PARKER WINT ER 2023
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IN THIS ISSUE n WINTER 2023
CALGARY 2023 RECAP HALIFAX 2024 CALL
8 Separating Fact from Fiction: An Insider’s Insight into LPR
27 The Canadian Parking Association’s Management Training and Certification
34 CPA Call for Presentations – Halifax 2024
By Bill Franklin
28 Cold Weather Complicates Electric Vehicle Deployment
36 Press Release - Fleetcor
14 2023 Calgary Conference and Trade Show Recap
By Bill Franklin
20 2023 Award Recipients
31 Partner with the CPA
23 Welcoming Members to the CPA
32 How Off-site Airport Parking Facilities Are Evolving
24 Parkades in the EV Era
38 Winnipeg Parking Authority Driving into the Transportation Mobility Sector Vehicle for Hire Division is Recognized as the “Global Regulator of the Year for 2023” By Randy Topolniski
By Vitaly Vinogradov
By Frank Cavaliere
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
CPA STAFF
PRESIDENT
TREASURER
DIRECTORS
Ralph Bond BA Consulting Group Ltd. bond@bagroup.com
Frank Cavaliere RJC Engineers fcavaliere@rjc.ca
Sam Cusick AIMS (EDC) Corp. sam@aimsparking.com
James Mackay Mackay Meters james.mackay@mackaymeters.com
VICE PRESIDENT
SECRETARY
Nicolas Filion Agence de mobilité durable nfilion@agencemobilitedurable.ca
Ken Skinner Crombie REIT ken.skinner@crombie.ca
Anna Marie O’Connell City of Guelph annamarie.oconnell@guelph.ca
Adamo Donatucci Precise Parklink adonatucci@precisebi.com PAST PRESIDENT
Alex MacIsaac University of Toronto a.macisaac@utoronto.ca
Rozanne Haddad Interior Health Authority Rozanne.Haddad@interiorhealth.ca Sharon Lewinson ACT Canada info@actcanada.com
Randy Topolniski Winnipeg Parking Authority randytopolniski@winnipeg.ca
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Carole Whitehorne 613 727 0700 x 10 carole@canadianparking.ca ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
Teresa Buckley 613 727 0700 x 12 teresa@canadianparking.ca BRAND & COMMUNICATIONS
Brenda Hanna 613 727 0700 x 15 brenda@canadianparking.ca
WINTER 2023 PARKER 3
FROM THE EDITOR CAROLE WHITEHORNE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
It seems like a cliché. Time flies by and here we are, another year has passed, and we are
all looking forward to 2024. The year that was, 2023 was both challenging and very rewarding. We pushed through the covid recovery period and came out with some great results. CPA members demonstrated their interest in supporting the Canadian association in so many ways. We know that without their commitment, we would not have managed the past three years as well as we did. The association grew with many new members joining us in 2023 and we pledge to retain them through the many programs offered that are true to the Canadian industry. Publications were supported by generous contributions of interesting editorial content, and so to keep the critical information flowing into the industry, we call on everyone to share stories about their projects, successful achievements, and news items. If you are Canadian, make sure to include your articles with Canada first! Feel free to follow in the footsteps of Ed Keate, the CPA’s first official scribe, and submit items of interest to me for inclusion in the 2024 Parker magazine. I can’t say enough about the members who go beyond the call to sponsor CPA events. We all know that there are many other options available for companies to spend their hard-earned revenues, promoting and supporting the parking industry worldwide, and we are thankful they opt in to do their share for the CPA. We look forward to ongoing relationships and highlighting the industry’s leaders, so members realize the valuable benefits you all provide.
All of this said, we are leaving some milestones behind as we continue to grow into new shoes so to speak.
We welcome Amano McGann Canada Inc. as a new Associate Partner. Thanks to Tom Keeley and his team for stepping up and partnering with us in 2024. The Partnership program offered by the CPA is something your organization might also consider. With a range of levels to suit different needs, there might be an option for you. A one-stop shop includes membership, advertising, conference registrations, and more, so check what’s available at https://canadianparking.ca/partners/ Social Media has boosted our online presence immensely this past year. Join us on Facebook, LinkedIn and X and start sharing posts with us and from us. Network building is on the rise, and these outlets offer us the opportunity to increase awareness of the CPA and what we stand for. My thanks to Brenda Hanna, who tirelessly posts and shares to our community. Let’s keep the momentum going in 2024. Is 2024 the year to start certifying your staff? There are two levels of training available that include relevant Canadian content, self-study format, and official certification to newly hired staff, and to existing staff who might like to become certified. I hope you will explore these programs and make use of your membership rate benefits soon. https://canadianparking.ca/training-and-certification/
PARKER MAGAZINE EDITOR carole@canadianparking.ca 613-727-0700 x 10 ADMINISTRATION teresa@canadianparking.ca 613-727-0700 x 12 DESIGN AND MARKETING brenda@canadianparking.ca 613-727-0700 x 15
4 PARKER WINTER 2023
Distribution: 2,000
RESERVE YOUR ADVERTISING SPACE TODAY! Call 613-727-0700 Ext. 12 for more details
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE CPA www.canadianparking.ca/contact
Through tight financial times, the CPA added to the number of scholarship awards again in 2023. Individual awards valued at $2,000 each were given to 4 deserving students. Since inception, a total of $312,000 has been awarded to members, their dependants, and staff. In addition, the Tom Arnold Scholarship for Advancement in Parking at York University bursary that was created in 2004 continues to grow and provide scholarships to many York University students. Calgary was the place in 2023 to gather at the Annual Conference and Trade Show. I hope you all had as much fun as I did! The event confirmed the turning point as we celebrated the CPA’s 40th anniversary with a full house – both new faces and some from years gone by. We are thankful for the warm historical review from Al Swanson, the first CPA Vice President to be appointed. Al recounted the many reasons why the group of the day felt it necessary to form this association for the benefit of Canadian parking operations sharing relevant Canadian content. That holds true to this day, and as we look ahead. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with many volunteer directors, who bring their own perspective into the management of the Canadian Parking Association. Looking back through photos for the Anniversary issue of Parker brought many memories of great times together working on board initiatives. I’ve transitioned with no less than 23 boards over the years and have learned so much from them. Each one has contributed in many ways, and to those people, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks.
We encourage members to reach out with ideas and suggestions on how we can serve you better.
All of this said, we are leaving some milestones behind as we continue to grow into new shoes so to speak. The conference and chapter events demand tweaking to pace the current economy and adopt emerging trends that bring the industry closer together. We encourage members to reach out with ideas and suggestions on how we can serve you better. Remember to mark Oct 6-9, 2024, and plan to attend the Halifax conference. Watch for registrations to open early in the new year. The call for presentations is now available and you are encouraged to submit your nominations for the CPA & Founders Awards. The holiday season is upon us. I wish you all the best as you take some time out to spend with family and friends. n
Carole Whitehorne, Executive Director
Happy Holidays Warm wishes from us to you, as we celebrate the holiday season and look towards a healthy, happy and peaceful New Year.
