Question 1

What is ParkWave?

Accepted Answer

ParkWave is a Dutch platform for smart parking management, focused on the Dutch market. It combines real-time occupancy data from parking sensors with parking rules, detection, management and historical insight. This gives municipalities, parking operators and organizations a single central platform to see how parking space is actually used.

Question 2

What is smart parking?

Accepted Answer

Smart parking is the umbrella term for technology that measures parking occupancy and uses that data to make better use of parking space, detect issues faster and make better-informed decisions. Instead of relying on spot checks or manual counts, smart parking gives a continuous, up-to-date view of how parking space is actually being used.

Question 3

What are parking sensors?

Accepted Answer

Parking sensors are electronic devices placed on or in a parking space that detect whether it is occupied or free. They report this occupancy status to a platform, so the current situation on a street, terrain or zone is visible at all times.

Question 4

What makes ParkWave different from a regular parking sensor?

Accepted Answer

A parking sensor collects data about a parking space. ParkWave uses that data as the foundation for the wider parking management process. Occupancy data is combined with parking rules, zones and other context to flag possible violations and deviant situations. Operators receive this information together with current and historical insight in a single central platform.

Question 5

Who is ParkWave for?

Accepted Answer

ParkWave is built for municipalities, parking operators and organizations that want insight into and control over how their parking spaces and zones are used. That can involve an organization's own parking facility, parking spaces in the surrounding area, or specific parking functions such as Blue zones, Kiss & Ride, loading and unloading zones and EV charging spots.

Question 6

Can ParkWave start small?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ParkWave is designed to be deployed at scale. You can start with a limited number of parking spaces, a specific zone or a concrete pilot, and expand the network later.

Question 7

What exactly does a ParkWave sensor measure?

Accepted Answer

A ParkWave sensor detects whether a parking space is occupied or free, using combined geomagnetic and 24 GHz radar detection. Depending on the sensor model, technical data can also be monitored, such as battery status, temperature, signal information and water detection.

Question 8

How does the detection work?

Accepted Answer

The sensor combines geomagnetic detection with 24 GHz radar. Combining both detection methods allows the presence of a vehicle in a parking space to be reliably established.

Question 9

What sensor types does ParkWave offer?

Accepted Answer

ParkWave can work with different placement types: On-ground: a sensor mounted on the road surface. This solution is relatively quick to install and easier to relocate. In-ground: a sensor embedded in the road surface. This solution is nearly invisible, but requires drilling and is therefore less easy to relocate.

Question 10

What connectivity do the sensors use?

Accepted Answer

Current ParkWave sensors communicate via NB-IoT. The exact connectivity options depend on the sensor model used.

Question 11

How long does the battery last?

Accepted Answer

Battery life depends on the sensor model, usage and configuration. The current batteries last around 5 years under average use and need to be replaced after that. Actual lifespan can be influenced by factors including the number of detections and the configuration.

Question 12

Can the firmware be updated remotely?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The sensors support OTA firmware updates, so firmware can be updated remotely without physically accessing each sensor.

Question 13

Can a sensor be configured locally?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The sensors support Bluetooth configuration for local setup and maintenance.

Question 14

What technical status can ParkWave show?

Accepted Answer

ParkWave can show sensor status, battery status and signal information, among other things. Depending on the sensor model, warnings such as radar issues, water detection or displacement may also become visible.

Question 15

Can a sensor be relocated during the subscription?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Parking spaces and zones can change over time, so sensors can be relocated during the term of the agreement. With purchased hardware, the organization can relocate and reconfigure the sensor itself. With the All-in plan, ParkWave can take care of the relocation for a standard fee.

Question 16

Which parking spaces can ParkWave monitor?

Accepted Answer

ParkWave can be deployed for various types of parking spaces and parking functions, including: - Regular parking spaces - EV charging spots - Loading and unloading zones - Kiss & Ride spots - Blue zones - Other parking spaces and zones with specific rules We keep adding new types of parking spaces and violations.

Question 17

Which violations can ParkWave currently detect?

Accepted Answer

Current live functionality includes: Charging spot: detection when a vehicle is at a charging spot without an active charging session. Kiss & Ride: detection when a vehicle exceeds the permitted dwell time. Blue zone: detection when a vehicle exceeds the maximum permitted parking time. Loading & unloading: detection when a vehicle stays longer than allowed at a loading and unloading zone.

Question 18

Can ParkWave apply parking rules per location?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Parking spaces can be linked to zones, space types, time windows and specific usage rules. This allows current occupancy data to be interpreted in the right context, and lets ParkWave flag when a situation deviates from the configured rule.

