Active Transportation 

and Demand Management

U.S. Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration

ATDM Program Brief: Active Parking Management

Active Demand Management Active Traffic Management Active Parking Management

Dynamic Ridesharing Dynamic Lane Use Control Dynamically Priced Parking

On-Demand Transit Dynamic Speed Limits Dynamic Parking Reservation

Dynamic Pricing Queue Warning Dynamic Way-Finding

Predictive Traveler Information Adaptive Ramp Metering Dynamic Parking Capacity

What are some examples of ATDM Approaches? 

What is Active Transportation and Demand 

Management (ATDM)?

ATDM is the dynamic management, control, and influence of 

travel demand, traffic demand, and traffic flow of transportation 

facilities. Through the use of available tools and assets, traffic 

flow is managed and traveler behavior is influenced in realtime to achieve operational objectives, such as preventing or 

delaying breakdown conditions, improving safety, promoting 

sustainable travel modes, reducing emissions, or maximizing 

system efficiency. 

Under an ATDM approach the transportation system is 

continuously monitored. Using archived data and or/predictive 

methods, actions are performed in real-time to achieve or 

maintain system performance. This brief focuses on the active 

parking management component of ATDM. 

Active management of transportation and demand can include 

multiple approaches spanning demand management, traffic 

management, parking management, and efficient utilization of 

other transportation modes and assets. 

An agency can deploy a single ATDM approach in order to 

capitalize on a specific benefit or can deploy 

multiple active strategies to gain additional benefits across 

the entire transportation system. Some example approaches 

include:

Parker smartphone application –

Source: ExpressParkTM

Monitor System

D

ynamic Actions

Evaluate & Recommend

Assess System

Performance

Implement

Dynamic Actions

ATDM

What is Active Parking Management?

Active parking management is the 

dynamic management of parking 

facilities in a region to optimize 

performance and utilization of those 

facilities while influencing travel 

behavior at various stages along the 

trip making process: i.e., from origin 

to destination. 

Dynamically managing parking can 

affect travel demand by influencing 

trip timing choices, mode choice, as 

well as parking facility choice at the 

end of the trip. This ATDM approach 

can also have a positive impact on 

localized traffic flow by providing 

real-time parking information to users 

and ensuring the availability of spaces 

to reduce circling around parking 

SF Park Parking Information Sign – 

Source: SF.Streets Blog

facilities. The overall goal is to help 

maximize the nation’s transportation 

infrastructure investments, reduce 

congestion, and improve safety. 
ATDM Project 

Informational Briefs

This informational brief is one of 

the ATDM briefs in the Program

category of the FHWA ATDM Brief 

Series. ATDM briefs are or will be 

available in the categories of: 

• ATDM Program

• ATDM Planning

• ATDM Analysis

• ATDM Design

• ATDM Operations 

The table below illustrates some key active parking management programs either 

in operation or under development in the U.S. As shown, the various approaches to 

active parking management have been implemented to dynamically manage pricing, 

reservations, wayfinding, and capacity. 

Location/

Project Name

Active 

Parking 

Element

Lead 

Agency

Active 

Technologies

SFpark

San Francisco, CA

http://sfpark.org

Pricing, 

Wayfinding

San Francisco 

Municipal 

Transportation 

Agency

parking sensors, 

wireless connectivity, 

smartphone 

applications, text 

messages, upgraded 

smart meters, 511, 

demand-responsive 

pricing

PARK Smart

New York, NY

http://www.nyc.gov/

html/dot/html/motorist/

parksmart.shtml

Pricing New York City 

Department of 

Transportation

demand-responsive 

pricing, upgraded 

smart meters 

ExpressParkTM

Los Angeles, CA

http://expresspark.lacity.

org

Pricing, 

Wayfinding

City of Los 

Angeles

parking sensors, 

upgraded smart 

meters, real-time 

parking guidance 

system, integrated 

parking management

Capri 

Stanford, CA

https://stanfordcapri.org

Pricing Stanford 

University

RFID tags for system 

users, behavioral 

based pricing 

schemes

QuickPark

San Diego, CA

http://compass.511sd.com/

QuickPark/Default.aspx

Pricing, 

Reservations

San Diego 

Association of 

Governments

parking space 

sensors, parking lots 

sensors, real-time 

parking availability 

information

U.S. Examples of Active Parking Management

ATDM Program Brief: Active Parking Management

What are the key aspects of Active Parking Management?

A fundamental component of active parking management is 

information. With clear, detailed, relevant, and real-time parking 

information, travelers can make informed decisions regarding 

their trip. The information a user needs to make parking-related 

decisions can be conveyed in numerous ways and in various 

formats. These include, but are not limited to, traditional static 

road signs, dynamic message signs, the internet, cell phones, 

smart phones and similar mobile devices, and navigation 

systems. Agencies can harness the power of an enhanced 

technology infrastructure (wireless and wired communications, 

embedded sensors, etc.), combine it with the breadth of 

currently available technologies to convey information as well 

as to accept reservations and parking payments, monitor use, 

and conduct enforcement. These technologies can be applied 

to both on-street and off-street parking spaces and off-street 

parking spaces to optimize use of all facilities in a region. 

Parking system operators also realize numerous benefits with 

active parking management. Agencies can reduce costs, 

improve efficiency, and increase parking utilization rates. 

By increasing the availability of limited parking spaces and 

optimizing the use of facilities at all times of the day, agencies 

can help reduce congestion in and around parking facilities, 

improve enforcement efficiency, foster public trust, and reduce 

the receipt of parking tickets by accommodating alternative 

payment methods. Active parking management also benefits a 

region as a whole by reducing pollution, encouraging the use 

of alternative modes, relieving congestion around commercial 

businesses, and helping improve access by emergency 

responders. In some cases, agencies can actually increase 

parking capacity in a limited footprint with innovative parking 

facility designs that stack vehicles and/or automate parking.

For more information:

Allen Greenberg

Allen.Greenberg@dot.gov

(202) 366-2425 

Bob Sheehan

Robert.Sheehan@dot.gov

(202) 366-6817

Jim Hunt

Jim.Hunt@dot.gov

(717) 221-4422

James Colyar

James.Colyar@dot.gov

(360) 753-9408

FHWA-HOP-12-033

JUNE 2012