WINTER 2023 PARKER 5
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FROM THE PRESIDENT RALPH BOND, PRESIDENT
I
t was great to see our 40th annual conference in Calgary back to pre-pandemic attendance. We had an exceptionally good show. The program and trade show were excellent. Many thanks are owed for this very successful outcome, •
to the members who travelled from far and wide to come to the conference
•
to our suppliers who continue to put on a great trade show
•
to our sponsors who contribute money and goods
•
to the City of Calgary for contributing so much to our conference success in terms of program content, people, and financial support
•
to Reachel Knight from Calgary Parking for caring so much
•
to our CPA staff Carole Whitehorne, Brenda Hanna, and Teresa Buckley
It was nice to see several new members who attended specifically to seek out information and knowledge regarding issues they are facing. It was also good to spend time with two Executive Directors from other parking associations who joined us – Shawn Conrad from the International Parking and Mobility Institute and Andrew Pester from the British Parking Association – Thanks for coming. And thank you Al Swanson, one of our founding members, for providing some history about the formation of the CPA 40 years ago - you helped create a good thing for the Canadian parking industry! I want to thank our volunteer board of directors for their time and advice in helping to guide the CPA, especially through the last few years when they were also occupied with maintaining their own parking operations under trying circumstances. Thank-you Alex MacIsaac for serving as President for the past two years when you must have been wondering if we would survive the pandemic! Fortunately, Alex will
be continuing as Past President. We will miss the presence of Brett Bain, Daniel Germain, Ismo Husu and Reachel Knight who are departing the board this year. You will be missed, and we will call on you for help anyways! I also wish to welcome our new board member Nicolas Filion from the Agence de mobilité durable. We look forward to hearing your perspective. As you all well know, the Canadian parking industry was hit hard by the pandemic. It is good to see it is recovering. The Canadian Parking Association is no exception. Fortunately, we had built up sufficient reserves many years ago to help us weather a couple of years of substantial financial losses. The government’s Covid support programs also helped significantly. Your board of directors will be focusing over the next year on improving programs and services and rebuilding our reserves so we can continue to serve members in our uniquely Canadian way. Our members’ continuing confidence in the Canadian Parking Association is much appreciated. We could not do it without you. Please send us any suggestions you might have on how to improve it. Finally, please mark next year’s 2024 Annual Conference and Trade Show in Halifax in your calendars now – from Sunday October 6 to Wednesday October 9. Our two Atlantic directors - James Mackay and Ken Skinner - have already started planning for the conference and fitting out for their lobster and shrimp outfits. I look forward to seeing everyone venture down east where the food and fun are abundant!
Our members’ continuing confidence in the Canadian Parking Association is much appreciated. We could not do it without you. Please send us any suggestions you might have on how to improve it.
Wishing everyone a joyful, restful, and reflective holiday season. n
Ralph Bond, President
WINTER 2023 PARKER 7
Separating Fact from Fiction: An Insider’s Insight into LPR By Bill Franklin
Our company, Tannery Creek Systems, has been making License Plate Recognition equipment since 2007. In the sixteen years growing our company across North America, one of the most common and interesting topics that our clients raise is license plate recognition (LPR). How does it work? Can I use it for permits? Do you sell this data? What is the rate of recognition? This article was inspired by the LPR panel that I moderated at this year’s Canadian Parking Association conference and tradeshow. The set of questions raised by or to the audience is the springboard to this article. I have added additional questions that our clients have asked us. In this question-and-answer format, you may discover a deeper understanding of LPR.
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What is LPR? License Plate Recognition (LPR) is a specialized Optical Character Recognition (OCR) system. It requires a camera and computer to extract the characters and try to make sense of them. LPR, among other names, is also known as: •
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)
•
Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR)
•
Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI)
•
Plate scanner
LPR was originally developed at Scotland Yard in the UK and began operation in 1978, so it has been around for a good many years.
How does it work? Typically, a camera captures 20 frames per second (or more) and these frames are analyzed for the presence of a rectangular surface with digits, i.e., a license plate. The analysis can be in the camera that has a sophisticated microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) or processed in the Cloud which will employ essentially the same thing, i.e., a GPU. Two competing systems perform LPR: fontbased recognition versus the newer artificial intelligence (AI) also called machine learning based systems.
Originally, the LPR process compared each character captured by the camera to digits in its software library. For example, an A will be compared (correlated) in software to the LPR’s internally stored library and the letter A. Since fonts vary, one can see that this process can be a little complicated as the following example shows:
Parking lots will be roughly two to three times this figure if congestion is not too bad and the parking lots are in close vicinity, i.e., 4000 to 6000 vehicles a day. Again, it depends. Small parking lots with blind runs are less efficient to scan. Hence interspersed small parking lots may be no better than 2000 vehicles per day.
Characters match:
Finally ticketing takes time. Issuing 30 citations can take 60 minutes. In that case the number of cars scanned in a day is reduced to 7 hours of scanning instead of 8. This can be improved by having walkers issue citations, but the labour is the same when one includes the walker’s time issuing citations.
Captured plate Compared to
ABC123 ABC123
But how about this example? The font based matching system will not match. Captured plate Compared to
ABC123 ABC123
Font based LPR schemes store North America’s various license plate fonts and compare the letters in the order that is most likely. For example, in Ontario, the license plate for Ontario is compared first. Each jurisdiction will tweak their fonts for aesthetics or other reasons. Font based LPR systems have serious weaknesses and struggle with blooming, shadows, low contrast, and other photographic artifacts. Artificial intelligence (AI) LPR systems are superseding font-based systems. With AI, one can “teach” the AI system (also called machine learning) so that ABC123 does indeed equal ABC123. AI systems are typically trained (i.e., taught) with hundreds of thousands of samples. Generally, the greater the number of samples, the more accurate the system. A peculiarity of AI is if we teach the AI that the captured plate ABC123 is actually ABC133, then the AI will return ABC133 each and every time it is presented with a plate that is ABC123. Hence it is vitally important to do good quality training of machine learning. You can also reach out to your LPR vendor to have them “reteach” for an errored plate.
How many cars can you scan in a day? Many vendors state 20 frames per second or even 80 frames per second (implying hundreds of thousands of vehicles per day), but the truth is more complicated. For example, our products can scan and analyze from two vehicles per second to about 20 vehicles per second. But driving at 40 km/ hour means at most you can scan two parallel parked vehicles per second on the right side of the patrol vehicle and two on the left side if the road is not too wide and the view of the vehicles is not blocked. Hence four vehicles per second is pretty much the limit. What happens when the patrol vehicles get ensnared in rush hour traffic? Or on a crowded beach parking lot. In this case one is lucky to drive faster than 2 km/hour! In a parking study in a small city near Toronto we analyzed 35,000 parallel parked vehicles. The average time per vehicle was 10 seconds because of traffic, pedestrians, signal lights, etc. At 10 seconds per car, one can scan about 360 vehicles an hour or a little less than 3000 a day. In practice with lunch breaks, and interruptions, 2000 vehicles per day is a good estimate.
Do you need two people or just one in the LPR vehicle? Most systems only require one.
What are hot lists? Hot lists are lists of license plates of vehicles that are wanted by police or for scofflaws or other offenses that are deemed serious. Typically, LPR systems can handle many hot lists. These lists are downloaded automatically over the broadband internet and into the mobile LPR computer memory.
How many lists can you have and what type? Other lists include permit lists such as Residential Parking Permits, monthly subscription lists, VIP, handicap, contractors. Pay by Plate can also be considered a type of list. All of these are downloaded or updated automatically. Updates to the lists are done periodically and are called delta updates, i.e., only changes are sent to reduce the volume and time of data transmission.
What is a good LPR read rate? Typical competitive read rates are 95% or better of eye readable plates Dirt, snow, glare and smoked plastic license plate covers tend to reduce the rate.
What is the difference between detection rate and LPR read rate? When testing the yield of an LPR system, it is useful to know how many vehicles are scanned. This can be significantly more than the LPR system reads, for example during the winter or where license plates are only on the backs of vehicles. So, the real yield of LPR is the number of plates accurately read divided by the total number of vehicles it has passed, whether or not the LPR system detects them. If eye readable plates are 95% of the vehicles scanned, and the LPR is perfect at reading eye readable plates, then the LPR yield is actually 95% not 100%.
Can LPR read through snow? We have been asked this question many times. The short answer is, if you cannot see the plate by eye, the LPR system will not see it either. Most LPR systems use Near Infrared or natural light to detect plates by detecting a rectangular flat surface with alphanumeric
WINTER 2023 PARKER 9
digits. If it is covered with snow the LPR system will not see this vehicle. Tannery’s top end equipment uses a laser to detect vehicles, but the driver still must manually enter the plate or brush off the snow and drive by scanning the vehicle again. Plates that have, let’s say, 10 to 20% snow coverage are typically read, but it greatly depends on the vendor and the location of the snow on the plate.
Can LPR detect vehicles without plates? Most LPR systems cannot detect vehicles without plates. In fact, in our experience, about 2% of vehicles on average do not have legible plates. This increases markedly in the winter where we have seen 20% of vehicles without legible plates. Where license plates are only mounted on the rear of vehicles, drivers will begin to back into parking stalls dramatically increasing the number of vehicles without visible legible plates.
