Posted: Sept, 26, 2022 12:34AM ET • 3 min read

Gated parking system in covered parking garage

As our everyday practices become digitized, organizations across all sectors must advance their product offerings to follow suit. Transforming your existing parking infrastructure to meet and exceed the needs of today’s consumers should remain a key consideration as digital technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) permits become increasingly utilized.

Bluetooth Low Energy parking permits, commonly referred to as BLE permits, are being recognized as the next generation of mobile parking access for gated parking systems. Providing an all-around faster, safer, and more convenient customer experience, BLE permit access is evidently here to stay.

So, what do you need to integrate BLE mobile access into your parking infrastructure?

There are several components required to start offering BLE parking permits. First and foremost, a Bluetooth reader must be installed as a standalone unit or within each entry and exit in-lane column. The reader must be paired with an external directional antenna installed in nearby field cabinets. A long-range communication radio must also be installed for approximately every 200 feet of the parking area to communicate between systems. Depending on the size of your parking lot, you could have multiple readers and communication radios.

On the end-user side, BLE parking permits must also be paired with a mobile app. This allows customers to easily store their access credentials on their smartphone, making entering and exiting your parking facility a breeze. The Bluetooth reader will automatically detect and read the BLE permit as long as the app is running in the background of the mobile device. In other words, a user is not required to launch the app for in and out access.

The benefits don’t stop there. The beauty about mobile apps is that they automatically come with a central management system and reporting dashboard that makes permit management

easy. The system’s wide variety of pre-defined reports allows authorized users to analyze and view financial and statistical information. The data can be exported into customizable reports for easy review and analysis. When paired with financial reporting, you can gather insights into parking habits, keep tabs on your daily transactions, and manage reservations at both a staff and visitor level.

With your visitor expectations changing on the fly, it is best to equip your facility with the tools necessary to meet them. Implementing mobile access solutions like BLE permits into your parking infrastructure will get you one step closer to transforming your parking facility into a completely digitized operation.

References

Sgorlon, A. (2022, March 18). Airport Permit Management and why it matters. Parking Industry. Retrieved August 22, 2022, from https://www.parkingindustry.ca/parking-management/airport-permit-management-and-why-it-matters?rq=airport

Precise ParkLink | Parking Management Services. (2021, November 18). The Future of Digital Access is Upon Us. Precise ParkLink | Parking Management Services. Retrieved August 22, 2022, from https://www.preciseparklink.com/news/digital-parking-permits

Sgorlon, A. (2022, August 22). The Ins & Outs: Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and parking access. Precise ParkLink | Parking Management Services. Retrieved August 22, 2022, from http://www.preciseparklink.com/news/bluetooth-low-energy-ble-and-parking-access