Cubic Transportation Systems has signed a letter of intent with the Calgary Parking Authority (CPA) for global collaboration to deliver transit and municipal parking solutions leveraging CPA-developed technology. The agreement is among the first of its kind in the parking industry between the public and private sectors.
The CPA developed the ParkPlus System (ParkPlus) for on and off-street applications by fusing together smart technologies like license plate recognition, real-time wireless, solar-powered smart pay meters and mobile devices. The integration of these tools has led to more efficient management of parking availability, the introduction of multiple payment methods and easier, more effective implementation of enforcement services.
ParkPlus supports both the customer-facing and enforcement side of parking management by allowing drivers to register their license plates with their payment account or pay at the meter, while streamlining operations to enable enforcement officers to automatically capture violations and issue tickets by recognizing which license plate owners have not paid to park in a specific location.
“We are delighted to establish this marketing relationship with Cubic,” said CPA interim general manager Wes Hogman. “Given an 88 percent parking customer satisfaction with the ParkPlus System, we are excited at the prospect of sharing our technology and experience with municipalities and transit operators across Cubic’s sphere of influence."
Under this non-exclusive agreement, Cubic will integrate ParkPlus technology with its payment processing facilities. This gives users the benefit of a simpler customer experience with the ability to manage a single transportation account for transit and parking, as well as make parking and transit payments with a common smart card or mobile app. Parking operators and transit authorities will benefit from scale economies in payment processing and support.
The agreement is complementary to one previously announced with video and sensor analytic solutions companySenSen Networks, demonstrating Cubic’s collaborative development model with software, technology and hardware providers. Such agreements enable the integration of systems required for intermodal solutions specific to Cubic’s NextCity initiative.
“This agreement is a significant step forward for Cubic in expanding our NextCity strategy,” said David deKozan, Cubic Transportation Systems vice president, strategic initiatives. “Users already engaged with Cubic smart card and mobile technologies will be able to extend their use as part of a multi-modal integrated experience for trip planning, real-time passenger information, payment for transit and parking, and participation in real-time traveler information and rewards programs”
