This article reports on a smart parking experiment conducted at the Rockridge BART station in Oakland, California, from December 2004 to April 2006. It tested a system that allowed motorists to query a computerized system about whether parking spaces were available and make reservations on the fly or in advance. The experiment was intended to test whether the availability of real-time information about parking would encourage people to leave their cars at BART and take transit for the rest of their commute. It was started after BART began offering motorists a chance to pay to reserve a space at stations. That left commuters who didnt have monthly permits to decide whether to risk driving to BART and having to leave without being able to park. The experiment involved variable message signs activated when spaces were available, a phone and web interface for drivers to make reservations, and detection devices in the parking lot to measure space availability. The experiment showed that the message signs were not effective in reaching drivers because of placement, low numbers and a distrust of the accuracy of the information displayed on them. The most successful reservation system was on the Web, with the phone system encountering some user interface problems. In the wake of the experiment, drivers requested that the system be expanded. As an alternative, BART now offers drivers a chance to purchase a one-day reservation online at the busy Rockridge Station. Additional experiments are about to take place in other locations, including use of value pricing on the San Diego Coast Express rail route.
Abstract