Study Site Descriptions
Site Selection
Three sites—Baltimore-Washington International Airport near Baltimore, Maryland; Seattle Center in Seattle, Washington; and the Chicago Metra park-and-ride facilities near Chicago, Illinois—are featured in this section. These APMS sites represent a range of system maturity, stakeholder relationships, and APMS technical approaches.
BWI has equipped over 13,000 spaces in its parking garages with APMS technology in an effort to improve service for the airport's travelers. Seattle Center has equipped publicly owned parking facilities with APMS technology to improve the downtown sports arena and cultural center visit experience. The Chicago Metra commuter rail system has installed APMS technology at two park-and-ride locations. Table 2 provides a summary of key characteristics of each site.
| Site Characteristic | Seattle Center | Chicago Metra Park-and-Ride | BWI Airport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setting | Central business district | Suburban freeway | Airport property |
| Attraction(s) Served | Cultural and sports attractions | Commuter rail station | Airport |
| Number of Signs Deployed | 2 | 8 |
|
| Distance of Signs from the Facility | Approximately 1 mile | Between 1/4 and 3 miles away from both stations | All signs and LED indicators are located at the entrance to, or within, the Daily and Hourly Garages[8] |
| Facility Type | Multi-level garages and surface lots | Surface lots | Multi-level garage |
| Counter Type | Entry/Exit | Entry/Exit | Individual space |
| Communication Backbone | Wireline/Wireless | Wireline/Wireless | Wireline |
| Integration with Regional ITS | Yes | Yes | No |
The following sections present each site's APMS deployment and operations experience in terms of the history of the deployment, planning considerations, operational environment, and operations and maintenance of the facility.
Seattle Center
Seattle Center, located in the downtown area of Seattle, Washington, is an example of an APMS deployment in a CBD environment. The Seattle Center site was developed for the 1962 World's Fair. It is a 74-acre urban park that serves as a center of the cultural, festival and sports interests of the Puget Sound region which has a population of 3.5 million people. Surveys of Seattle metropolitan area residents conducted by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) indicate that members of the average household will frequent Seattle Center approximately eight times per year, attending events at a variety of venues including museums, concert halls, convention facilities, and sports arenas. Often, many events run concurrently, creating a surge in travelers on the downtown streets as ticket holders strive to arrive in time for the opening curtain or tip-off. To meet the parking demand, Seattle Center operates several parking facilities, providing a total of 3,535 parking spaces located around the park complex. Figure 6 shows a map of Seattle Center parking facilities.
Figure 6. Map of Seattle Center Parking
The problem faced by Seattle Center patrons is that on nights when multiple events take place, there are significant delays encountered on the streets that access Seattle Center parking facilities from nearby Interstate-5 (I-5). Traffic occasionally backs up to the freeway exit ramp as patrons queue up to approach the first of the several facilities operated in support of Seattle Center events. Events at the Seattle Center contribute to heavy traffic between Mercer Avenue and I-5, which must follow a complex path of one-way streets. Locals call traffic backups that result the "Mercer Mess."
To address these problems, Seattle Center and the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) began the deployment of an advanced parking management system in 2003. The system includes signs with both active and passive components. As of 2006, only the passive pieces of the signs were being used. At the time of this study's publication, the local stakeholders were continuing to work towards implementing a stable, functioning system that includes both passive and active components. If both components operate as designed, the Seattle Center advanced parking management system will become part of the Puget Sound region's SmarTrek traveler information system.
As designed, the system consists of remote sensors, a central computer, strategically located dynamic message signs, a website interface, a SmarTrek data systems interface, and the associated communications and power infrastructure. The APMS signs are configured so that they may contain both active and passive message components. Figure 7 shows a sign with both active and passive components, although the active component is not operational in this photograph. The active component can provide space availability at the various facilities. The passive component points to nearby garages. If both pieces were operational, these two elements would provide the traveler with the information required to make the best choice on whether to wait in the entry queue or whether to divert to another facility.
