Specialized Services and Technologies

Automated and Robotic Parking Systems use the same philosophy and technology that has turned the warehouses at Amazon, FedEx, and UPS into models of efficiency. The total required volume for an automated parking garage – both in terms of geographic footprint and height/depth – is only 30-50 percent of that needed for a conventional self-park garage with the same capacity. That means two-to-three times the number of parking spaces can be accommodated in the same volume of space.

Conversely, if space is an issue – which it typically is in dense urban areas – an automated or robotic parking garage occupies only about a third of the land needed for a conventional parking facility with the same parking capacity. That is particularly important in dense, urban areas, where open land tends to be scarce.

The Traffic Group is convinced that automated and robotic parking systems are the next generation of parking in the U.S. In fact, we have invested a tremendous amount of time educating ourselves on all the products currently on the market – even traveling to and meeting with the leading engineers, designers and manufacturers of these automated and robotic parking systems. The Traffic Group’s knowledge and hands-on product experience, combined with the traffic studies we conduct necessary to design these facilities, offers you a partner with unprecedented expertise in designing the right option for your project.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a suite of elements that create a high-quality rapid transit experience using rubber-tired vehicles. This experience often entails a high degree of performance (especially speed and reliability), ease of use, careful attention to aesthetics and comprehensive planning that includes associated land uses. BRT seeks to meet or exceed these characteristics through careful application of selected elements.

A great BRT system, when properly designed, allows for more transit riders and a more green, sustainable community. Not only can it help riders save precious time and money, but it can also connect more people to much-needed jobs and educational opportunities. BRT offers a transportation option that is economically feasible and proven to reduce traffic congestion, while still providing a solid transit solution. Are you considering BRT? Along with concept plans, The Traffic Group can prepare detailed cost estimates that address details relating to the stations, cost for fare machines, for continuous pour concrete paving, reconstruction of traffic signals, etc. Contact our traffic consultants for more information.

Drones offer excellent images with copious information from a vantage point that engineers would not otherwise have during a ground site visit. The Traffic Group uses drones in multiple ways, on a wide range of projects including collecting parking occupancy data on large hospital and shopping center projects, monitoring vehicle traffic queues during school drop-off and pick-up peaks, and observing restaurant drive thru lane operations. On the ground it would take several field staff to monitor all the parking areas on a major project. Staff would need to drive up and down parking drive aisles throughout the study to count open and occupied parking spaces whereas a drone elevated to only a few hundred feet takes one photo documenting full parking lot occupancy. One drone image with a date and time stamp provides proof of the actual parking condition versus traditional, on the ground, manual counting with no proof. Drone video footage can provide documentation on vehicle queues at multiple points on a project whereas a field tech can only see one area at a time. Advancements in drone batteries, cameras and stability allow drones to stay up longer and provide smooth, brilliant photography.

When schools are modernized or expanded, often a Traffic Impact Study is required. While offsite intersections are reviewed for adequacy, the main concern of school administrators, parents and the community typically centers around the safety and efficiency of the site access points. Is adequate stacking space available for pick-up and drop-off? Are pedestrians crossing at an unsafe mid-block locations? Do busses take a long time to exit the school?

Traffic count data obtained from ground level cameras does not always provide the full picture to adequately answer those and other traffic operations questions. Engineers could undertake ground level observations during arrival and dismissal but in addition to being time consuming, at larger facilities it is still not always possible to simultaneously observe all access points.

To fully understand traffic operations at schools, The Traffic Group utilizes drone technology to obtain aerial videos of arrival and dismissal time periods. Our pilots are licensed through the FAA and carry full insurance. Coordination is always undertaken with the school system to ensure videos are obtained on days when typical operations are expected.

By viewing the videos and undertaking capacity analysis using industry standard methodologies, we can assess existing conditions at school site access points to determine deficiencies and provide recommendations to improve safety and efficiency.

Using time cameras can provide 24/7 project coverage where field staff, engineers and designers can only observe operations when on site. Time lapse cameras can be installed on practically any fixed object – a light pole/post, tall signpost, buildings and even trees. One time lapse camera at an intersection, gathering images every few seconds, can provide priceless data for pedestrian patterns, vehicle patterns, and interactions between all modes of transportation. Loading dock truck maneuvers can easily be monitored using time lapse cameras. Parking lot occupancy can be monitored 24 hours a day using time lapse cameras. On street parking can be monitored for many days to determine peak parking availability. Traffic vehicle queuing at intersections and on sites can be determined by monitoring with time lapse cameras. Multiple cameras can provide coverage for many areas for any given project. Advancements in time lapse cameras allows a single installed camera to run for long durations and to take photos at various time intervals from every second to once a week or even once a month. Storage memory disk advancements have also increased the number of images that can stored on a single disk.