What is Parking Access Control?

In 2021, approximately 56,710 violent crimes were reported in parking garages in the United States. However, many of these incidences could have been prevented had IT and security teams taken the time to install parking access control systems.

Parking access control is a technology that monitors vehicle and foot traffic in parking lots and parking garages. By controlling who enters the parking garage, security teams can optimize the usage of parking space, control traffic flow and increase safety.

In this article, we’ll explore the importance of parking access control and a range of parking access control technologies available in the market.

Why Parking Access Control is Important

Parking access control systems are a vital part of building and enterprise security for the following reasons:

  • Eliminates tailgating instances: Tailgating is a technique of moving closely behind another vehicle or person to gain unauthorized entry into a parking lot. A parking access control system can restrict tailgating instances and thereby reduce the chances of crime in parking garages.
  • Reduces crime: Parking access control integrated with video surveillance systems can help security professionals monitor parking structures from a centralized location. When an incident occurs, it triggers a notification, sending a real-time video feed to the access control dashboard. For instance, Genea Security can be integrated with a range of video surveillance systems such as Rhombus Systems, Eagle Eye Networks, Milestone Systems and Cisco Meraki to enable features such as door mapping and real-time video feeds.
  • Reduces operational and management costs: A vehicle access control system helps building owners reduce the parking garage operational costs by eliminating the need for recruiting additional security guards.

How Does it Work?

To understand how a parking access control system works, you need to know about the components involved.

A parking access control system has four main components, which include a parking gate, card reader, controller and credential (e.g., key fob, key card, mobile device, etc.).

  • Parking gate – A gate installed at the entry point of the parking lot or parking garage.
  • Access reader – A hardware device that reads the access credentials presented by users and sends information to the controller to confirm their identity.
  • Access controller – Validates the access credential data and sends a signal back to unlock the door. 
  • Access credentials – Door access credentials are passwords or encrypted information that gives specific users access to an area. For example, access credentials are passcodes, key fobs, swipe cards, RFID tags, and mobile keys.

Parking access control systems work in four steps:

  • Step 1: The security administrator assigns parking access credentials to users and pushes the data into the database.
  • Step 2: Users present their access credentials to the reader for authorization.
  • Step 3: The access reader collects the access credential data of the user and sends it to the controller for validation.
  • Step 4: The controller checks if the access credential presented matches the credentials in the database. If there is a match, it sends a signal back and the parking gate unlocks.

Parking Access Control with Mobile

Mobile access control for parking facilities allows users to use their NFC- or BLE-enabled smartphones to unlock the parking gate and gain access.

  • Touchless: Touchless access control enables drivers to simply wave their smartphones to unlock the parking gate, instead of tapping a card.
  • Convenience: Parking access control with mobile eliminates the need for users to carry fobs and keycards. 
  • High security: It increases security by allowing administrators to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Genea offers cost-effective mobile access control software that enables users to tap or twist their smartphones to open gates and doors.

The main benefits of Genea’s mobile access control are:

  • It cuts down on card sharing.
  • It is compatible with smart watches like Apple Watch.
  • It works when the internet network is down or the power goes out.  

Genea Can Help

Parking access control has become a must-have solution for businesses of all types, including real estate properties, enterprises, healthcare firms and hotels. Having suitable parking access management enables businesses to monitor who is entering and leaving the parking facility, restrict unauthorized vehicles and reduce crime.

Genea offers a leading physical access control solution that helps streamline your parking operations.  Genea can be integrated with Flash Parking to enable features such as contactless parking, automated vehicle identification, long-range vehicle detection and mobile credentialing. Book a demo to learn more about how Genea Security can automate your parking management workflow.