Figure 7. Seattle Center Sign Illustrating Active and Passive Components
Should the active sign components become operational, the garage facilities will use an entry/exit counting system to track the number of spaces available. The number of spaces available would then be forwarded to a central computer and used in generating displays on the active components of the APMS signs. The use of entry/exit counters, while not as accurate as individual space sensors, can overcome the difficulty of installing in-surface space sensors in pre-existing garage facilities, which are not equipped with the conduit required to support a space-by-space counting system.
The surface lot also uses in-surface sensors, such as the one shown in Figure 8, that communicate wirelessly with an inventory management system that provides count information to the central computer. The systems selected do not require in-surface wiring and can be removed to facilitate periodic resurfacing of the asphalt surface.
Figure 8. Seattle Center In-surface, Wireless Vehicle Detector
A centralized system can monitor the number of vehicles in each facility and then generate the messages to be displayed on the active piece of the sign and the Seattle Center website. Two dynamic message signs, located along adjacent roadways, have been installed to present real-time parking availability information, should the active piece become operational. Figure 9 illustrates the system's architecture. As currently deployed, various elements on the passive sign direct traffic to nearby parking facilities.
Figure 9. Seattle Center APMS System Architecture
The system was funded primarily by WSDOT. Seattle Center, which is a separate government entity, is responsible for the maintenance of the system. The system is designed to provide parking availability for the First Avenue North Garage, the Mercer Garage, and the Fifth Avenue Parking Garage. The system has not yet operated as designed due to various issues. Many of these issues are directly related to the system's central computer. For example, security upgrades within the central computer have affected the communication with the dynamic message signs.
The Fifth Avenue garage has also experienced problems with the wireless communications between the detectors and the central computer. While some of the dynamic message signs have the option of being operated manually, this has never been done. The technical challenges encountered have caused the project to be delayed many times. This has led to waning interest among participants and lowered the priority of the project. Additionally, many of the agencies involved have experienced staff changes in key positions since the project began, resulting in the need to continually seek buy in, as new staff members become involved.
Chicago Metra Park-and-Ride
As part of an integrated corridor management plan, the Chicago Metra commuter railroad is deploying an advanced parking management system to guide commuters from the freeway to park-and-ride lots with open parking spaces. As of the date of this study's publication, all the equipment had been deployed and operational testing was underway.
The system was installed on the Rock Island Line, which is one of 12 lines operated by Metra that run from downtown Chicago to the outlying suburbs. Figure 10 shows a map of the Metra system with the Rock Island Line highlighted. The two stations where the system is installed are the Hickory Creek/Mokena station and the Tinley Park/80th Avenue station. Both stations are located a short distance from Interstate-80 (I-80). As with many commuter railroads, park-and-ride facilities are an integral part of the service Metra provides.
Figure 10. Map of the Chicago Metra System with the Rock Island Line Highlighted[9]
Metra implemented the system with the hope that the park-and-ride APMS application would increase the number of monthly pass holders on the line. Approximately 60 percent of riders from the two Rock Island Line stations use monthly passes. The remainder use 10-trip or single ride passes. One of Metra's goals for the system is to convert occasional riders to monthly pass holders, securing a more stable ridership base and associated revenue streams. Additionally, the system is expected to reduce the number of times commuters return to the roadway or park in a nearby neighborhood as a result of not finding parking.
The State of Illinois received Federal funding for the advanced parking management system in 2000. The project, overseen by the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), involves design, deployment, testing, and evaluation of a prototype system at two Metra park-and-ride facilities. The system will collect information on parking availability at select park-and-ride lots, and will provide this information to travelers through dynamic message signs located on the freeways and arterial streets along the commuter corridor. Signs will provide travelers with "road-to-parking lot" guidance, as well as "lot-to-lot" guidance within parking facilities or between nearby parking facilities where appropriate.