Will covers on plates affect the read rate? Yes, if the cover is tinted and particularly if the cover has salt or dirt. It all depends on the legibility of the digits visible to the camera. We see roughly a 10% drop in yield for grey smoked plastic covers and a steeper drop in the winter.
Does dirt or salt affect the read rate? It depends on the quantity of dirt. If the digits are not legible by eye, then the yields will be low. If small parts of the digits are covered the LPR rate will still yield 80% or better. Salt can have a significant impact on LPR read rates for vendors that exclusively use near infrared.
Does glare from the sun affect read rates? Glare from the sun reflecting off the plates can impact LPR because the plate looks totally white. Generally, the impact of the sun when averaged over the day is relatively small.
Can I use my LPR system to do parking studies? LPR is highly effective for parking studies where plates are present on the front and back of vehicles. It is less effective where only a rear license plate is visible. Tannery provides a parking study application, and some cities extract the data from autoChalk’s Amazon Web Services database (each client gets its own database and extracts the data to perform their own parking analysis).
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How do privacy laws affect LPR?
Does LPR make my staff more productive?
This interesting question on an acutely sensitive subject depends on the vendor and state or provincial legislation. In general, we have found cities tend to be circumspect on retaining the data or sharing it and especially selling it. But it depends on the jurisdiction and the local sensitivity of citizens to the LPR scans.
An efficient and reliable LPR system will make your staff significantly more productive compared to manual chalking or walking. Cities typically achieve 2 to 3 times more productivity. Productivity is highest when the streets are not congested, but overall, vehicle mounted LPR can scan faster and is more resilient to inclement weather compared to walking PEO’s.
Is a city’s LPR data sent to other parties e.g., private companies like private investigators or other governments? Some vendors will sell the data. We recommend cities think carefully about the LPR data and the implications of sharing or selling the data. Tannery does not share or sell data as we view it as the city’s property.
How do people game the system to avoid being caught with LPR? Parkers routinely cover their plates, use dark covers, let the paint peel, install (unused) bike racks or carriers on the back of their vehicle, apply reflective paint over the entire plate or alternatively light absorbing paint (this is typically ineffective for LPR that uses natural light).
Does LPR make my parking enforcement staff impersonal and remote to the public? PEO’s cocooned in a patrol vehicle will seem more distant and remote. On the other hand, confrontations are less frequent. A city can make their parking management more approachable by having some officers on the beat. However, when scanning Pay by Plate sessions, vehicle mounted LPR is hard to beat.
Can an LPR system apply different parking zone policies automatically? LPR systems often have GPS awareness and ideally can adjust to different parking zones and their respective policies. As the LPR vehicle drives through the zone it adjusts its parking policy on the fly,
What factors affect reliability of a parking system that includes LPR?
autoChalk
LPR systems are generally part of a bigger system. The reliability of the system depends on the individual subsystems and the overall interoperability of the subsystems. Take Pay by Plate for example. It will often include: •
Pay stations
•
Pay by phone or app
•
Payment clearing house
•
Broadband carriers (e.g., Telus, Bell, Rogers)
•
LPR
•
City information technology (IT)
•
The users (parkers)
•
Parking enforcement and more generally management
•
Decisions by the city (including elected officials) in terms of
Fixed Stationary LPR Mobile Vehicle Mounted LPR Flexible Solutions Digital Chalking
Pay-By-Space
Permits
Access Control
Pay-By-Plate
Scofflaw
Triple Productivity in All Weather
policy and signage which can make the system simpler or
Tough and Reliable
more complex
Superb Ease of Use
•
Local businesses and business membership groups
•
Organizational aspects for instance help lines, vendor error reporting and response and so on
Moreover, parking is a favourite target of the media and politicians scoring points. Getting it right is important, getting it wrong can be a public relations disaster. A good system will excel in simplicity, reliability, and responsiveness, and make all stakeholders proud. A good LPR partner is excellent at Flyover Block, Calgary integrating and a good team player. These attributes help to solve Image credit: FAAS faults and failures or, even better, avoid problems from the start.
®
Powerful Back Office Exceptional Customer Support Award Winning Technology! Tannery Creek Systems Inc sales@autoChalk.com www.autochalk.com 1.905.738.1406
WINTER 2023 PARKER 11
for example changing from Zone A’s 2-hour parking duration to Zone B’s 20-minute loading zone policy. Automatic and adaptive zone awareness is very desirable as it makes the PEOs more efficient and less likely to make an error.
How does LPR impact appeals? When equipped with megapixel photos, LPR is invaluable in administrative appeals and court action. Detailed background imagery provides context and makes the infraction evidence more compelling, discourages frivolous court cases and is particularly useful for digital chalking.
What does AI mean and how does it affect my LPR? LPR is increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to recognize plates and even vehicle types and presence of vehicles. It is more resilient to partial shadows, low contrast, dirt, characters that are clipped by a vanity frame and other aspects that make plates hard to read. AI also teases out parking patterns offering insight as to where to focus enforcement, increase parking availability or where parking fees can be adjusted to reflect demand. For example, autoChalk uses AI based LPR to achieve high recognition rates.
Is LPR effective in provinces where the license plate is only on the back of the vehicle? LPR is less effective in jurisdictions with plates only on the back of vehicles. As soon as people realize LPR is at work, they change their behaviour to thwart the detection of their license plate. Tannery’s top end equipment uses a laser to detect vehicles without plates, but the officer will still need to get out and check the plate.
Does LPR work with non-reflective plates? LPR that uses white light (i.e., natural light) is unaffected by nonreflective plates. Near Infrared (NIR) systems are generally seriously affected by non-reflective plates and typically do not read or detect a non-reflective plate.
How does very cold weather affect the equipment? Also, other weather conditions? LPR equipment can malfunction in extreme cold (-30 C and colder). The glass lenses can get coated with frost or ice and the pictures are affected. Heavy rain, snow and occasionally dense fog can affect reads and yields.
Can I apply LPR to these categories? a. Pay by plate
f.
b. Permits
g. Garage permits
Parking lot permits
c. Handicapped
h. Street storage
d. Residential parking permits
i.
Digital chalking
j.
Scofflaw
e. Street VIP permits
k. Stolen vehicles
LPR can be used for all these items. Check with your LPR supplier.
What is fuzzy matching? Fuzzy matching is a term used to describe matching on plates that are almost the same but differ typically in a couple of digits. For example, people that suffer from dyslexia will flip two digits, like this: Actual plate =
ABC123
Entered plate =
ABC213
The LPR system looks through the list of paid license plates. It does not find ABC123 but does find ABC213. A fuzzy logic equipped LPR will then treat ABC213 as if it was ABC123 and treat it as paid. This creates complexities, e.g., when both plates are scanned, i.e., ABC123 and ABC213 are parked but only one is paid, say ABC123. One can see the case where two people have dyslexia and each have switched their digits. Who paid? In any case, some of our clients allow fuzzy logic and others do not.
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Is LPR effective for secure admission into a garage?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
LPR is not secure at all. It is easy to spoof a license plate with widely available commercial tools such as colour printers, scanners, photoshopping software and such.
Bill Franklin, P.Eng. President, Tannery Creek Systems
However, if the goal is simple admittance to a garage and the risk of inadmissible people entering is low or their impact is not significant, then LPR is a good tool for admittance. If security must be stronger, then RFID is a better choice as it is harder to fabricate a device with the correct protocol and serial number and spoof the RFID system. Finally, snow, salt and plate covers may affect the plate recognition hence a keypad entry with the user’s password will still be required. As you can see, license plate recognition is a powerful tool. Understanding its strengths and limitations can help you get the most out of your LPR investment or invest in the right LPR equipment that suits your needs. n
Bill has been developing technology solutions since 1983 in the fields of computer and electrical engineering, data communications, information security and parking automation. A registered professional engineer, Bill managed product development groups and business units in the role of Vice President before starting Tannery Creek Systems. His clients have included RIM (Blackberry), XM Satellite-Sirius, Honeywell, IBM, Bell Telephone among many others. Email: bfranklin@tannerycreeksystems.com
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2023 CONFERENCE REVIEW
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Calgary. Attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers and volunteers came together collectively to share in this successful event.
