Smart Parking solution
Summary:
As students of the University of Central Florida (UCF), we have experienced first-hand the issues the university experiences with parking. These issues have prevented us from getting to class on time and even forced us to miss a class by not being able to locate an open parking spot. Our solution is a simple one: provide drivers with a way to know the current state of a lot or garage before entering, and where to look for open parking.
Introduction:
UCF enrolls over 60,000 students. Its main campus in Orlando provides less than 18,000 parking spots. University staff creates schedules to prevent every student from being on campus at the same time. Even so, the campus has its fair share of parking issues. Students arriving during the late morning hours and up until the early afternoon often cannot find parking and arrive late to class. In addition, space on campus is limited for construction of a new garage. We propose a more cost effective and intelligent way to solve the issue at hand, a Smart Parking solution.
Around the country, parking issues can be found on both small and large universities. The issue can appear when a school lowers its enrollment standards. In UCF’s case, its valuable location and lack of public transportation make having access to your own vehicle necessary to be a successful student. UCF is a short trip to several beaches on the east coast of Florida and is easily accessible by all Central Floridians through the city’s wide spread highway system. The school provides transportation for students living in apartments near campus, but there is not a thriving source of public transportation that can accommodate students living elsewhere.
The university also provides a detailed parking map which is available online. The map is a great resource prior to leaving for class. Its purpose of locating parking close to your building is a simple task. However, when a driver cannot find...