A final area in which technological breakthroughs are providing new benefits to both parking owners and drivers is parking access and revenue control, or PARC. This is an area of parking management that has long been technology-driven. The cigar box was long ago replaced by systems that provide built-in audit control and creature comforts for customers, such as automatic vehicle identification technology to manage monthly parking for patrons so that they don't need to roll down their window to enter or exit a garage and pay-on-foot equipment to reduce queuing at facility exits.
Today, a host of technologies make it easier for drivers to get in and out of parking structures — and even to find open parking spaces. Many of these technologies also make parking management much more efficient and more profitable.
License plate recognition technology provides both convenience to customers and administrative advantages to parking owners and operators. Although the technology has been around for years, it's never been more accurate or more affordable. The systems can be set to recognize the vehicles of monthly parkers, automatically admitting them to the structure when they arrive and permitting them to exit when they're ready to leave. At the same time, license plate recognition technology safeguards the owner against potential fraud when less than scrupulous long-term parkers intentionally lose their ticket, hoping to pay a one-day, "lost ticket" fee. License plate recognition technology will provide documentation as to the time and date of entrance, ensuring owners that they're capturing all revenue from lost ticket transactions.
Another tool to which parking owners are starting to turn is bar code technology. When drivers use facilities that have bar code technology, they can print their parking tickets at home before they even get into their cars. When they arrive to park, the bar code they printed at home is scanned by the access equipment and the gate opens. When they are ready to leave, the ticket is scanned again, the exit gate opens, and the credit card they used to purchase the parking ticket is charged. It's a convenient process for customers, and it also streamlines operations for parking management.
Technology Advances in Parking Facilities are Saving Owners Money, Users Time
In Parking Structures, Green Technologies a Growing Trend
Parking Access and Revenue Control (PARC) Technology Improving
