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PARKING IN 2020 No Equipment,


No Computers … But We Still


Collect the Money By John Van Horn


It’s early evening, mid-July 2020. You are planning a trip downtown for dinner and a show. Your destination is automatically entered into your smartphone (after all, it was inserted in your calendar when you bought your tickets and made your dinner reservations, wasn’t it?). When you get into your car, your destination is


transferred to your onboard computer, and your drive, including the selection of a parking space, is programmed in and you are off. Naturally, you take the route that is easiest, bypassing traffic tie-ups and arrive hassle-free and on time. You enter the parking facility and your vehicle’s signature, along with the parking facility’s code, is logged. No gates, no tickets, just an arrow and some red/green lights to direct you to the most convenient spot. On each floor, a host answers your questions about the surrounding area, helps if you need an extra hand, or simply supplies a bit of security. When you return, you get in your car and drive away. The sensor in the exit lane notes your passing, and your time in the lot is passed to the “clouds.” Your PayPal account is debited for the cost of time spent, and a receipt is emailed to you. At the end of each month, a summary of all parking charges is available for your records. If you had changed your mind and decided to park on-street, your car’s GPS coordinates would be noted, and your account would be charged for the time spent parked on-street. No meters, no pay-by-cell -- you do nothing at all. Poor credit? Not a problem. Your phone also contains your “electronic purse,” and instead of debiting your online account, the money is deducted from your phone. (Of course, when you are paid each week, the money is automatically credited to your phone’s purse. )


Oh, by the way, all this is brought to you by Google. 36


This scenario, and others like it, was the basis for a number of discussions I had at major revenue control manufacturers’ booths at 2012 Intertraffic Amsterdam in late March. It’s not as far-fetched as you might think. In fact, much of the technology exists today to make it happen.


In exhibits from Skidata, Scheidt & Bachmann, Designa, FAAC International, Nedap AVI and others, I saw “cloud-based” systems that read Quick Response (QR) codes from smartphones, tracked GPS “signatures,” and combined sensors that determined not only what car was being driven through a gate, but also who was driving it.


I also recently visited a university here in Southern California


From left, Skidata’s Keith Lynch and Karen Pradhan, the NPA’s Christine Banning, and Robert Weiskopf and Harald Raetzsch, also of Skidata, at the company’s booth at 2012 Intertraffic Amsterdam in late March. A lively discussion about business models, “clouds” and technology took place with PT’s editor, John Van Horn.


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