Functional system design was guided by information collected from transit rider surveys conducted during a needs assessment. Metra conducted surveys of commuters at various rail stations during and immediately following the morning rush hour. The survey consisted of 11 questions on station parking, station signage, and types of information that riders would like posted on dynamic message signs. The survey found that a majority (62 percent) of all transit riders felt that signage around transit stations could be improved. The survey found that over 3/4 of regular transit riders felt that inadequate parking guidance information was a significant issue.[10]
The first station served by the system is the Tinley Park/80th Avenue station. Tinley Park is considered a high-growth area. The station has approximately 2,000 surface spots and 40 handicapped spots situated in two parking lots. These lots are nearly 100 percent utilized on weekdays. This station has an approximate daily ridership of 2,297. The second station, the Hickory Creek/Mokena Station, is located south of the 80th Avenue/Tinley Park Station off of I-80. This station has roughly 2000 available spaces in one parking lot, which are 70 to 80 percent utilized each weekday. The Hickory Creek Station has a daily ridership of 1,135.
Metra hopes to create an inter-station group that will allow riders to park at either facility, since the two stations are located close to each other. As such, the system provides parking availability information on all lots that would be of interest based on the DMS location. The dynamic message signs provide the available number of spaces at each lot and static directional arrows to direct the drivers to these lots.
Metra's system uses entry/exit detectors at all lots, with a field processor that communicates the availability information to eight dynamic message signs at various locations. Communication between the lots and the field processor and between the field processor and the DMS devices is wireless. The system employs one microwave tower that serves the entire network. The signs, located on the nearby freeways and arterial streets, operate within a carefully planned information network. Figure 11 shows a schematic map of the system. Metra expects the system to become operational in 2006.
Figure 11. Chicago Metra's APMS System Illustrating the Parking Information Network
Baltimore-Washington International Airport
Baltimore-Washington International Airport near Baltimore, Maryland has been a leader in APMS applications at U.S. airports. The site has the largest airport ITS parking system in the country. The system determines garage space availability in real time and guides travelers to the available parking spaces. BWI deployed the system to improve the traveler's experience as part of the airport's aggressive growth strategy.
In April 2001, an advanced parking management system was installed on Level 2 of the hourly garage (approximately 1,100 spaces) as an operational test of the system. The purpose of the limited installation was to test the effectiveness of the parking system prior to making a large capital investment. During the operational test, the Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA) received an overwhelmingly positive response through surveys and e-mail comments. In addition to the positive feedback, the parking operators found a reduction in the number of cars parked illegally in fire lanes and other no-parking areas. Based on the positive operational test results, the MAA expanded the system to the other four levels of the Hourly Garage. In addition, installation of APMS technology was included in the construction of a new garage—Daily Garage A. This expansion was completed in early 2004. Daily Garage A offers 7,100 spaces on eight levels, bringing the total number of spaces served to over 13,000. Total cost of the BWI system is estimated at $6 million.
The BWI system uses ultrasonic sensors positioned over each parking space to monitor the availability of the space. Information is collected for each aisle, floor, and facility. The information is processed in a central computer. General parking guidance information is provided to travelers on a dynamic message sign on the airport access road. This sign indicates the "Open" or "Full" status of each facility. As the traveler drives through an APMS-equipped facility, billboard signs at the entry to each level indicate the number of spaces available on that floor. There are also signs on the up and down ramps within the garage that indicate the number of spaces on floors above and below. Daily Garage A also has a sign at the main entrance listing the number of spaces available on all floors, as shown in Figure 12.
Figure 12. BWI Daily Garage Entrance Sign Providing Availability by Floor[11]
Once on the aisle, the traveler sees space availability on a light-emitting diode (LED) sign over each space. The LED system displays the space status based on the ultrasonic detector located in the detector/display assembly. The LED displays green for "available" and red for "unavailable." Those spaces reserved for handicapped-accessible parking spaces are equipped with a blue LED display.
- Aisle signs in the Hourly Garage and Daily Garage A convey the number of spaces available per row.
- Signs located on the roadway approaching BWI are maintained by the Maryland Aviation Administration and inform travelers of availability and the cost per hour of each parking facility at the airport.
- Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation (2006). Metra System Map. http://metrarail.com/System_map/index.html.
- Wilbur Smith Associates (1999). Parking Management Systems: Needs Assessment Report.
- Schick Electronic, SA Website (2006). Signal-Park. http://www.signal-park.com.