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Date of Submission
Spring 4-27-2022
Project Type
Senior Design
Major
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Department
Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. Adeel Khalid
Abstract
Over the last four years, Kennesaw State University (KSU) has increased its total student enrollment by 21%, making them the second largest university in Georgia in terms of enrollment. This rapid growth has resulted in stress on the university’s current parking infrastructure. This report describes the proposed optimization efforts of the parking system at KSU’s Marietta campus and how a new system would make better use of the existing parking infrastructure. Under the current system, students buy a parking pass that limits them to a small group of parking lots that are congregated in one corner of the campus. This results in some classrooms being very far away from the parking area of any given parking pass. Under the new system, it is proposed that students should be able to park in any commuter lot on campus to minimize the distance they must walk to reach their classes. Minimizing the walking distance reduces other negative factors such as pedestrian walkway congestion, the time it takes students to reach their classes, and student tardiness to their classes.
Students with their newfound parking freedom need a tool to help them find optimal parking. This project develops a MATLAB program to provide students with parking recommendations based on which building on campus they wish to park closest to. Additionally, an Arena simulation model is developed to demonstrate how the new system operates and to prove the system’s feasibility. Extensive literary research is completed to explore creative parking solutions and to learn from past successes and failures of similar initiatives.
Several investments can be made by KSU’s Parking and Transportation department to eliminate future problems caused by increasing parking demand. Rather than spending millions of dollars to build new parking lots, the university may invest in technological systems that can be installed to the current infrastructure. For instance, a Smart Parking System provides real-time parking information to drivers (such as space availability) which enables faster parking, reduced lot congestion, and less wasted energy for drivers. This information can inform drivers through electronic displays at the entrances of parking areas or through a phone application (app). These investments will enhance the effectiveness of the new parking system proposed in this document.
A new parking system without lot restrictions is feasible to implement, cost-effective for the university, and enables students to travel shorter distances between their vehicles and their classes. Students can receive parking lot recommendations through the MATLAB program to take full advantage of their new parking options. In the future, technology investments and a university parking app will significantly improve the effectiveness of the system by providing real-time data to students. The university will benefit from this new parking system by gaining access to detailed parking data and creating a positive public image that results from helping improve student parking conditions. Professors benefit from this change because it affords their students a better chance to arrive on time by eliminating excess walking from far away lots. Students benefit from parking closer to their classes, saving significant time and effort. Under the proposed parking system, the average student’s walk can be reduced by up to 62.4% depending on the class building. A parking system without pass-type lot restrictions should be implemented for the benefit of KSU, its staff members, and its students.
Final Document
FDR.pptx (83734 kB)
PowerPoint Presentation
Parking Pals Poster.pptx (5325 kB)
Poster