As part of the Smart Parking Insight initiative, a key component of RM3P’s Commuter Parking Information Services (CPIS) program element, VDOT contracted with ParkZen, a crowdsourced parking occupancy solution firm to provide commuter parking occupancy data services. The project began with a proof-of-concept (POC) phase in November 2024, designed to test the delivery of real-time parking availability data for six NoVA commuter lots.
Currently, the RM3P Management Team is evaluating the accuracy of the ParkZen solution at the VDOT Northern Virginia District Office. The core objective of this validation process is to determine the accuracy, timeliness, and reliability of ParkZen’s data by comparing it to independently gathered, real-time occupancy observations. This controlled setting provides a reliable environment to effectively measure real-time occupancy changes and analyze anomalies. ParkZen asserts that its solution is accurate when at least 15 percent of lot users adopt the ParkZen app (or use apps that have been integrated with ParkZen). The validation team employs “ground-truthing” validation methods that use cameras and drones to verify occupancy data. With support from the VDOT NoVA District Engineer, Bill Cuttler, and assistance from a cadre of VDOT employees who are parking their vehicles at the District lot and have graciously volunteered to run the ParkZen app, the team has been able to generate sufficient crowdsourcing information to evaluate ParkZen’s data.
This comparison between the crowdsourced occupancy data and the independently gathered ground-truth data is enabling VDOT to assess the accuracy and reliability of the ParkZen offering. Of course, even if the ParkZen data is validated, there will still be the need and challenge to recruit a sufficient number of users to generate crowdsourced data. VDOT will take into account all of these factors when determining whether to expand deployment of the ParkZen solution to additional parking lots.