DESIGNA parking system at New York City airports

Parking for the Big Apple

DESIGNA’s largest installation to date: The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

In 2016, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey awarded DESIGNA the largest airport PARCS replacement project ever undertaken. The contract is in excess of $70 million and replaces the Parking Access and Revenue Control Systems at all four of the Port Authority’s international airports.

The three-year project launched in 2017, with phased installation beginning in 2018, plans to replace parking systems at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), three large hub airports that process a combined 7.8 million parking transactions and over $250 million in revenue annually. The project also includes New York Stewart International Airport (SWF), a public and military airport run by the Port Authority.

Phased implementation and installation of the new DESIGNA ABACUS PARCS solution, configured to meet the specific requirements of the Port Authority, was completed at LaGuardia Airport in 2018 and has been operating for over a year now. The installations at Newark, Liberty and Stewart International Airport were then completed on-target in 2019, while work at JFK International Airport is already more than half finished.

Paul McIlvride, Vice President of Major projects for DESIGNA USA, has led the three-year project. “The program is on schedule to be completed in March of 2020,” states McIlvride who adds, “New York winter weather permitting, of course.”

For Peter Carbonaro, the Port Authority’s Manager of Airport Access Programs, one of the major considerations in choosing DESIGNA was its “future-proof“"- architecture.  “DESIGNA’s  modular architecture and system design give the Port Authority the flexibility to expand our enterprise and incorporate today’s latest technology, as well as tomorrow’s emerging technologies,"", - says Carbonaro. “Being future-proof is essential in maximizing the life expectancy of our investment.“"

Kyle Sundin, Manager of Airport Parking and Revenue Systems for the Port Authority, stated that additional objectives were increased automation and next-level customer service and system capabilities. “Automated parking facilities can offer minimal effort and maximum convenience for customers while making better use of space"", says Sundin. “The latest parking technology can decrease costs, increase profitability, streamline operations and increase the efficient use of airport parking services.“"

The new enterprise system includes pre-booking, E-Z Pass RFID functionality, and numerous new electronic payment options. The Port Authority is moving towards its plans for completely automated, cashless exit lanes. The new In/Out payment capabilities allow both ticketless and ticketed payment on both entry and exit, by a number of payment Methods, including EMV credit card and mobile apps. An automatic pre-booking parking system enables ticketless parking with online reservations and prepaid mobile QR codes. E-Z Pass payment and mobile pay options such as Apple Pay and Samsung Wallet are also available for parkers.

Entry and exit plaza cameras are providing Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) to link individual vehicles to their actual time of entry and exit and to ensure proper fee calculation. A Mobile License Plate Inventory (MLPI) solution has also been implemented to provide Port Authority operations and public safety personnel and parking customers with the location of individual vehicles within the parking facilities. 

Variable message signs and parking space guidance systems provide customer convenience in communicating space availability, traffic flow requirements, seasonal messages and other useful messaging.

“Automated parking and smart parking technologies will expand electronic payment options and take the revenue control system to a new level,” says Sundin. “This will allow airport parking to evolve from a logistical exercise to a customer service and revenue opportunity.”