City of Austin Parking Enterprise - Parking Management Functionality
Subsystem Description
The Parking Management Subsystem (PMS) provides electronic monitoring and management of parking facilities. It supports a Field-Vehicle Communications link to the Vehicle Subsystem that allows electronic collection of parking fees and monitors and controls parking meters that support conventional parking fee collection. It also includes the instrumentation, signs, and other infrastructure that monitors parking lot usage and provides local information about parking availability and other general parking information. This portion of the subsystem functionality must be located in the parking facility where it can monitor, classify, and share information with customers and their vehicles. The subsystem also interfaces with the financial infrastructure and broadly disseminates parking information to other operational centers in the region. Note that the latter functionality may be located in a back office, remote from the parking facility.
Functional Area: Parking Coordination
Coordination between parking facilities and between parking facilities and traffic, transit, and traveler information systems. Includes sharing of hours of operation, charging strategies, lot sizes, current parking availability, and parking reservations.
Functional Area: Parking Data Collection
Collection and storage of parking management information. For use by operations personnel or data archives in the region.
Functional Area: Parking Electronic Payment
Parking payment collection using in-vehicle equipment (tags) or contact or proximity traveler cards used for electronic payment. Includes field elements and back-office functionality.
Functional Area: Parking Management
Monitor vehicles and current parking availability within parking facilities. Use driver information systems (e.g., DMS) to provide parking availability and other parking facility information to drivers. Support local traffic control coordination around the parking facility.