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Package delivery and parking are a little easier at Central Connecticut State University this fall, thanks to two recent upgrades in Mailroom Services and at the Willard-DiLoreto Parking Garage.
The addition of 160 Pitney Bowes Smart Lockers in the Student Center will enable resident students to pick up packages and mail during Student Center hours. Previously, mail pickup only was available during Mailroom Services’ business hours, which are limited.
The Smart Lockers replaced 2,000 30-year-old mailboxes in the Mail Services area.
“The functionality of the aging boxes and lack of parts to fix them made it easier to make the shift and find a new solution for mail services,” says Steve VanVoorhis, associate director of Facilities Support Services.
As resident students get acclimated to the new technology, Mailroom Services has expanded its business hours to assist and answer questions.
How do they work?
Mailroom Services staff place packages and mail in a Smart Locker and send the student a notification via campus email. VanVoorhis says text notifications are coming soon. The email includes a QR code, the assigned Smart Locker number, and additional instructions. To retrieve their parcels, students must scan the barcode at one of two touchscreen kiosks. Instructions appear on the screen that will also capture an image of the student and request a signature to verify their identity. From there, the appropriate locker door will open and the student may retrieve their items.
Oversized packages are not delivered to Smart Lockers. Students will still receive an email notification when they receive an oversized package, but the message will not include a QR code and students will be instructed to pick up their package at Mailroom Services window with a student ID during business hours.
See how it's done in this Smart Locker demo video.
Less searching, more parking
The Willard-DiLoreto Garage opened last year, and a recent upgrade to it will help commuters and visitors find a parking space with less hassle.
Parking-guidance technology by Park Assist offers drivers updates on how many and where parking spaces are available via a kiosk installed near the garage entrance. Park Assist’s automated parking guidance system keeps track of incoming and outgoing traffic and identify the location of open parking spaces using real-time information gathered by smart-sensor cameras. Open or unavailable parking spaces are indicated with green and red LED lights.
For example, if a driver spots a green LED light and travels toward it, the driver can successfully be guided to the only open space at the end of an aisle. When the vehicle parks, smart-sensors close the loop for the wayfinding process and the LED light turns red to indicate no available parking spaces nearby.
Drivers also can access the latest parking information via the Park Assist app and website.
“When we opened the Willard-DiLoreto garage, we knew the extra parking spaces would benefit our campus community immediately,” says Chief Operations Officer Sal Cintorino. “This new technology will help streamline our students’ busy schedules and ideally make it a little less stressful to get situated on campus before class.”
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