Adopting a common data framework can simplify integrations, improve management, increase compliance, and enhance user experiences in parking and curbside operations.
By Jacob Larson
In today's fast-moving technological environment, businesses, cities, and service providers rely on seamless integrations to manage growing data sources, expand operations, and enhance customer experiences. However, without a shared framework for organizing and exchanging data, these efforts can become fragmented and inefficient.
By adopting standardized data structures, municipalities and parking operators can simplify the launch of new locations, optimize existing operations, unlock innovation, and increase compliance. Whether used to manage curb space, parking facilities, or mobility networks, a common language enables real-time adaptability, smarter decision-making, and improved service delivery.
At the curb
As cities expand and urban areas become increasingly dense, the demand for efficient curb space management grows significantly. Active curb management is critical in addressing the competing needs of deliveries, passenger pick-ups, and accessibility for all road users. It’s no longer sufficient to prioritize one use, such as metered parking, over others like freight loading zones or ride-share pick-ups, as both serve vital functions for businesses and their customers.
The challenge lies in balancing these competing priorities while optimizing limited curb space. A truly modern solution extends beyond the concept of a "smart" parking meter. It requires an integrated, data-driven system capable of dynamically allocating curb space based on real-time demand and usage patterns. Technologies like sensors, real-time analytics, and digital permitting systems can help cities adapt to changing conditions throughout the day, ensuring fair, efficient use of the curb.
In 2023, the Open Mobility Foundation (OMF) — an open-source foundation that creates a governance structure for open-source mobility tools — introduced the Curb Data Specification (CDS), a groundbreaking framework designed to improve the management and organization of curbside components. This standard empowers cities, businesses, and mobility stakeholders to digitize their curb rules and regulations in a consistent, accessible format.
By partnering with technology vendors or leveraging the expertise of your internal information technology team, you can now represent curbside policies, such as parking zones, loading areas, and access restrictions, in a standardized digital environment. This transformation enables seamless integration with modern tools and applications, facilitating real-time management and greater operational efficiency. For example, a parking occupancy sensor can be integrated into a real-time occupancy map where users can look for and then choose open on-street parking spaces.
The ability to communicate your curb data through an application programming interface (API) not only simplifies data-sharing but also shifts the focus from administrative burdens to measurable outcomes. For example, changing rates becomes much easier, because you no longer have to send emails or track support tickets. With one change at the main data source, the necessary information is sent to all technology vendors. With this streamlined approach, organizations can prioritize return on investment, scalability, and growth, unlocking new opportunities to optimize curb usage and enhance urban mobility strategies.
In an off-street environment
The same principle applies to parking garage structures or designated parking areas within a campus. These facilities often pose unique challenges in managing capacity, demand, and user experience. If your goal is to implement dynamic pricing models — adjusting rates based on factors such as time of day, occupancy levels, or special events — leveraging a common data structure is essential.
A standardized approach to organizing and sharing data facilitates seamless communication between systems, enabling real-time adjustments and better integration with external platforms, such as navigation apps or payment services. This outcome not only enhances operational performance but also improves the user experience by providing accurate, up-to-date information on availability and pricing.
By adopting a common data structure, you can achieve greater efficiency in managing resources, increase revenue potential through optimized pricing strategies, and create a more flexible, responsive system that adapts to the ever-changing needs of users and your organization.
The Alliance for Parking Data Standards (APDS) — a not-for-profit organization formed by the International Parking & Mobility Institute, the British Parking Association, and the European Parking Association — created an ISO-certified specification that is also known as APDS to digitize and standardize the details of parking facilities, ensuring seamless integration and management across platforms. Adopters of APDS can easily update facility characteristics, such as capacity, access rights, and operational rules, and communicate them with various equipment providers, creating a more flexible, efficient system.
For instance, if your garage or lot utilizes license plate recognition (LPR) technology, the APDS standard enables real-time communication to manage access, such as automatically opening gates for specific vehicles based on pre-configured permissions. This level of interoperability enhances operational precision and customer convenience.
Additionally, by using a common standard like APDS, you gain the freedom to switch equipment providers or incorporate additional vendors without disrupting your existing setup. This flexibility reduces the likelihood of vendor lock-in, encourages innovation, and enables the adoption of new technologies as your needs evolve.
Interoperability
Adopting the standards mentioned above makes your operations more streamlined, flexible, and capable of meeting modern demands. Consider the scenario of managing parking for a large event. Attendees, whether traveling from out of town or commuting locally, expect a seamless experience. With these standards in place, customers could purchase their parking pass and event ticket in a single transaction, simplifying their planning and reducing friction.
Before heading to the event, users could also check real-time parking occupancy levels near the venue, empowering them to make informed decisions and avoid unnecessary delays. Although it might seem intuitive to access current parking availability through navigation apps or public platforms, this information is often unavailable. Navigation tools typically lack direct access to occupancy data, and many parking providers struggle to share this information in a public, standardized format.
Implementing a standardized data structure bridges this gap by enabling real-time data-sharing across platforms. This enables parking operators to provide occupancy updates in a secure, accessible manner, improving convenience for users and reducing congestion near event locations. The result is a more efficient, user-friendly experience that not only benefits attendees but also enhances the reputation and operational success of your parking services.
Compliance and the future of smart mobility
From ensuring accessible parking stalls to verifying that users pay the correct rate, standardized data languages can help reduce the number of citations issued. In New York City, for example, freight delivery companies often treat parking fines as a business expense rather than circling in search of an open space. However, both CDS and APDS enable cities to communicate available loading zones to delivery partners, ultimately reducing congestion and minimizing citations. Smaller businesses, which may not have the financial flexibility to absorb frequent fines, often pass these costs down to individual drivers.
At the vehicle level, access to curbs or parking garages can be regulated through multiple permitted user types. Compliance may be verified through LPR, physical hangtags, or digital access codes and cards issued on a customer basis. On a typical route, enforcement staff may encounter a variety of invalid parking scenarios based on state or local regulations. When regulations are misinterpreted or missed, customers often dispute citations. By integrating standardized permitted user types into enforcement software, cities can optimize enforcement routes, reduce errors, and improve the overall parking experience.
Standardizing data across curb management, parking facilities, and mobility networks isn’t just about improving current operations: It’s about building a foundation for the future. As technology evolves, the integration of artificial-intelligence-driven analytics, automation, and connected infrastructure will further enhance efficiency and improve the user experience. By embracing open data standards today, organizations can stay ahead of the curve, ensuring seamless adaptability in an ever-changing mobility landscape.
JACOB LARSON is an applications analyst for the Parking and Mobility Division of the City of Omaha, Nebraska. (Omaha's Parking and Mobility Division is a member of the Open Mobility Foundation.) He can be reached at jacob.larson@cityofomaha.org.
