AVI at URI

The Parking and Transportation Department at the University of Rhode Island provides information on its website on an Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) system, which grants access to gated Faculty and Staff parking lots. The website indicates that it is a tag similar to an EZ Pass, placed on a vehicle windshield, that allows access to gated lots without swiping an ID. Automatic Vehicle Identification Radio Frequency (RF) technology (AVI) is used at gated Faculty and Staff parking locations across the URI campus to automatically open entry gates.

AVI is used by URI instead of card access systems because card access systems alone can be slow and inconvenient to use. The AVI system is extremely fast, authenticating access in fractions of a second. AVI devices are 3.5-inches long by 2.5-inches wide — approximately the size of a credit card — and must be secured to vehicle front windshields. URI indicates the following benefits result from the use of the AVI system:

  • It operates successfully in all campus gated Faculty and Staff parking lots.
  • It saves the time and eliminates the frustration of fumbling for forgotten or misplaced ID cards.
  • It controls access to an area, encouraging only legal parking in the area.
  • The devices can be disabled easily if stolen.
  • AVI devices can be programmed for any time period of use and do not require batteries.
  • AVI holders can continue to use the device as long as they are affiliated with the university, and the AVI can be turned off when no longer in use.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Opportunity by Design Framework

    Opportunity by Design

    Educational improvement efforts often focus on curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and intervention systems while treating the physical school building as background. But school design is not a passive backdrop to learning — it is a structural lever for equity.

  • DLR Group Hires Three for Higher Education Practice

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has brought three new hires on board to help shape its higher education practice in California and the northeast, according to a press release.

  • Growing Allied Health Workforce Demands Fueling Greater Need for Higher Education Facilities

    With the demand for healthcare professionals at an all-time high, colleges and universities are challenged with supporting the workforce demands in their own communities. Careers in allied health generally require specific training and/or certification, with some positions requiring degrees, certified credentials, and continuing education.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched the 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which collects data on the previous year’s K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide.