Xerox “Smart Grid” Parking System makes it easier for cities to manage transportation

Municipalities now have a way to manage parking operations with a central management solution. Merge, a technology from Xerox is the first system to fully integrate and provide analytics on all aspects of metered and off-street programs. Merge integrates hardware and software to provide real-time information about coin collections, meter maintenance, enforcement, and occupancy by applying real-time data to solve parking issues. 

On display at the 2013 International Parking Institute Conference and Expo in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Merge is built on an open architecture platform that enables cities to “plug and play” any field technology or software system that manages parking operations – from parking space sensors and meters to handheld devices as well as the Internet, smart phones, and dynamic message signs for real-time parking guidance. 

“For the first time, parking managers have immediate visibility into what is happening on their streets,” said Dan Smith, Head of Integrated Marketing for the Middle East and Africa region of Xerox’s Developing Markets Operations. “Now municipalities can make data-driven decisions on everything from meter collections to rate structures – improving performance and creating additional revenues.” 

In Los Angeles, Merge is deployed as part of the City’s LA Express Park program, where Xerox’s algorithm-driven pricing model sets parking prices based on supply and demand, helping improve parking turn over and space availability and provide a better experience for drivers. 

“Merge integrates both our back-end parking systems and in-field parking technology,” said Dan Mitchell, senior transportation engineer, City of Los Angeles, overseeing LA Express Park. “The central management capabilities provide valuable insight into our total parking environment and the open platform allows us to be flexible in sourcing suppliers.” 

Merge processes instant information for on-street and off-street parking spaces and provides system occupancy, maintenance, payment and collection status, and customer service response data. Merge is also equipped with Xerox’s proprietary dynamic pricing engine that can be used to recommend parking rates based on historical data as well as adjust parking prices by predicting demand using data from current conditions. 

Xerox is the leader in smart parking solutions, processing over 16 million tickets annually and supporting more than 150,000 meters worldwide for clients.