihood and distance to final destination. Well-developed PIS are becoming an important management tool for cities to enable more efficient use of parking space, reduce cruising for parking, and enhance user experience.