Communications of the ACM
Relief From "parking Wars"
Credit: Autoblog
Researchers at Tel Aviv and Radboud universities have developed PARKAGENT, a computer simulator that models the real-life parking challenges of specific cities, identifying different strategies for improvement and testing the impact of new policies before they are implemented.
PARKAGENT accounts for parking policies, drivers, and parking inspectors to make an exact model of any given city. The software also assesses key values, such as drivers' cruising time, how long they park for, and the distance from the parking space to their destination. The data can then be reviewed to determine if a new policy would decrease the amount of time drivers spend trying to find a parking space. New policies could include a change in the amount of time permitted in the public parking space, the construction or closing of a parking lot, or the construction of a new building in the area.
The software also can be used for parking planning strategies. For example, in North American and Israel, on-street parking is usually less expensive than off-street parking, so drivers try to find the more economical parking option by driving around more than necessary. The researchers say that city traffic would be more efficient if drivers had incentive to park in lots from the beginning.
From American Friends of Tel Aviv University
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Abstracts Copyright © 2011 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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