Stretching Rubber, Not Budgets: Accurate Parking Utilization on a Shoestring

TL;DR

This paper introduces a low-cost, accurate parking utilization measurement method using pneumatic road tubes and automated analysis, enabling scalable data collection for community planning without high expenses.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel, cost-effective parking utilization measurement approach combining pneumatic tubes, portable counters, and automated data analysis for scalable deployment.

Findings

High accuracy in parking counts achieved

Significant cost and labor savings demonstrated

Applicable to community planning and demand assessment

Abstract

Effective parking management is essential for ensuring safety and convenience in master-planned communities, particularly in active adult neighborhoods experiencing rapid growth. Accurately assessing parking utilization is a crucial first step in planning for future demand, but data collection methods can be costly and labor-intensive. This paper presents a low-cost yet highly accurate methodology for measuring parking utilization using pneumatic road tubes connected to portable traffic counters from JAMAR Technologies, Inc. By integrating results from JAMAR's analysis tool with custom Python scripting, the methodology enables precise parking lot counts through automated parameter optimization and error correction. The system's efficiency allows for scalable deployment without significant manual observation, reducing both costs and disruptions to daily operations. Using Tellico Village as a case study, this effort demonstrates that community planners can obtain actionable parking insights on a limited budget, empowering them to make informed decisions about capacity expansion and facility scheduling.