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| The new parking system will feature Genetec's AutoVu license plate recognition system |
Genetec, a pioneer in the physical security industry and a leading provider of world-class unified IP security solutions, recently announced that the Company's AutoVu License Pay-by-Plate System has been chosen by the Borough of State College in Pennsylvania to become part of one of the country's first license Pay-by-Plate Parking (PBP) systems.
As the 12th most populous municipality in Pennsylvania, State College Borough is home to over 42,000 residents. A bustling college town, it attracts many visitors with its popular restaurants, nightlife, active arts scene and abundant retail options.
"Until recently, we were operating a very diverse, manually operated parking system with at least 5 or 6 different types of parking permits including the type you display on your dashboard, or hang on the rear view mirror — as well as different systems for parking lots, street parking and resident permits. What we set out to do, was to create a new type of unified parking system throughout the Borough that would make the lives of our residents and visitors simpler," explains Charles DeBow, Parking Manager, Borough of State College.
The new parking system which will soon be fully operational is a Pay-by-Plate Parking (PBP) system featuring the Genetec AutoVu License Plate Recognition System combined with best-in-class technologies from T2, a provider of unified parking management systems, Parkmobile a developer of mobile parking payment solutions, and Digital Payment Technologies, a developer of electronic multi-space pay stations management software.
Having recently installed Genetec AutoVu LPR cameras on their parking enforcement vehicle, the Borough’s parking officers are now able to automatically capture license plate numbers to enforce parking permits, time-limited zone rules, and parking lot checks. Using the Genetec AutoVu Patroller software installed inside the car on a ruggedized laptop, the Borough's parking officers are able to easily monitor incoming reads from LPR cameras as they go about their patrols. The Genetec AutoVu system automatically captures license plate characters, vehicle images, time stamps and GPS coordinates—making it easier to enforce parking restrictions, while decreasing the number of parking ticket disputes and increasing compliance.
"We have only had AutoVu installed for two weeks and already the system is proving its worth. We have about 2,000 cars that are eligible to be booted at this stage and AutoVu has already proven to be a highly effective tool at finding the people who owe us money, with very little effort. Our parking enforcement officers can just drive around and the system automatically scans license plates and compares them with our database of permitted vehicles or scofflaws and alerts our staff when they need to take action. At this rate, we expect the system to pay for itself in 18 months or less," added Charles DeBow.
With 15 years of technological innovation, Genetec AutoVu is the License Plate Recognition system of the Genetec Security Center, the Company’s unified security platform. This field-proven LPR solution has already been chosen by municipalities, universities and parking facility operators around the world to help improve productivity and cut operational costs.