Question 19

Can ParkWave measure vehicle turnover?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ParkWave can provide insight into vehicle turnover, usage and flow per parking space or zone.

Question 20

How does ParkWave help with enforcement?

Accepted Answer

ParkWave detects a possible deviation from a configured parking rule and brings it together with the location and relevant context in the platform. This lets enforcement teams see more precisely where attention is needed. They then assess the situation on site and decide what action is needed. ParkWave supports information-driven enforcement this way, but does not replace the enforcement officer!

Question 21

Is emergency exit violation detection already available?

Accepted Answer

No. Emergency exit violation detection is currently listed as in development on the ParkWave roadmap and is not yet a live feature.

Question 22

Can ParkWave automatically warn about a violation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. When ParkWave detects a possible violation, an alert can be generated. This actively informs a staff member that there is a situation that may need attention.

Question 23

How do I receive an alert?

Accepted Answer

Depending on the configuration, alerts can be sent via push notification, email or SMS. This lets a staff member be notified quickly without constantly having to check the dashboard.

Question 24

What's the difference between a violation and an alert?

Accepted Answer

A violation is the situation detected by ParkWave that deviates from a configured parking rule. An alert is the notification that is then passed on to a staff member, for example via push notification, email or SMS. Each user can individually configure for which zones alerts should be received, and which types of alerts.

Question 25

Does ParkWave automatically take action after an alert?

Accepted Answer

No. ParkWave detects a possible deviation and can send an alert for it. The responsible staff member then decides whether and what action is needed.

Question 26

Is ParkWave relevant for organizations without their own parking facility?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ParkWave is not only intended for organizations with their own parking facility. It can also be relevant for organizations that depend on parking spaces in their surroundings, or that deal with specific parking functions. Think of shop owners on a street with a Blue zone, organizations near a Kiss & Ride location, hospitals, stations, shopping areas, or organizations that depend on parking spaces for customers and visitors.

Question 27

Can ParkWave help when parking spaces relevant to my organization are misused?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ParkWave can make visible how parking spaces are actually used and flag possible deviations from configured parking rules. That can include visitor spots occupied for a long time by other users, Kiss & Ride spots used longer than permitted, charging spots without an active charging session, or parking spaces structurally used by a different target group than intended.

Question 28

Can organizations connect to their municipality's ParkWave platform?

Accepted Answer

Yes, provided agreements are in place with your municipality. Within those agreements, organizations can share relevant detections with municipal enforcement. The municipality remains responsible for actual enforcement. ParkWave facilitates the information and detection layer.

Question 29

Can organizations use ParkWave independently?

Accepted Answer

Yes. On their own site, organizations can use ParkWave independently to monitor and regulate parking rules, and take action where needed.

Question 30

What situations can ParkWave be relevant for?

Accepted Answer

Depending on the parking function, the configured rules and the agreements with the organization or municipality involved, ParkWave can for example be deployed at: - Business sites - Offices - Shopping areas - Parking spaces for customers and visitors - Blue zones - Kiss & Ride locations - Hospitals and healthcare facilities - Stations and transit locations - Carpool and destination lots - Charging infrastructure - Private parking facilities in areas with high parking pressure

Question 31

Can ParkWave help determine whether I need more parking spaces?

Accepted Answer

ParkWave does not automatically determine how many parking spaces an organization or municipality needs. It does provide the data to better substantiate that decision. By making occupancy, peak load, usage over time and underutilization visible, it becomes clear whether a problem is structural or mainly occurs at specific moments.

Question 32

What insights does ParkWave provide about parking spaces?

Accepted Answer

ParkWave can provide insight into things like: - Current occupancy - Parking pressure - Peak moments - Vehicle turnover - Usage over time - Structural bottlenecks - Underutilization - Usage of specific parking functions - Utilization of charging spots

Question 33

Can I view historical parking data?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ParkWave records parking data over time, so patterns and developments become visible over longer periods. This helps, for example, to distinguish structural parking pressure from incidental peaks and to evaluate the effect of measures.

Question 34

Can ParkWave help with capacity planning?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Historical and current parking data can be used to substantiate decisions about capacity, layout, parking rules and the use of existing parking space.

Question 35

Can ParkWave see whether a charging spot is actually being used to charge?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ParkWave can combine the physical occupancy of a charging spot with information about the active charging session. This makes it possible to distinguish between a vehicle occupying a charging spot without an active charging session and a vehicle that is actually charging.

Question 36

What situations can ParkWave distinguish at charging spots?

Accepted Answer

ParkWave can distinguish between, among others: Fuel vehicle at a charging spot: The charging spot is occupied by a vehicle that cannot use the charging facility. EV without an active charging session: The charging spot is physically occupied, but there is no active charging session. EV with an active charging session: The charging spot is used for its intended purpose.

