An evaluation of SmartPark strategies.
Nationwide, United States
Accelerating SmartPark Deployment Strategic Plan
Summary Information
This report examined the potential of a nationwide deployment of a SmartPark system designed to help truck drivers find a safe and available parking.
The SmartPark system works by collecting real-time information about nearby parking availability and communicating it in real-time to active drivers. Parking data collected from parking facilities is sent to an information processing center and then converted into parking availability information which is then posted on roadside dynamic message signs (DMS) and 511 systems, and made available to mobile devices and traveler information websites.
The diagram below excerpted from the source report highlights three main components of a SmartPark system.
The map below excerpted from the source report shows states with SmartPark programs as of September 2018.
FINDINGS
The potential high costs of deploying a SmartPark project have been a deployment barrier. Although some projects such as those implemented by the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) can cost tens of millions of dollars, recent data collected from Colorado DOT and MAASTO suggest SmartPark projects can be cost effective.
Data derived from a comparison of the two projects indicated that for every $1 invested in SmartPark technology, between $3.30 to $7.80 benefit would be returned. The authors noted, however, that this range would be a rough estimate since the methodologies used in each analysis varied across SmartPark projects.