CONFERENCE SPONSORS HOST CITY
Calgary Parking | ParkPlus System
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2023 CONFERENCE REVIEW
CPA 40TH ANNIVERSARY SPONSORS GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
THANK YOU EXHIBITING COMPANIES Advanced Polymer Technology Corp.
gtechna, a division of Harris Computer
AIMS (EDC Corporation)
HONK
Amano McGann Canada Inc.
HotSpot Parking Inc.
Canada Ticket Inc.
Indigo Park Canada Inc.
Concord Parking
J.J. MacKay Canada Ltd.
Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute
Locomobi World
Current Components Inc./ Madic Italia Dimonoff Electromega eleven-x FlashParking GardaWorld Genetec Inc.
Municipal Parking Services (MPS) NEOGARD, A part of Hempel Offstreet Technology ParkChamp Parker Technology Parkmobile, LLC Parkplus System
Precise Parklink Scheidt & Bachmann Canada Inc. SenSen.ai Sika Canada Ltd. Southland Printing Company, Inc. SP Plus Corporation Canada T2 Systems Inc. Tannery Creek Systems Inc. Turnstone Data Inc. VenTek International Windcave WPS Canada Inc. ZipBy USA LLC
PayByPhone US Inc.
ONLINE CONFERENCE RECAP canadianparking.ca/calgary2023
WINTER 2023 PARKER 15
2023 CONFERENCE REVIEW
SPONSOR
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LPR Panel
16 PARKER WINTER 2023
2023 CONFERENCE REVIEW
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Platform Parkade Panel
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WINTER 2023 PARKER 17
2023 CONFERENCE REVIEW
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2023 CONFERENCE REVIEW
High Park Panel
Past and Present CPA Board Members
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2023 AWARD RECIPIENTS
CPA Founders Award - Ed Keate Award SHARON LEWINSON ACT Canada
Sharon Lewinson is a professional engineer focused on transportation demand management and has been a trailblazer in the area of sustainable mobility. She is the President of the national Canadian TDM/Sustainable Mobility Association, ACT Canada and has been on the Canadian Parking Association Board of Directors since 2018. She is also the CEO of RideShark, a company delivering commute management platforms across North America. She recently received the Institute of Transportation Engineers Canada National Capital Section 2023 AM Khan Lifetime Achievement Award, the Algonquin College 2022
Outstanding Contribution to Algonquin College Cooperative Education Award, has been on the Transportation Research Board Transportation Demand Management Committee. Sharon Lewinson has made a difference by working hard to educate people regarding the link between parking and transportation demand management by volunteering and collaborating with the Canadian Parking Association, starting back in 2006. Working together with Carole Whitehorne, our CPA Executive Director, Sharon helped to ensure that parking and the CPA was part of every ACT Canada event, Similarly, Sharon helped to bring a sustainable mobility lens to the CPA through joint conferences, speakers, or articles. Thank you, Sharon, for helping the CPA understand the trends in mobility affecting the parking industry and for helping us educate others in the transportation planning world regarding the importance of parking.
Business Excellence Award PLATFORM PARKADE AND INNOVATION CENTRE Joanne Sparkes, Senior Project Architect, Associate, Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd Jen Lussier, COO, Platform Calgary Reachel Knight, Leader Strategic Business Planning, Calgary Parking Kelly Coles, Vice President, Building and Infrastructure, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation Ian Washbrook, Principal, Entuitive Built in partnership with Calgary Parking, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) and Platform Calgary, Platform Parkade is not just a place to park your car. It has a modern design which is cohesive with nearby City Hall, Central Library, and Studio Bell. As a catalyst for development and startups, the Innovation Centre was built around the multipurpose Platform Parkade, with design features that can easily convert to commercial or residential space as needs in the East Village evolve. The parkade is a purpose-led and future-focused built. The idea reimagines the parkade as a space for community and ideas, not just vehicles. It was created to meet the changing needs of the East Village community and its redevelopment plan, as well as the City of Calgary.
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Features include a sports court, impressive city views, an event rental space, and a 50,000 sq ft Innovation Centre. From the design and planning stages, the cohort developed a convertible parking facility through collaboration from the design steps of concept, schematic and detailed design, including site constraints and design features that allow for future conversion to alternate uses, ie. residential and office. Key priorities were to be adaptive, integrate development opportunities into the project and to enhance the public realm for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. In 2022, Platform was awarded the World Architecture News Award.
2023 AWARD RECIPIENTS
Innovation In Parking and Programs Award SHIRLEY RODRIQUEZ ZipBy
As CPA long-standing CPA member and exhibitor, ZipBy is the only parking technology globally that offers a combination of on-street, off-street, gated, and surface lot parking, all in one mobile app. Under the leadership of President, Shirley Rodriguez, this organization epitomizes innovation in the use of technology. All their efforts for innovation are client-centric and customized for each client. They have revolutionized the customer’s experience through innovative technology at their customers’ facilities and have done it quickly with technology that simply works, and with amazing service and attention to detail, all of which can be seen at two of their biggest clients - all seven of the Harvard University in Boston Lots and at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton.
ZipBy for gated parking lots is an automatic payment and gate entry parking system whereby ZipBy's technology enables drivers to enter the parking lot through the app and exit automatically without needing to touch their cell phones or wind down the window. If there is a parking fee, it is charged to their credit card, and a receipt is emailed to them, eliminating the need to wait in line at the pay station. ZipBy has a corporate commitment to women in parking as evidenced by Shirley’s dedication to enhancing the experience for her colleagues. As ZipBy has grown and increased its footprint, she has made a commitment to the Canadian market, opening an office in Burnaby, BC, lead by senior Sales exec for Canada, John Cowley. In the same way that they commit to their customers and the Canadian market, they also support the Canadian Parking Industry in their continued participation at CPA as members and exhibitors and to the communities in which they do business, donating money to the local food bank and being corporate sponsors of various community causes in the market.
Parking Supervisor of the Year Award AARON NUQUE EasyPark
Aaron Nuque is an integral part of his team. He is a consummate professional in all his operational duties and then goes beyond expectations to support the team, customers, clients, and the EasyPark mission. One of Aaron's key accomplishments has been to manage a best practice learning for Enforcement Programs. These are contractor vendor meetings with over 100 attendees. He was responsible for planning, creating all content, coordinating the sessions, and delivering the presentation to vendor team members. He ensures the technology is working and manages the feedback surveys and results as well. In addition, this program has undergone many organizational changes over the past few years. While it was hard to feel like a "team", Aaron volunteered for the task to help
facilitate improvement in overall culture and expertise. From team meetings and offsite team building exercises, to remembering key milestone dates and good or bad news for individuals, to working with the contractors personally. Aaron is amazing in supporting the organization, and it is no small task. Administratively, he manages a large portfolio of individuals that report into the Enforcement Programs. Not all these individuals report directly to him — and yet he supports them. Aaron goes above and beyond in everything he does. “Aaron is the key to our positive staff morale. Always quick with a smile and taking time out just to catch up with employees by maintaining positive relationships with everyone he works with. He is a great listener, is honest with feedback and will go out of his way to ensure that the people who directly report to him are successful in their roles. He often helps on projects he is not even assigned to, comes in on days off to support the teams with deadlines and always offers to assist with any community event we are involved in.”
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Build your 2024 Marketing Plan CONNECTING PARKING AND MOBILITY PROFESSIONALS The Canadian Parking Association is now offering three marketing options to effectively connect with potential clients. Maximize your outreach and direct your advertising towards the Canadian Parking and Mobility markets by taking advantage of these new opportunities offered by the CPA. Combine advertising options and save. Ad space rates for Parker magazine will be discounted by 10% for each issue that is accompanied by an online web ad or eNewsletter ad. Combined circulation for Parker and eNewsletter options will place your ad in front of 4,500 contacts up to 30 times in a calendar year. Online ads and electronic Parker are just a click away, and will link CPA contacts and visitors directly to your site.
