Car park area counting solutions use technology to manage and optimise parking facilities that are usually large and, more often than not, outdoors. Area counting solutions are a cost-effective way of counting the number of vehicles entering and exiting a parking area. An assessment of available structure will be required to determine the best technology to use, but options include: laser, magnetic resonance or camera sensors. The data generated provides insights into utilisation of the parking facility over time and can allow real time parking availability information to be communicated to drivers.

Typically, a car park area count solution makes use of sensors installed at entry and exit points of the car park, either embedded in the ground - in the case magnetic resonance sensors - or mounted horizontally or overhead, in the case of laser or camera sensors.

Each of the three sensor types can be used as a standalone solution, or as a component of a larger parking guidance solution monitoring multiple areas. Each of the sensor types will better suit certain environments. Site-specific factors along with experience and knowledge of the capabilities of the sensors will help determine the best technology to use.

When in place, the sensors continuously collect data from the entry and exit points which is then transmitted to a central processing unit or software system that keeps track of vehicle movements and maintains knowledge of the number of available parking spaces in real-time.

Signage is placed at strategic locations within a parking facility, usually at entrances and decision points, to indicate key pieces of information such as the number of available spaces overall and, in some cases, in a given sub-area of the parking facility.

Some area count solutions will integrate with mobile apps or websites, allowing drivers to check parking availability remotely before arriving at their destination.

In today’s increasingly smart cities, area counting systems play a crucial role in parking management, by helping to alleviate congestion, improve efficiency and traffic flow and enhance the overall parking experience - all on a relatively low budget.

There are conflicting opinions on the efficacy of some counting sensors, however in our experience it is less to do with the hardware and more to do with the sensitivity of the software analysing vehicle movement. Accurate area counting is both possible and cost effective.

For site tours or advice customised for your individual parking assets, talk to one of our experienced team today.

‍