What is free-flow parking?

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Free-flow parking, also known as CameraPark or camera parking, is the term for a parking process that is completely free of barriers, paper tickets or other physical barriers: Automatic number plate recognition, flexible payment methods and seamless entry and exit make for a particularly comfortable parking experience here.

With free-flow parking, parking people simply drive in and out without having to wait at a barrier or draw a ticket. The system automatically recognizes the license plate and calculates the exact parking time in the background. While parking areas with barrier systems are characterized by backlogs and long waiting times, a barrier-free parking system ensures a continuous flow of traffic (free flow).

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How does free-flow parking work?

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‍ In free-flow parking, a distinction is made between two variants: firstly, the fully automated process and secondly, the semi-automatic process.

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Fully automated free-flow parking

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Fully automated free-flow parking is a combination of barrier-free parking system and fully automated payment function such as Automatic Payment from Peter Park. Parking people don't have to worry about anything, because the entire parking process takes place in the background. This makes parking much more relaxed. At the same time, payment can hardly be forgotten anymore and only the parking time actually used is calculated.

The process is simple: After a one-time registration and activation, during which license plates and means of payment are stored, all you have to do is drive in, park, drive out — that's it.

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1. Drive in without barriers

When entering, license plate scanners detect every vehicle and automatically start parking in the background. Parking users can transparently view their current and past parking processes, including receipts, in their online account at any time.

2. Just park

Parking people can simply park their vehicle in a free parking space and enjoy their stay without having to worry about parking.

3. Exit without manual payment

Exiting is also very easy: parking people leave the parking area without having to pay manually. The system recognizes the vehicle, automatically calculates the exact parking time and charges the corresponding amount using the payment method on file. Parking people then receive information about the completed parking process.

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Semi-automatic free-flow parking
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Even with semi-automatic free-flow parking, vehicles travel in and out without barriers and without a paper ticket. Scanners record the license plate when you enter and again when you exit. The system then calculates the parking time and checks whether the parking fee has been paid.

The difference to the fully automated process is that parking people pay themselves — either at the local pay machine or conveniently via their own smartphone. Online payment is often even possible up to 24 hours after departure. These various payment options provide flexibility and convenience, even without fully automated billing.

The benefits of free-flow parking
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A free-flow system offers many advantages over traditional barrier systems. Both parking users and parking space owners benefit from this — a real win-win situation for both sides.

Parking people no longer have to wait at barriers or draw a ticket. Instead, various (digital) payment options are available, which offer maximum flexibility. In the fully automatic version, only the actual parking time is calculated and a payment can hardly be forgotten. This makes parking fairer, saves time and significantly increases comfort.

Parking space owners benefit from lower costs, as a free-flow system with license plate recognition avoids high initial investments as well as maintenance and repair costs. At the same time, automated processes significantly reduce administrative costs. In addition, anonymized parking data can be collected and evaluated. These analyses provide valuable insights into parking operations and help to optimize processes in a targeted manner.

Free-flow parking also offers environmental benefits. Since physical tickets are no longer required, paper consumption is reduced. At the same time, parking people no longer have to stop at entry and exit, which avoids backlogs and helps reduce CO₂ emissions and noise pollution.

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How is free-flow parking used in practice?
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An example from Upper Bavaria shows how free-flow parking improves the parking experience, prevents backlogs and manages traffic flow in city centers more efficiently. The city of Traunstein has been using this solution since 2022. Together with Peter Park, she developed and implemented a fully automated concept. To this end, the town hall's four-story underground car park with 200 parking spaces was converted to a barrier-free system with automatic payment in order to offer employees and visitors more convenience.

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‍ Implementation of the free flow system
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Peter Park installed two scanners for license plate recognition, which record the exact parking time, which can therefore be automatically billed, which also enable automatic payment. In addition, two pay machines are available for payment on site. A two-sided outdoor LED display provides real-time information about free parking spaces. Via an intelligent dashboard, managers can view all data and manage and activate long-term parkers — even directly on site via tablet in the town hall.

Benefits of free-flow parking for Traunstein's city center
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‍ With the barrier-free parking system, the parking experience has become significantly more pleasant for residents of Traunstein. Waiting times and traffic jams at entry and exit are now a thing of the past, meaning that the entire parking process is faster. At the same time, the city is saving costs by eliminating maintenance-intensive barrier systems. Automated processes also reduce manual effort and relieve municipal employees.

In Traunstein, too, the environment benefits from free-flow parking. Eliminating tickets saves paper and avoids unnecessary waste. At the same time, flowing traffic reduces CO₂ emissions.

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Response from the city of Traunstein
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‍ The city of Traunstein has great experiences with free-flow parking:

“Thanks to digital parking, we are taking a big step closer to digitizing our administration. Municipal parking space management can play a central role in optimally managing traffic and making cities more attractive. Barrier-free parking not only offers our citizens a new, improved parking experience, but also focuses on efficiency and quality of life,” says Christian Hümmer, Lord Mayor in Traunstein.

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The future of parking space management

Free-flow parking offers numerous benefits for parking users and parking space owners alike. Modern technology simplifies the parking process and makes it faster and more efficient. At the same time, manual effort as well as investment and maintenance costs for owners are reduced. Free-flow parking is therefore the future of parking space management.

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