Question 37

Can ParkWave expose data from all charging points?

Accepted Answer

Not all charging points are currently connected to ParkWave. We are expanding the number of connected charging points and data sources step by step, allowing us to combine more and more charging data with ParkWave's occupancy data. The goal is to provide increasing insight into the actual utilization of charging spots: not just whether a charging spot is occupied, but also whether it is actually being used to charge.

Question 38

Why is this relevant for organizations?

Accepted Answer

Charging infrastructure is an investment. Insight into both physical occupancy and actual usage helps organizations make better use of available charging capacity and better substantiate future expansion. Knowing actual occupancy also helps avoid getting stuck in a cycle of unnecessarily adding more charging points.

Question 39

Why is this relevant for municipalities?

Accepted Answer

The solution isn't always to add more charging points. That can trigger a vicious cycle: more charging points means fewer regular parking spaces, which leads to more vehicles occupying charging spots without actually charging. Insight into actual utilization helps municipalities first make better use of existing charging infrastructure, and expand in a targeted way only where it's genuinely needed.

Question 40

Does ParkWave record license plates or camera footage?

Accepted Answer

No. The ParkWave parking sensor is focused on detecting the occupancy status of a parking space. The sensor is not a camera system and does not use license plate recognition for occupancy detection.

Question 41

What data does a ParkWave sensor collect?

Accepted Answer

In addition to parking status, technical data can be reported, such as battery status, temperature, signal information, parking counts and certain sensor statuses.

Question 42

Does ParkWave measure people or vehicles?

Accepted Answer

ParkWave focuses on the parking space and its occupancy status. The sensor detection is designed to establish whether a parking space is occupied or free, and does not use a camera or license plate recognition for this detection.

Question 43

Is the public live map privacy-safe?

Accepted Answer

The public live map shows the availability of parking spaces without requiring drivers to log in. The map is intended to make available parking space visible.

Question 44

Can ParkWave make parking availability public?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Real-time parking data can be used for a public live map that shows drivers where parking space is available.

Question 45

Can drivers be guided to a free parking spot with ParkWave?

Accepted Answer

The public live map makes available parking space visible. Future parking assistants and navigation services can use this real-time data to guide drivers directly to available parking space. This application is part of ParkWave's further development.

Question 46

Can ParkWave be expanded later?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ParkWave is designed to be deployed at scale. An organization or municipality can start with a limited area or number of parking spaces and expand later.

Question 47

Can ParkWave combine multiple types of parking rules?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Parking spaces can be linked to different types of parking functions, zones, time windows and usage rules. This allows the same infrastructure to be used for different parking purposes.

Question 48

Which features are already live?

Accepted Answer

The Platform page shows, per feature, which parts are currently live. This includes occupancy detection, parking rules, detection for various parking situations, dashboard, live parking map, violations and enforcement, vehicle turnover, and sensor management.

Question 49

Which features are still on the roadmap?

Accepted Answer

New features are developed step by step. Features that are not yet live are shown on the Roadmap page as roadmap or in development.

Question 50

Can I start with a pilot?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ParkWave can be deployed for a defined area, a specific parking function or a concrete question. A pilot can, for example, focus on parking pressure, misuse, Kiss & Ride, charging infrastructure, or the use of a specific parking facility.

Question 51

How do I determine where to start?

Accepted Answer

Start with a concrete parking question. ParkWave can then help make usage visible in real time and over a longer period. Think for example of: - Where does structural parking pressure occur? - Are parking spaces used for their intended purpose? - Are charging spots actually being utilized? - Is a Kiss & Ride location being used for too long? - Is an expansion of parking capacity actually needed?

Question 52

What does the ParkWave Pilot cost?

Accepted Answer

All information about the pilot can be found via the 'Pilot' button at the top right of the website.

Question 53

Is the ParkWave Pilot non-binding?

Accepted Answer

Yes. After 12 weeks you can stop without any obligation to take out a subscription.

Question 54

What happens to the sensors if I stop after the pilot?

Accepted Answer

We pick up the sensors again. After removal, only the small installation holes remain in the pavement.

Question 55

Can I continue with ParkWave after the pilot?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can convert the pilot into a regular ParkWave subscription (All-in or Buy hardware).

Question 56

What happens if ParkWave doesn't function properly during the pilot?

Accepted Answer

Then the money-back guarantee applies: if ParkWave does not function properly during the pilot or the agreed service is not delivered, you get the full pilot amount back. Achieving a specific policy, occupancy, or savings result is not guaranteed.

Frequently asked questions

About ParkWave