Texas A&M Adds ALPR Technology to Parking Solutions

Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, recently integrated automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology into its parking services and enforcement strategies, according to a news release. The university’s Transportation Services division deployed Genetec AutoVu ALPR to manage the campus’ 36,000+ parking spaces. The technology assists with duties including issuing and managing physical permits, as well as reducing the need for foot patrols.

“Moving away from paper permits and hang tags was a huge success, reducing time and resources required to enforce parking,” said Dell Hamilton, Texas A&M’s Parking Systems Manager. “Leveraging Genetec AutoVu, we’re able to reallocate resources more efficiently, such as sending patrols more frequently to high violation areas, and have reduced overhead costs since we don’t print and distribute hang tags.”

Genetec AutoVu involves the installation of AutoVu SharpZ3 cameras on enforcement vehicles and parking-lot entrances and exits. The automated, real-time monitoring system can help parking enforcement staff reduce patrol times and identify unregistered vehicles more quickly. The system also shifts from paper to virtual permits, eliminating confusion during the lag time between registering for and receiving a parking pass.

Texas A&M is also working with T2 Systems, a Genetec partner, to install ALPR-based technology in campus parking garages. Genetec has also installed its Security Center Fleet Monitoring system into more than 60 campus buses, the news release reports.

“We’d like to continue expanding our use of Genetec ALPR. Whenever Genetec introduces a solution, it works,” said Hamilton. “Our team has been able to significantly improve our parking and transit operations using Genetec. I can’t imagine working with anyone else.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • Sam Houston State University Completes Athletic Stadium Renovations

    Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, recently announced the reopening of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium after an extensive renovation project, according to a news release. The university partnered with Stantec and DLR Group for the project’s design.

  • Building Beyond Simulation: Creating Immersive Ecosystems for Healthcare Education

    Health sciences education is one of the fastest-growing facility types in colleges and universities. The demand for medical, nursing, and allied health professionals is driving the creation and renovation of medical simulation training facilities that provide students with real-world experience through advanced simulation-based learning.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.