Secure your preferred space today.
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Visit canadianparking.ca/advertising for details and order form.
WELCOMING MEMBERS TO THE CPA We welcome the following new members to the Canadian Parking Association. Some are new to the industry, and some familiar names have been a part of the industry for several years, and are now included in the CPA membership.
University of Regina Bradley Andeson, Director Campus Safety, Parking & Transportation Services 3737 Wascana Parkway, Rm 108, College West Regina, SK S4S 0A2
Thanks to all members for your support.
Toronto Police Services Jaqueline Baus 9 Hanna Ave. Toronto, ON M6K 1W8
Interchange
The
McGill University Angela Debelllis Parking & Transportation Services Montreal, QC H2X 2C6 Locomobi World Inc. Jordan Furlane Brian Storrie 4170 Sladeview Cres. Unit 2 Mississauga, ON L5L 0A1
City of Burnaby Kathy Ho Eric Tam 4949 Canada Way Burnaby, BC V5G 1M2 University of Calgary Mike Wilson 2500 University Drive NW International House, 127 Calgary, AB T2N 1N4
2024 Memberships Thank you to all the members who continue to support the CPA through membership. The diversity of CPA members ensures that all aspects of the industry are represented. Notices for 2024 are now being processed for renewal on January 1 and are sent to the Companies Class A members for review and updating. Please watch for a renewal notice in your inbox.
TIME FOR CHANGE? Now is the time to look at your company’s membership and make the necessary changes to better reflect your needs for 2024. The deadline for changes is January 31, after which time adjustments will be limited to adding new members or updating the Class A voting member, so take this opportunity to make modifications and help us to keep our records current. (After January 31 Memberships are non-transferrable and non-refundable.) Contact Teresa Buckley teresa@canadianparking.ca if you need assistance. The CPA offers several membership options that will allow you to select a category that best suits your organization's needs and allow you and your parking staff to be a part of this great organization. You might consider becoming a CPA Partner in 2023. A selection of valuable packages include access to membership discounts, sponsorship advertising, discounted conference rates and many other benefits with a one-time fee. Should you wish to learn more about Partnerships, please contact Carole Whitehorne carole@canadianparking.ca to learn the value of this option. We look forward to collaborating with members in 2024.
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Parkades in the EV Era
From code changes to fire safety, now’s the time to plan ahead By Frank Cavaliere
IN THE COMING DECADE, CAR MANUFACTURERS IN CANADA WILL BE SUBJECT TO PENALTIES FOR NOT PRODUCING AND SELLING THE RIGHT QUOTA OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES (EV), CONTRIBUTING TO A RAPID RISE IN EV OWNERSHIP. GIVEN ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLES ARE HEAVIER THAN THEIR GAS-FUELLED COUNTERPARTS, THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS WILL BE CHANGING IN THE NEAR-TERM TO ADDRESS DESIGN LOADS FOR PARKADES, PARTICULARLY AS MORE ELECTRIC PICK-UP TRUCKS AND SUVS BEGIN FLOODING THE MARKET.
“Currently, it’s the owner’s decision whether or not to upgrade their parkades,” says Frank Cavaliere, Managing Principal at RJC Engineers. “But new parkades being designed and constructed should, prudently, be engineered to support more load than the Code requires to provide capacity for future vehicles,” he says. “We know what’s coming—and that’s larger, heavier models, including…dare I say…electric Hummers.” The current recommendations for what are deemed by the industry to be acceptable floor coatings in parkades were based on lighter passenger car vehicles with pneumatic or “air-inflated” tires. EVs shall be heaver and they shall impose more wear on the floor coatings. These floor coatings are important because they are protecting the floor structure from corrosion. Not only are EV vehicles forecast to be heavier, but the tire types are forecast to be changing to non-pneumatic. Non-pneumatic tires would resemble a wire-mesh frame-type and be not air-filled like. These would be like those used for the Moon Buggy driven by the Astronauts. Today these tires are quite expensive and not yet market competitive. Much research needs to be done however they shall require much less maintenance (without getting a “flat”) while they impose much higher stresses on the floor coatings which will need to be made much stronger.
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Weight-bearing issues aside, all parkades today should have some charging infrastructure in place to meet the needs of the growing contingent of EV users. Charging stations are becoming more and more common in both private and public carparks, but they can be a source of significant demand on a building’s electrical supply. “For stand-alone, open-air parkades that do not have outlets for engine block warmers, and where the largest power draw might be an elevator, EV charging stations represent a significant increase in the total power used in the operation of the parkade,” Cavaliere explains. “Usually, they require larger electrical services and transformers at significant capital expense to the owner. In parkades that are enclosed and attached to buildings, there is also an increase in power demand but not nearly as much as that of, say, an office or residential tower.” While there are systems and software available that help parkade operators control when and how much power is used by charging stations—thus minimizing the peak power demands— these systems aren’t available everywhere, and in some cases the local electrical utilities regulations may impact how they can be connected to the power grid. “As electrical energy providers grapple with the issue of being able to provide enough power to meet the demands of EVs, solutions, at least in the short-term, could include: - caps on peak power supply during peak hours,
...all parkades today should have some
- mandates that EV charging only occur during overnight hours,
charging infrastructure
- separate services/metering for EV charging units so they can be limited or charged at different rates.”
in place to meet the
Safety Issues
contingent of EV users.
needs of the growing
Meanwhile, from a safety perspective, Cavaliere says fire prevention is a primary concern given that open-air parkades generally do not have sprinkler systems—and even if they did, EVs burn too hot for standard sprinkler systems to be of any use. “The current fire-fighting methodology is to let the fires burn themselves out while keeping them from spreading,” he explains. “Sometimes, the burning vehicles will be dragged out into the open air where they are allowed to burn until they exhaust themselves.” Keeping in mind that all vehicle fires, whether gas-powered or electric, release an abundance of hazardous gases and materials that pose significant risk to anyone in the parkade, it’s not hard to imagine the devastation that would result from the simultaneous fire coming from a row of six EVs plugged side-by-side into charging stations. As such, Cavaliere asserts that fire-spread and fire-resistance ratings need to be investigated further, particularly due to the increased temperature at which EV vehicles burn and the duration of
WINTER 2023 PARKER 25
those fires. His conclusion is that fire-suppression systems in parkades is one of the most important upgrades to be considered or investigated in existing parking structures. In terms of the future parkades, a lot will likely have to change, including increased load-carrying capacity, improved fire-suppression systems, and increased power supply to accommodate EV’s and charging stations; in other words, now is the time to plan ahead. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Frank Cavaliere, BSc, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), LEED® AP, Parksmart Advisor | Managing Principal | RJC Frank is the Managing Principal for RJC Edmonton's Structural Engineering team. He is a LEED Accredited Professional and was one of the first people in Canada to become a certified Parksmart Advisor. Frank’s designation as a Parksmart Advisor recognizes his proficiency in understanding and implementing sustainable attributes to reduce the environmental impact of parking facilities.
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“In addition, the use of electric long-haul trucks will need to be considered for transportation infrastructure,” Cavaliere notes. “Since upgrading the load-carrying capacity of all transportation corridors is not a feasible option, I expect that those trucks will have their cargo-carrying ability limited to remain within current axle load limits. This means that more vehicles will be required to transport the same amount of cargo, which means even more demand on the electrical supply. Location, frequency, and speed of EV charging stations along all highways will have to increase significantly to make the large-scale use of EV’s for long-distance travel and transportation reasonable.”n For more info, visit www.rjc.ca or contact Frank Cavaliere directly at fcavaliere@rjc.ca.
The Canadian Parking Association’s Management Training and Certification. The Parking Management Certification program (PMC) addresses the training needs of management teams and front-line supervisors who oversee parking operations. This program sets performance and service standards at the point where the parking operation, technology, mobility, and the customer meet. The PMC credential is the standard by which performance can be measured.
Standards
The Examination
Recognized as the benchmark for supervisory and management level employees in the Canadian parking industry, the program offers candidates a comprehensive study program that includes relevant and essential aspects of a standard parking operation.
