A.P.T. Parking Technologies with Westfalia Technologies broke ground recently for one of the city's largest automated parking garage projects, a 270-car facility to be part of a new nine-story, 226,000 s/f office building being developed by Baruch Singer at 1504 Coney Island Ave. At this New York City location, the high water table prevented the developer from excavating down far enough to build a conventional parking garage. The reduced excavation needed for the automated parking system saved the developer money, while allowing a greater density of parking spaces in an area half the size of a traditional parking garage. Drivers will enter the automated parking garage, drive down one level, enter one of three transfer cabins, turn off their engines and leave. After a series of safety checks ensure the car or SUV is vacant, the vehicle, parked on a pallet, is moved through the automated garage by a computer-operated system to an available parking space on the two levels below. When returning for their car, clients simply run their ticket through a smart card reader, and their car will automatically be returned to them in one of the transfer cabins. Vehicles will be rotated in the transfer cabins so that clients can drive straight out of the garage. The entire process takes less than two minutes. The Coney Island automated garage is expected to be completed in mid-2010. A.P.T. Parking Technologies consists of parking professionals who are experts in automated parking garages and their design and incorporation into new construction. As industry experts, A.P.T. Parking Technologies co-authored "The Guidelines to the Design and Operation of Automated Parking Facilities" published by the National Parking Association and widely considered the authoritative source for information on automated parking systems. A.P.T. Parking works with real estate developers, parking operators, architects, engineers, and parking consultants to evaluate the parking needs of a project and designs cost-effective automated parking garages to satisfy these parking needs. For more information visit www.aptparking.com. Westfalia Technologies, Inc. is a leader in providing logistical solutions for garages, warehouses and distribution centers. Its expertise combining both software development and machinery manufacturing means Westfalia is able to deliver turn-key solutions with unsurpassed quality and control, all under one roof. Besides automated parking systems, its material handling products include Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS), Savanna.NET® Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), pallet flow storage systems, conveyor systems, order picking systems, palletizers, and stainless steel case packing systems with associated conveying, stacking and handling equipment. For more information visit www.WestfaliaUSA.com.