BEST SPACE SCENARIO : PARKING DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A PROBLEM IF SENSIBLE MEASURES ARE UNDERTAKEN TO GIVE DRIVERS ENOUGH INFORMATION ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF SPACES, ALLOWING THEM TO PLAN THEIR TRIPS ACCORDINGLY

This article describes an electronic parking management system in Cologne, Germany that helps guide motorists to available parking spaces. The system, known as Stadtinfokoln, is a sophisticated traveler information system that provides up-to-the-minute parking availability at 31 underground and surface parking facilities in and around Cologne. Information is displayed on message signs situated on approaches to the city. The author reports that the system has successfully improved traffic management in urban areas, dispersing parking demand, relieving downtown congestion, and helping visitors spend less time searching for a parking space. The system uses add- and-subtract loop detectors in individual parking garages, which record the number of available spaces. This data is sent to a central computer, which displays the information on message boards. The system plans to provide forecasts of available metered on-street parking, as well.