The computerized PMC examination is composed of 150 four-option multiple-choice questions and is administered during a 3-hour testing session held in close proximity to the candidate’s home or workplace.
The course is designed for quality and fairness in assessing the skill set for the industry and may be used by employers to evaluate candidates during the hiring processes.
Former CCPFM Graduates
Development Of The Certification Program The study materials and examination outline contain information fundamental to the defined roles and responsibilities of parking managers. Content has been compiled from a cross-section of parking professionals from Canada and has been updated to include current information relative to today’s parking industry.
Holders of current CCPFM designation will be offered a discounted fee to study the revised materials and retake the examination. If certification has lapsed, full fees will apply.
Parking Industry Credential The Canadian Parking Association, as the national authority for the industry in Canada, has the authority to grant or rescind the use of the professional designation of Parking Management Certification “PMC” to candidates who successfully complete the program.
Course Content OPERATIONS: Types, Design, Regulations, Loss Prevention, Equipment/Systems/Technology, Safety REVENUE CONTROL: Accounting, Auditing MOBILITY MANAGEMENT (TDM) CUSTOMER SERVICE MARKETING/ADMINISTRATION MAINTENANCE HUMAN RESOURCES
Training Course Registration & Information canadianparking.ca/pmc/
Cold Weather Complicates Electric Vehicle Deployment By Bill Franklin
T
he Electric Vehicle revolution is everywhere, featured in news headlines, YouTube EV Road reviews, endlessly analyzed in business publications, pursued and promoted by politicians. This amazing sea change after 120 years of the internal combustion engine (ICE) has inspired city councils to mandate fleet services switch to electric. Alas, this is where the rubber hits the road, and reality and reason collide with aspirations. The City of Saskatoon’s Parking management is a client of our company and approached us to evaluate the feasibility of switching their LPR vehicles to all electric. We already had installed autoChalk LPR on electric vehicles elsewhere and it had minimal impact. But cold temperatures significantly impact battery performance and increase a vehicle’s energy consumption. We were intrigued to join them as part of their analysis. Since the internal combustion engine has been around for over a century, engineers and manufacturers have improved both the engines and vehicles to face extreme cold. At times Saskatoon dips to minus 50°C yet their diesel- and gas-powered vehicles, trucks, tractors, snowplows, SUVs are out in the field doing their job.
What then should be expected of an electric vehicle?
Tesla and Nissan have been producing electric cars and SUVs for fifteen years and Toyota has sold the very successful Prius hybrid since 2000. It seems reasonable to conclude that electric and hybrid vehicles already fit the bill. However, unlike hybrids, EVs store their fuel in the form of electrons and in batteries, and these devices differ radically from the internal combustion engines and their fuel system. In our analysis, we looked most closely at the very popular and reasonably priced Nissan Leaf, as there was more data to work with, the price range attractive to cities and its similarity to the Chevrolet Bolt, a domestic EV that some of our clients have bought. The Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Bolt driving range fall in the middle of the pack as the table shows.
EXAMPLES OF EPA1 RANGE AT 25°C Model
Range
Tesla 3
500 km
Nissan Leaf
350 km
Chevrolet Bolt
380 km
BMW i3
250 km
Volkswagon e-Golf
200 km
All use Lithium-Ion batteries
• Operates in temperatures from -50°C to +40°C. • Runs all day on a tank of fuel or an electric charge.
Nissan Leaf
• Starts up reliability every morning and runs all day, month after month. • Is comfortable to drive, has storage space, can have equipment mounted to it (e.g., License Plate Recognition equipment). • Fleet services can maintain it and get parts. • Purchase price of CAD$40,000 or less for an EV SUV. • Maintenance cost is reasonable. • Infrastructure cost is affordable.
EPA driving range is rated at 25°C, but Saskatoon and the rest of Canada do not enjoy such a temperate climate for a sizeable part of the year, hence we need to look at the impact of cold weather. 1. Estimates by the American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
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IMPACT OF COLD ON BATTERY PERFORMANCE AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION
COLD TEMPERATURES BRING ENERGY SAPPING CHALLENGES SUCH AS: • Snow covered roads significantly increase rolling resistance, • Rolling resistance increases as grease and oil become stiffer, • More equipment is used such as: -
Head lamps and running lights
-
Cabin heater
-
Windshield defroster (heat and fan)
-
Rear window heater/defroster
-
Windshield wipers (front and rear windows)
-
Windshield fluid pump
-
Light bar
-
Seat heater
-
Air conditioner (for drying the air and defrosting)
The cumulative impact of these energy demands significantly diminishes rated range of gasoline or electric powered vehicles. However, a tank of gas will retain its energy capacity, i.e., it is not diminished by the cold. Batteries, on the other hand, do not fare as well. Their energy capacity is significantly reduced by cold temperatures.
PANASONIC LI-ION BATTERY
LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES DEMONSTRATE THESE CHARACTERISTICS: • Full charge typically rated at 25°C • As temperature drops both voltage and amp hour capacity decline so total stored energy declines significantly • Stored energy at -40°C in battery is roughly 65% of that at 25°C • Results in one-third loss of operation time and/or distance • The pictured graph is a Panasonic Li-ion battery which is similar to that in a Tesla or Nissan Leaf The following table shows the power consumed to propel a vehicle at 40 km/h and the load of typically used auxiliary equipment. NOTES:
Weather
Battery 3 Capacity
Average Speed
Power to 4 move car
Summer (25°C)
Auxiliary Equipment Power
Total Power
Total Duration
Total Distance
62 kWh
40 km/h
4000
200
4200 W
15 hrs
590 km
Winter (-30°C)
1
43 kWh
40 km/h
4000
1800
5800 W
7 hrs
300 km
2
43 kWh
40 km/h
4000
4100
8100 W
5 hrs
180 km
Winter (-30°C)
1 The defrost (and hence air conditioner) on intermittently (20%) 2 The vehicle driven with defrost always on and hence AC continuously on (i.e., 100%) 3 Battery capacity is degraded by about 30% when temperature dips to -30°C 4 Typical power consumed to move a vehicle at 40 km/h on a dry smooth road
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OBSERVATIONS: • In theory, driving the Leaf at a steady 40 km/h on a smooth flat paved road with little wind and a temperature of 25° C should see it go very far, close to 600 km. • In practice, it all depends on the equipment being used (e.g., air conditioning) • Cold weather performance drops the distance and time by about 50% • Running defrost continually will drop it further to about 30% of ideal range. • Snow greatly increases rolling resistance, decreasing range even more. • autoChalk (an LPR system) consumes 100 watts on average which is about 1 to 2% of the total energy consumed by the Leaf at 40 km/h hence has little impact on the vehicle’s battery life.
Chevrolet Bolt at charging station
• Hence it seemed that the likelihood of the electric vehicle running all day was slim, and more likely to be about half of one day.
EV INFRASTRUCTURE IMPACT
MOREOVER, THERE ARE OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS WITH THE LEAF AT COLD TEMPERATURES:
IN ADDITION TO WINTER CHALLENGES, ELECTRIC VEHICLES ALSO HAVE DEMANDING INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES AND ASSOCIATED COSTS FOR BOTH CITY AND UTILITIES:
• the vehicle cannot be charged if the temperature is -20°C or colder, • the vehicle is not recommended to be stored outside at temperatures of -25° C as the Lithium-ion battery can freeze and malfunction. Consumer Reports and the American Automotive Association also performed winter testing and the degradation was similar to the predicted impact that we had calculated, for example at minus 20°C all vehicles’ range dropped to about 50% of that measured at 25°C. Our recommendations to the city were to pilot only one or two units, to get the appropriate charging equipment (e.g., level 2 charger) and to be realistic about their EV expectations. After considering the above constraints, Saskatoon purchased two Chevrolet Bolts and tested them over the winter months.
