Page 48 - College Planning & Management, July/August 2017

Technology INNOVATIONS FOR EDUCATION
Parking Goes Hi-Tech
Technology is transforming parking, adding cost-saving efficiencies and sustainability to a campus necessity.
BY BILL SMITH
PARKING IS AN EXTRAOR- DINARILY important asset for most colleges and universities,
and it has an enormous impact on the day- to-day lives of students, faculty and staff, particularly those who commute. For some schools, it’s also an important revenue generator. Still others rely on their parking systems to promote alternative transporta- tion or even sustainability. In fact, parking plays many different roles, depending on the unique needs of an individual campus.
In light of the important role that park- ing plays on most campuses, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many universities are investing in technologies designed to
provide a better parking experience while making parking more manageable. The technology revolution that has transformed our daily lives has reached the parking industry, and colleges and universities are reaping the benefits.
“The parking industry is enjoying unprecedented technological advance- ment and many of the new technologies that have been introduced in recent years are particularly beneficial to colleges and universities,” says Dan Kupferman, direc- tor of Car Park Management Systems for Walker Parking Consultants. “Technology has made parking more efficient, more pre- cise and easier to operate. It’s also making
parking more customer-friendly than ever before, which is great news for students, faculty and staff.”
48 COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / JULY/AUGUST 2017
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RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT. Parking facilities are going hi-tech with the installation of parking guidance systems that direct drivers to available spaces.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF INDECT USA