Global alliance formed to standardize parking data
Three major parking associations join forces to develop an international parking data standard.
News: Press release March 9, 2022: ISO Adoption
The Alliance for Parking Data Standards (APDS) is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2018 by the European Parking Association (EPA), the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI).
APDS develops and maintains open, global specifications for parking, kerbside and mobility data. By providing a common language for information exchanged between systems, the specifications enable operators, public authorities, technology providers, mobility services and other stakeholders to connect more easily, reduce integration costs and develop new services.
Why parking data standards matter
Parking and mobility data is often held in different systems, using different structures and terminology. APDS provides a consistent way to describe and exchange this information, making it easier for organisations and platforms to communicate.
The specifications support data relating to areas such as:
- parking and kerbside locations;
- access rights and operating conditions;
- tariffs and quotations;
- sessions and transactions;
- occupancy, supply and demand; and
- observations and enforcement-related information.
This common framework supports interoperability across the parking, transport and mobility ecosystem, including connections with automotive services, journey planners, map and app providers, public authorities and National Access Points.
An evolving international specification
APDS is maintained as a living, open specification that continues to evolve in response to operational needs, technological developments and feedback from the sector.
The current release, APDS version 4.1, includes an Information Model, Data Dictionary, Use Cases and a machine-readable API specification based on OpenAPI 3.1. The core APDS data model has also been published by the International Organization for Standardization as ISO/TS 5206-1.
APDS also works with other standards organisations and initiatives to improve interoperability. This includes alignment with DATEX II and NeTEx and the development, together with EPA, of tools for converting APDS-formatted information into other recognised European data formats.
Supporting implementation in Europe
EPA actively supports the development and uptake of APDS in Europe. This includes work on the European regulated parking data profile, which maps parking-data requirements arising from European legislation to the APDS specifications and supports the publication of data through National Access Points.
APDS specifications, implementation resources and training are available through the APDS website. The APDS Essentials online course provides an accessible introduction to the standard and includes practical case studies from Antwerp, Barcelona and London.
Chaired by EPA Board Member Nigel Williams, the Alliance Board of Directors includes members from each of the three founding associations.
The complete slate of officers includes:
CEO: Shawn Conrad, CAE, CEO, International Parking Institute
COO: Andrew Pester, CEO, British Parking Association
Chair: Nigel Williams, Board Member, European Parking Association
Board members:
From IPMI:
Shawn Conrad, IPMI CEO
Mike Drow, IPMI Board member & CEO of Parking Revenue Recovery Services
From BPA:
Andrew Pester, BPA CEO
Jade Neville, BPA Technology and Innovation Board Member & Sales Operations and Marketing Manager at Trellint UK
From EPA:
Nigel Williams, EPA Chair & Managing Director for Parking Matters
Tom Antonissen, EPA Executive Director
Secretariat:
Pauline Caublot, EPA Digitalisation & Data manager and APDS Secretariat
More information about the Alliance for Parking Data Standards is available at AllianceforParkingDataStandards.org.
Press release about the collaboration between the APDS and Datex II