Parking & Access Control

David Crawford reports on an urban electronic nervous system. The northern Spanish city of Santander – historically a port - is now an emerging technology showcase attracting global attention as a prototype for a medium-sized smart city of the future. In a move to determine the optimal use of available data, it is creating a de-facto experimental laboratory for sensor and mobile phone-based urban traffic management and environmental monitoring innovations.

According to a new RFID sector survey by IDTechEx Research, RFID Forecasts, Players & Opportunities 2014-2024, the RFID market will increase from US$6.98 billion in 2012 to US$7.88 billion, and will reach US$23.4 billion in 2020. This includes tags, readers and software/services for RFID cards, labels, fobs and all other form factors - for both passive and active RFID. Using new, unique information researched globally by IDTechEx technical experts, the new report RFID Forecasts, Players & Opportunities 2

US-based detection technology company Aldis has received UK Highways Agency approval for its 3D vision-based vehicle and pedestrian detection system with tracking for traffic signal control and data collection. Aldis GridSmart replaces in-road detection technology with a single, static 3D camera at signal controlled junctions. The system can also be used for multi-directional traffic surveys, including complex turning movements and vehicle classification, as well as pedestrian detection and counting.

According to new analysis by Frost & Sullivan, Future of Vehicle Parking Management Systems in North America and Europe, growth opportunities are expected to attract new start-ups in the parking industry, providing real-time parking applications. The industry is expected to witness investments and funding from venture capitalist (VC) firms, ranging from US$200-$250 million in the next three to five years. This is made evident through the emergence of companies, such as Streetline (US and Europe), ParkatmyHo

According to Frost & Sullivan, the parking industry has transformed dynamics in its operation with a different genre of participants including automotive OEMs exploring numerous opportunities in parking and expected to witness a major growth phase in this decade. Bundled services with apps are helping parking operators to ease their operations, business and positioning. Early stage growth opportunities will attract more than twenty new start-ups in the parking industry providing real-time parking applicatio

The University of Alabama has installed Nedap’s uPass Reach long range UHF readers in a bid to improve traffic flow at its parking facilities for its over 33,000 students and employees. Due to the nature of class scheduling, the university experienced a large rush hour coinciding with class times and needed a solution that could improve parking throughput without sacrificing the security of their facilities or the oversight of their pay-for-parking registration system. Mississippi-based Access Control

A new mobile parking application launched by American Roads Technologies enables parking enforcement agencies to enforce parking violations through smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices using multiple platforms such as iOS and Android. Unlike existing parking apps that allow people to avoid feeding the meter to pay for on-street parking, the app not only allows people to locate parking spots and pay for parking, but it also permits municipalities, universities or parking agencies to enforce parking

Iteris has upgraded its Vantage detection solutions with Vantage Velocity 2.0, which includes several enhancements to its Bluetooth-based travel time system. Vantage Velocity, Iteris’ Bluetooth-based travel time system, employs sensors installed at defined segments along the road to capture the identity of passing Bluetooth-enabled devices. Utilising advanced algorithms, the host software analyses the matches between sensors to create accurate real-time speed and travel time data on freeways and arterial ro

Motorists in the Dutch city of Zoetermeer are to benefit from a smart parking concept developed jointly by Nedap and Vialis, which displays real-time parking space availability on Vialis electronic displays alongside the access roads to the city centre. Parking data will also be made available through an app for smart phones and through navigation systems in vehicles. The city is the first municipality in the Netherlands to respond to Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment request to make parking da

The Royal Borough of Greenwich in London has rolled out Adaptis Solutions’ dash park cashless parking solution across ten car parks and seventy off street locations throughout the borough, offering motorists an alternative to the pay and display machines already in operation. Motorists now have the option to register their vehicle to the dash platform and pay by phone, text, mobile web or through a smartphone application.