THE COLD WINTER EXPERIENCE IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY THAT SASKATOON EXPERIENCED A BARRAGE OF EV CHALLENGES IN THE WINTER: • The range of the Bolt was abysmal. The Bolt would be operational for about four hours then needed recharging. • The Bolt would not recharge if the temperature was too cold. • The charging station has a software component that the Fleet services could monitor and see if the Bolt was fully charged. The city staff would get into the Bolt and it would not start. The charging application indicated the Bolt’s battery was fully charged. The Bolt then sat for days until the problem was resolved. • The cabin did not warm sufficiently when it was very cold. • It often got stuck in the snow. • It hampered the productivity of the city staff.
• Level 2 charging stations and dedicated parking stalls and potentially rewiring of the electrical feed to the building or even from the local electric utility distribution substation. • Upgrade in infrastructure requires qualified electricians and contractors to install the equipment and upgrades to the city’s facilities. • Each level 2 charger needs around 50 amps at 240 volts so if you are deploying 30 electric vehicles and concurrently charging them overnight, the current draw will be considerable at some 1500 amps at 240 volts (360 kwatts). • This power draw will draw the interest of the local electric utility as it may exceed local capacity. One notes that the cumulative demand for public and private EVs and their charging needs are likely to reach back to the capacity of the province’s power generation stations and the power grid. • The charging stations will be susceptible to power outages in winter storms.
In summary, our recommendation to cities is to do your research, choose carefully and pick quality. Performing a pilot with a couple of vehicles is prudent as the experience will be useful to gain hands-on experience, shape future acquisitions and influence infrastructure. Forecasting energy needs and discussing power demands with your power utility will facilitate future EV expansion. Electric Vehicles are definitely the shape of the future. But it seems that when EVs collide with cold temperatures, the future may have to wait. In the meantime, we can identify the obstacles and figure out solutions. n
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bill Franklin, P.Eng. President, Tannery Creek Systems Email: bfranklin@tannerycreeksystems.com
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Partner with the CPA Partner with the CPA to provide opportunities for growth in the coming years, bring more programming and education to CPA members and take your place as a leader in Canadian parking and mobility innovation. Champion, Principle and Associate levels are available, and each comes with many valuable benefits for a single annual fee.
When we join together, we all win!
SUPPORT CANADA! Promote your business to the parking and mobility industries in Canada by joining the CPA Partnership Program. We are keen to form strong partnerships and work with you to understand how we can create an alliance that is mutually beneficial to both parties, as well as for members of the CPA and those attending our events.
What’s in it for you? Canadians are established as leaders in North America who embrace the development and use of technology in their daily activities, and the parking industry is at the top of this field. Partner with the CPA and gain exclusive access to this unique Canadian market and help our members to continue to be leaders of this important trend. Demonstrate pride in supporting a Canadian association that delivers many opportunities, including the Annual Conference and Trade Show, and connect with the serious buyers you are searching for. Members of the Canadian Parking Association and stakeholders who attend this annual event are the decision makers for their organizations. Time spent networking with these delegates produces significant opportunities for vendors. Solid relationships are forged with the right people, ensuring a significant ROI to partners and exhibiting companies. Partnership support establishes your company’s commitment to ensuring growth and profitability of this changing and diverse industry and puts your brand out front beyond the annual event through a targeted marketing program specific to the Canadian parking and mobility industry.
Download the Partnership Prospectus Document
Establish your organization as leaders by supporting business intelligence and knowledge that will shape the future of the industry, while addressing opportunities and disruptors! Provide mentorship in developing best practices, standards and growth for members who serve their communities through professional development opportunities offered to partners. Enjoy significant benefits such as reduced exhibit fees, marketing opportunities, local and virtual networking events and other features included in an annual partnership.
How Off-site Airport Parking Facilities Are Evolving By Vitaly Vinogradov
WE ALL HATE TRAVELING TO THE AIRPORT; THAT’S A FACT OF LIFE. HALF THE PROBLEM IS THE PARKING SITUATION. AIRPORT PARKING CAN BE A HASSLE, EXPENSIVE, AND UNSAFE. AND DESPITE THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION AND THE RAPID PUSH TO AUTOMATION, AIRPORT PARKING HAS REMAINED LARGELY UNCHANGED. IT BADLY NEEDS A REVAMP. With on-site parking facilities being overly congested and often archaic, offsite airport parking lots have emerged as a viable alternative. Though off-site has earned a negative reputation for safety, I think that is unfair. In recent years, off-site lots have increasingly adopted and implemented novel security tools embedded with next-generation AI technologies that keep vehicles safer and more secure. Conversely, on-site lots have largely fallen behind the technical curve due to the overhead costs involved. Off-site parking lots have lower operating expenses, so they tend to charge lower rates, making them a more cost-effective option for travelers. The lower overhead costs also allow offsite lot operators to implement new technologies and experiment a bit. Yet offsite also poses challenges logistically, such as travelers getting from the lot to the airport and back. Many travelers are thus still willing to pay more for the convenience of on-site parking, despite the general lack of technical sophistication. Regardless of your personal preferences, its clear technology has been rapidly advancing at off-site parking lots, which are attempting to compete with official airport parking. Let’s look into the how and why.
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Busting the Myth Many travelers assume on-site airport parking is safer because it’s an official service offered by the airport. However, on-site lots tend to sprawl across large swaths of land, and they can be difficult for airports to monitor and manage. Moreover, they’re typically not cordoned off from the rest of the airport, so anyone can access and enter them. Consequently, airport parking has a security problem. The reality is that airports are hotbeds for break-ins. So far in 2023, 112 cars have been stolen from Philadelphia International Airport alone. Similarly, car theft at Toronto Airport is also spiking. What happens if your vehicle is broken into at an on-site lot? Airports typically have signs posted around parking areas indicating that they are not responsible for theft or damage to vehicles. These signs are meant to inform travelers that the airport cannot be held liable for loss or damage, and travelers should therefore not leave valuable items in their cars. For vehicle theft, if such a disclaimer is in place, the parking facility may not even provide any compensation. However, some on-site parking facilities do offer optional insurance or additional security services for an extra fee.
New Technologies To bolster security and distinguish themselves from the competition, off-site airport lots are adopting a variety of novel technologies. One such technology is license plate readers (LPR), mobile cameras that read license plates as they enter and exit a lot. Generally, LPR is the capacity to capture photographic video or images from license plates and transform optical data into digital data. While this is somewhat of a rudimentary technology, new advances in Neural Network AI engines allow systems to learn from every plate they read; they use myriad previous readings to feed cameras data and develop reading capacities that are more precise. These LPR technologies can help off-site lots limit and restrict lot access, only admitting vehicles with license plates that have been registered with the lot. The tech also enables contactless and paperless check in and check out: travelers simply drive in, park the car, and drive out later, and the LPR system takes care of the rest. In addition, dedicated apps allow travelers to monitor their vehicle while they’re away. Travelers can track their vehicles, see where they’ve parked, and access shuttle pick-up times through the apps. Machine learning algorithms embedded in these systems also enable pattern recognition and analysis of parking behavior. This translates into a more proactive and adaptive approach to managing parking facilities, with the potential for predicting trends, understanding behavior, and optimizing resources over time. It’s worth noting that these technologies are not necessarily specific to off-site airport lots, but in many cases on-site lots are unable to match this functionality. Again, airport lots are vast and must manage large quantities of vehicles, and they have significantly more expenses from operating on airport grounds. So, they often don’t have the budget for extraneous features. Moreover, some surveillance tools may simply not be allowed at airports because of federal regulations.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Vitaly Vinogradov has been an entrepreneur for over 20 years, honing his business strategy skills. His wealth of knowledge is essential to the success of Cheap Airport Parking. Prior to founding CheapAirportParking. org, Vitaly worked as VP of Financial Strategy at HSBC. He also received his BS from Moscow State Technical University and an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. When he's not busy working, Vitaly enjoys traveling, reading, skiing, and spending time with his family and friends.
