Advanced parking management systems (APMS) maintain real-time parking space inventories across a set of participating facilities, offering a wide range of applications, from pre-trip web-based information systems, to navigation systems that provide turn-by-turn directions to the parking space. This cross-cutting parking management study helps those considering APMS to benefit from the experience of others in their planning, design, operation, and management. This study examines advanced parking management systems in airports, central business districts, and transit park-and-ride locations. The systems observed in this study provided directional and space availability information to travelers as they proceed to the parking facility.

The findings presented in the study are from APMS literature and visits to project sites. Interviews were conducted with planners, deployers, and operators to obtain insights into the benefits observed and surveys of travelers were conducted to obtain customer satisfaction benefits.


RESULTS

In downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, 10 parking facilities were connected to an advanced parking management system that provided information on parking space availability via 56 on-street signs (10 with dynamic displays). A study of downtown traffic found that travel times were reduced by nine percent, and the stopped time delay decreased by four percent.