US company TKH Security (Park Assist) has been awarded the parking guidance system (PGS) contract for Los Angeles International Airport’s (LAX) new parking facility.
The garage – a 4,300-stall parking structure – will provide drop-off/pick-up locations and short- and long-term parking options. The four-story garage will be the first component of LAX’s Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), opening in 2021.
The facility will utilize TKH Security’s M4 smart-sensor system, which relies on camera-based monitoring to track occupancy and provide guidance throughout the garage. The company says that the system is designed to help parkers quickly and easily locate available parking spaces by, for example, using color-coded LED lights to indicate which spaces are available. It claims this not only enhances the customer experience by significantly reducing the search and park times for travelers, but also improves traffic flow and relieves congestion to ensure the facility is operating at maximum efficiency.
Alongside the M4 technology, the airport’s PGS will be equipped with several software add-ons, including Park Select-Rate, Park Finder and Park Alerts.
The customer-centric Park Finder software module utilizes LPR (license plate recognition) technology to ensure that parkers can easily pinpoint their vehicle upon returning from travel. Using a Park Finder-enabled pay station, travelers enter their license plate number into the system and are guided to their vehicle. The Find Your Car locator searches a database of parked vehicles in the garage, identifies the correct license plate number and corresponding vehicle, and provides step-by-step directions to get to the car.
Park Select-Rate allows parking management to easily designate spaces for premium pricing. Once a vehicle enters a premium space, the smart sensor feeds the vehicle ID and location data to the parking access and revenue control system (PARCS), which then applies the premium rate to the associated vehicle.
Park Alerts increases control and security in the garage. This software extension allows parking management to set automated time and license plate-based rules and alerts that help staff regulate activity in the facility, enabling management to respond quickly to any violations.