Gone are the days of hanging parking permits from the rearview. This summer, Cal Poly Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) is rolling out license plate recognition software that will help them better manage traffic flow and patterns throughout campus parking lots.
Using vehicles affixed with cameras specifically designed to read license plates, parking ambassadors will be able to more efficiently track parking capacity and availability.
With this information, TAPS can analyze lot occupancy per week, day and hour. Then, once they are able to determine the number of permits to offer, they can maximize existing parking facilities.
TAPS Director Marlene Cramer said this new platform will create a better parking experience for students, faculty, staff and visitors by providing real-time and long-term data that will help TAPS stay on top of trending models.
“Cal Poly is growing, offering more housing, reducing the number of students driving to campus and therefore reducing our environmental footprint, which is a big goal for the university,” Cramer said. “Yet we still have a lot of people driving to campus and needing parking. This new system will allow us to better manage the lots and improve the customer experience immensely.”
However, just because permits need not be on display in the rearview, anyone with a parking permit must ensure that their vehicle is registered with TAPS.
Registering is as simple as logging into your parking account via the TAPS webpage and adding a vehicle to your profile.
Staff will still be able to purchase short-term permits online and visitor parking permits will still be available at the Public Safety Reception Center, Visitor Center and pay stations. Visitors must know their license plate number when purchasing parking.