The challenge: parking at a recreational facility with high visitor turnover

Water parks and swimming pool facilities are locations with a distinctive traffic profile – visitors come for short, few-hour visits as well as for a full day, generating significantly higher vehicle turnover than typical office parking lots. An additional challenge is the need for tight integration between the parking system and the facility's internal pool payment system, so that using the parking lot and the pool forms a single, seamless experience for the visitor.

When designing the system for Warszawianka, we opted for a fully automated solution based on LPR technology, one that does not require visitors to collect and hold onto a traditional paper ticket for the entire duration of their pool visit.

Entry and exit terminals

Warszawianka's parking system is built around 2 entry terminals and 2 exit terminals, handling traffic at both key entry and exit points on the facility grounds.

• Entry terminals – 2 units
• Exit terminals – 2 units
• a modern design and stable software based on the Linux system
• support for the proprietary hybrid ticketless system thanks to integration with the LPR cameras
• the ability to issue a QR-coded ticket if the license plate cannot be read

Thanks to a small but fully sufficient number of entry and exit points, traffic handling at the Warszawianka Water Park's parking lot remains efficient even during the facility's busiest hours, typical of weekends and the summer season.

A proprietary hybrid ticketless LPR system with over 99% accuracy

At the heart of the implemented solution are 4 Car Flow System LPR cameras, automatically recognizing the license plates of vehicles entering and leaving the parking lot. As part of this project, we deployed our proprietary hybrid ticketless system, whose license plate reading accuracy exceeds 99%.

• LPR cameras – 4 units
• license plate reading accuracy above 99%
• entry and exit without the need to collect or hold onto a traditional ticket
• a QR-coded ticket issued only if the plate cannot be read correctly
• integration with the pool payment system and CarFlow software

Using our proprietary hybrid ticketless system eliminated the most common problem with traditional ticket-based systems at recreational facilities – lost or damaged tickets, which are a frequent operational issue at a water park, where visitors carry towels, swimwear, and beach accessories with them.

Magnetic Parking Pro barriers

Physical control of entry and exit to the parking area is provided by 4 Magnetic Parking Pro barriers, integrated with the Car Flow System and the LPR cameras. Barriers of this class perform well at facilities with a high frequency of openings and closings, delivering reliable, long-term operation while maintaining full safety for parking lot users.

• 4 x Magnetic Parking Pro barrier
• high resistance to intensive, everyday use
• full integration with the LPR system and CarFlow software
• fast response time, minimizing queue formation at entry and exit

Automatic pay station and cashless pay stations

Parking fees are settled via 1 automatic pay station handling both cash and cashless payments and 2 cashless pay stations, allowing Warszawianka's visitors to settle their fees quickly and conveniently, without needing assistance from facility staff.

• Automatic pay station – 1 unit
• Cashless pay station – 2 units
• support for cash payments as well as contactless payments (NFC, BLIK, card)
• round-the-clock parking lot use, without staff involvement
• printing of payment confirmations

Distributing three independent payment points – one full cash-and-cashless pay station plus two cashless-only stations – made it possible to evenly spread the flow of visitors leaving the facility, shortening queues during peak pool-exit hours.

Integration with the ESOK pool payment system

One of the key elements of the implementation was the full integration of the Car Flow System parking system with the ESOK pool payment system, already in operation at the Warszawianka Water Park. Thanks to this integration, using the parking lot and the pool forms a single, seamless experience for the visitor, without the need to handle two independent systems.

• joint handling of parking fees and pool admission fees
• fewer cards or tickets that a facility visitor needs to carry
• simplified front-desk and administrative handling on the facility manager's side
• the ability to flexibly calculate parking fees depending on the type of pool ticket purchased

Integration of this kind is one of the most demanding elements of implementations at sports and recreational facilities – it requires close cooperation with the ESOK system provider and precise design of the fee-calculation logic, so that the whole system runs smoothly from the very first day of operation.

VMS variable message sign – information on available spaces and tariffs

The system is complemented by a variable message sign (VMS), simultaneously displaying the number of available parking spaces, parking lot occupancy, and the tariff currently in effect.

• VMS variable message signs
• real-time display of the number of available parking spaces
• information on current parking lot occupancy
• presentation of the applicable parking tariff directly at the entrance

The VMS sign significantly improves comfort for drivers visiting the Warszawianka Water Park – visitors know before entering the facility whether spaces are available and what tariff applies to them, helping them avoid unnecessarily driving around the site looking for a parking spot.

Project delivery – two weeks ahead of schedule

The parking system at the Warszawianka Water Park was commissioned 2 weeks ahead of the scheduled deadline, while also fulfilling an additional request from the investor to expand the scope of the implementation. The project ran very smoothly, and our team once again proved that working with the investor and subcontractors can be efficient, transparent, and successful – including on projects that require integration with a facility's external systems, such as ESOK.

Results of the implementation for the Warszawianka Water Park

• full automation of entry and exit handling thanks to the hybrid ticketless system
• license plate reading accuracy above 99%
• a single, seamless visitor experience thanks to integration with the ESOK pool payment system
• convenient, evenly distributed cash and cashless payment points
• increased driver comfort thanks to available-space information on the VMS sign
• the system commissioned ahead of schedule despite an expanded scope of work

Why do sports and recreational facilities choose Car Flow System?

Water parks, swimming pools, and sports and recreational centers are facilities where parking is an integral part of the visitor's experience, not merely a separate, technical service. The project for the Warszawianka Water Park shows that Car Flow System solutions can meet both the technical requirements – high LPR accuracy, integration with external payment systems – and the investor's business expectations regarding timeliness and implementation flexibility.

Project summary

The Car Flow System parking system implemented at the Warszawianka Water Park in Warsaw is an example of a comprehensive solution designed with the specifics of sports and recreational facilities with high visitor turnover in mind. The installation includes 2 entry terminals, 2 exit terminals, 4 LPR cameras, 4 Magnetic Parking Pro barriers, 1 automatic pay station, 2 cashless pay stations, and a VMS variable message sign, complemented by a proprietary hybrid ticketless system with over 99% plate-reading accuracy and integration with the ESOK pool payment system.

The system was commissioned 2 weeks ahead of the scheduled deadline, while also fulfilling an additional request from the investor. The project ran very smoothly, and our team once again proved that working with the investor and subcontractors can be efficient, transparent, and successful.