Counting Cars, Creating Change: A Practical Look at Smarter Parking

Wednesday, September 24, 8:30 AM, Room: Mt. Pisgah

This session will explore how NC State Transportation is using real-time Parking Logix data to inform decision-making, improve operations, and enhance the campus parking experience. We’ll share the process behind selecting a data-driven parking occupancy counter, including the factors we considered when evaluating vendors and why we chose to begin with a small-scale implementation.  Our phased rollout began with a single parking deck to assess system performance, functionality, and practical benefits. Based on early results, we expanded the technology to additional facilities, refining our approach.  Attendees will learn how we use occupancy data to improve permit sales, manage day-to-day demand, and plan more effectively for large campus events. We'll also discuss how the system supports more accurate forecasting, improves customer communication, and helps us make better use of existing parking resources.  The presentation will conclude with a look at the return on investment we’ve seen so far—from revenue impact to operational efficiencies—and a few real-world examples of how the data has helped us better serve our campus community.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the key factors that influenced NC State Transportation’s selection of a parking occupancy counter.

•  Evaluate the successes and challenges experienced during the phased implementation of this technology.

• Explore practical ways to leverage real-time occupancy data to improve operations, support decision-making, enhance the customer experience, and increase revenue opportunities.

Caitlyn Blakelock (NC State University)

Caitlyn Blakelock is the Assistant Director of Parking Services and Operations at NC State University Transportation. With nine years of experience in the parking industry, she began her career at Appalachian State University before joining NC State in 2020. In her current role, Caitlyn leads the teams responsible for customer service, enforcement, event coordination, facilities maintenance, and permit management across NC State’s campus. Caitlyn brings a collaborative, data-informed approach to operations and is committed to delivering efficient, user-friendly parking solutions. 

Holt Craven (NC State University)

Holt Craven is the Assistant Director for Finance and IT at NC State University Transportation. He leads teams responsible for all accounting, billing, record keeping, technology systems and most importantly, NC State Transportation’s $20 million budget. Holt came to NC State in July 2018, after spending ten years with the City of Raleigh, five of those as a financial analyst in their parking department.