3.5 Years
Presentation Type
Short presentation 10-15 minutes
In Person or Zoom Presentation
In-Person
Campus
Daytona Beach
Status
Student
Student Year and Major
2028 Aviation Business Administration
Organization, if requesting a table
Honors Program
Presentation Description/Abstract
“The average American spends over 3.5 years of their life behind the wheel, and a surprising amount of that time isn’t moving here at Riddle, but searching for parking.”
Parking scarcity has led to students and faculty spending over 15 minutes searching for spaces, causing wasted fuel, congestion, and frustration. Addressing this challenge is vital as the university grows and aims to enhance both efficiency and environmental responsibility. This study examines the parking shortage at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach campus and evaluates the feasibility of developing a mobile parking application to improve sustainability and campus mobility.
The research employed a literature review and comparative analysis of U.S. universities with existing smart-parking systems, including the University of Alabama, Louisiana State University, and the University at Buffalo. Parameters included student-to-parking ratios, campus size, available transportation alternatives, and technology types such as crowdsourced, sensor-based, and predictive systems. Findings reveal that campuses using real-time parking apps, such as ParkZen and Modii, significantly reduced search times, emissions, and traffic congestion.
Embry-Riddle already demonstrates internal interest and student research capability in this area. A prior IGNITE-funded project by Lenge (2017) successfully used image processing to detect parking occupancy through live camera feeds, confirming the technical feasibility of smart-parking infrastructure on campus. Building on that foundation, this project explores a more scalable, software-driven approach. Embry-Riddle’s high vehicle dependence and limited alternative transit make a mobile parking app both feasible and impactful, particularly using a crowdsourced model requiring minimal infrastructure investment. Implementing such a system could substantially improve parking efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and enhance overall campus experience, offering a replicable, data-driven sustainability model for other car-dependent universities.
Keywords
Parking scarcity, sustainability, smart parking app, real-time data, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, feasibility study, crowdsourcing technology, emission reduction, transportation efficiency, ParkZen.
3.5 Years
“The average American spends over 3.5 years of their life behind the wheel, and a surprising amount of that time isn’t moving here at Riddle, but searching for parking.”
Parking scarcity has led to students and faculty spending over 15 minutes searching for spaces, causing wasted fuel, congestion, and frustration. Addressing this challenge is vital as the university grows and aims to enhance both efficiency and environmental responsibility. This study examines the parking shortage at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach campus and evaluates the feasibility of developing a mobile parking application to improve sustainability and campus mobility.
The research employed a literature review and comparative analysis of U.S. universities with existing smart-parking systems, including the University of Alabama, Louisiana State University, and the University at Buffalo. Parameters included student-to-parking ratios, campus size, available transportation alternatives, and technology types such as crowdsourced, sensor-based, and predictive systems. Findings reveal that campuses using real-time parking apps, such as ParkZen and Modii, significantly reduced search times, emissions, and traffic congestion.
Embry-Riddle already demonstrates internal interest and student research capability in this area. A prior IGNITE-funded project by Lenge (2017) successfully used image processing to detect parking occupancy through live camera feeds, confirming the technical feasibility of smart-parking infrastructure on campus. Building on that foundation, this project explores a more scalable, software-driven approach. Embry-Riddle’s high vehicle dependence and limited alternative transit make a mobile parking app both feasible and impactful, particularly using a crowdsourced model requiring minimal infrastructure investment. Implementing such a system could substantially improve parking efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and enhance overall campus experience, offering a replicable, data-driven sustainability model for other car-dependent universities.