Future Trajectory Parking technology has also become part of the AI revolution. As autonomous vehicle technology advances, we may see the introduction of autonomous shuttle services that transport travelers between parking lots and airport terminals. This could further reduce the need for human intervention and enhance the convenience of off-site lots, circumventing the need for additional staff to operate the shuttles and reducing waiting times. Then there’s the potential for integration of AI technology with cloud infrastructure, which enables remote access and monitoring. Technologies like SpotGenius capture real-time data from cameras and continuously processes and analyzes the data providing instantaneous insights into the occupancy status of individual parking spaces. This real-time processing is facilitated by cloud infrastructure, ensuring secure connectivity and remote access to the captured data through any browser. As AI continues to evolve, the future of parking management will likely see enhanced predictive analytics, more sophisticated pattern recognition, and increased integration with external services. In terms of customization, AI-driven parking management systems can be seamlessly integrated with third-party systems through APIs. This opens up possibilities for integrating with payment and ticketing systems, providing a more streamlined and interconnected approach to overall urban mobility. So all-in-all, airport parking is finally getting a facelift, and the technical revolution is largely being driven by offsite lot operators. The future of smart parking is here, and travelers can finally breathe a sigh of relief.n
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Halifax 2024 Call for Presentations
The CPA is inviting submissions from industry experts who are proficient at providing dynamic and interactive programming as part of the overall conference learning experience. The 2024 agenda will serve to continue delivering timely information that is impacting the parking and mobility industries and the people who work to improve the services provided to their communities. Opportunities will be reserved for engaging presentations that will deliver diverse topics of interest and unique concepts that provoke thought, discussion, and guide the direction of the future parking and mobility industries.
Presentation Topics
Concepts & Topic Suggestions
Topics should focus on present-day and near future developments, as well as long term scenarios that are relevant to a variety of parking and mobility interest groups:
• Blending Parking & Mobility – Finding the Balance
• Pacing Technology Changes: LPR, Mobile Apps
• Curbside Design & Management
• Infrastructure: Facilities, Operations, Management
AIRPORTS
• Parking in New Urban Design Concepts
HEALTH CARE UNIVERSITIES/COLLEGES MUNICIPALITIES MOBILITY MANAGERS
• Industry Disruptors: Embrace or Avoid
• Car Share / Ride Share • Parking in a Multi-Modal Community
TRANSPORTATION MANAGERS
• Solutions to First & Last Mile Commute
URBAN PLANNERS
• Electric Vehicle (EV) Parking
DEVELOPERS
34 PARKER P A R K E R |2022 FALL/WINTER | S U M M E2022 R ISSUE
OCT 6-9 2024
• Structures: Asset or Liability? • Facilities Maintenance Plan • Data: Revenue, Occupancy, etc. • Developing an RFP • Service: Valet and Event Parking • Human Resources, Training & Personal Development • Emergency Preparedness
SAVE THE DATE • Oct 6-9, 2024
Session Formats
THE GOAL
CASE STUDIES: Municipal, institutional,
The introduction of different session formats will offer variety to attendees to learn new skills, and gain knowledge and insight into the evolving parking and mobility forum and equip themselves with the essentials to develop a go-forward action plan in a fun way.
private operations and consultants share timely information on actual projects from start to finish. Regardless of the outcome, shared experiences and lessons learned can provide insight for those contemplating a similar project.
PANEL DISCUSSIONS: Form a panel of subject matter experts to share in an interactive presentation focused on a mutual experience. Presenters are given time to discuss their perspective and the audience then joins in a Q&A session. (Maximum of 3 panelists per submission.)
SECTOR FIRESIDE CHAT: A selection of leaders from the airport, hospital, municipal or university may host an informal discussion about issues facing their sector. This is an opportunity to expand on issues raised during the popular round table sector meetings. WORKSHOPS: Design a workshop that will involve learning opportunities on specific topics. Through interactive discussion and/or exercises attendees will leave with valuable information to implement at their operations. Topics could include Leadership, Equipment Maintenance, Data Collection, Human Resources, RFP Development, etc.
SUBMISSION PROCESS The individual submitting the proposal must also be the presenter and main contact for further communications. Co-presenter(s) names and panelists must have agreed to participate and be identified during the submission process. Substitutions of presenters and panelists will not be allowed after the close date and will result in the presentation being disqualified.
SELECTION PROCESS Submissions will be evaluated based on quality of topic content and format as presented in the abstract, relevance of content to the current environment, innovativeness, learning objectives provided, range of interest and schedule availability. Suppliers of equipment or services are required to be registered as an exhibitor for submissions to be considered. The CPA reserves the right to select or augment the submissions to best reflect a full educational program. If more details are required, you will be contacted.
HOSTED CHAT ROOM: Conduct a focus group to gather feedback from the attendees on your topic (EVs, LPR, PARCS, APPS, etc.). Scheduled outside of exhibit hours as a component of the educational program, sessions can be branded by you, and can be by invitation only. (Some fees may apply to non-registered exhibiting companies.)
EXCLUSIONS
PRESENTERS
ACCEPTANCE PROCESS
Submissions must include all speakers’ names, company names and acknowledgement of their willingness to participate in the presentation DURING THE SUBMISSION PROCESS. Changes, additions, and substitutions will not be allowed. Conference registration is required by each presenter, and all personal expenses will be their responsibility. Participants agree to provide a summary article suitable for publication in Parker magazine after the conference.
All presentations must be non-proprietary and may not be used as an opportunity to promote brands, products, or services in any way. All commercial activities will be limited to the trade show area for registered exhibitors only.
If your submission is accepted, you will be informed by email on or before April 15, 2024 Confirmation of participation from all presenters and co-presenters must be returned by May 1, 2024, to secure a time slot, after which date the offer may be rescinded. All PPT presentations must be submitted using the CPA’s conference template by the pre-conference deadline stipulated. The CPA reserves the right to adjust the schedule from time to time. Time assignments are not guaranteed.
canadianparking.ca/halifax2024/
PRESS RELEASE
FLEETCOR® Acquires PayByPhone, a Global Digital Parking Company Expands Vehicle Payments for Businesses and Consumers
ATLANTA – Nov. 6, 2023 – FLEETCOR Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: FLT), a leading global business payments company, today announced the acquisition of PayByPhone, a global provider of digital parking payment solutions. The acquisition expands FLEETCOR’s vehicle payment solution set for both its fleet customers and consumers. “We are delighted to announce the PayByPhone acquisition. Our acquisition was driven by two key strategic objectives. First, by providing our customers access to one of the world’s leading parking apps, it helps expand the vehicle payment solutions we provide our B2B fleet customers in North America and Europe. Second, it will serve as an anchor app for the consumer vehicle payments business we are launching in the UK, where PayByPhone has over 2 million active monthly consumers. Our strategy is to deliver our existing payment products and networks through a single mobile app to PayByPhone’s UK customers. This strategy has already been quite successful in Brazil, and we are excited about the opportunities in the UK, and ultimately, intend to expand the strategy into Europe and North America,” said Ron Clarke, chairman and chief executive officer, FLEETCOR Technologies, Inc. PayByPhone is a leading digital parking payment provider with over 6 million active monthly users who find and pay for parking in a network of more than 1,350 parking operators in North America and Europe. Fleetcor acquired PayByPhone from Volkswagen Financial Services on September 15, 2023. About FLEETCOR®
Contacts Investor Relations Jim Eglseder, 770-417-4697 Jim.Eglseder@fleetcor.com
Media Relations Chad Corley, 770-729-502 Chad.corley@fleetcor.com
36 PARKER WINTER 2023
FLEETCOR Technologies (NYSE: FLT) is a leading global business payments company that helps businesses spend less by providing innovative solutions that enable and control expense-related purchasing and payment processes. The FLEETCOR portfolio of brands automate, secure, digitize and manage payment transactions on behalf of businesses across more than 100 countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit www.fleetcor.com. About PayByPhone PayByPhone is one of the fastest growing mobile payments companies in the world, processing over 200 million payment transactions in 2023. Available in eight countries, PayByPhone helps millions of consumers easily pay for parking without the hassles of coins, lines, or fees. Their smart, intuitive technology is at the center of their user-first approach, delivered to make everything as simple as possible. For more information, please visit www. paybyphone.com.
All New Cloud-Based Platform "·" "-" "" �byTrK«dA«flsG,OUp
• Powerful, Responsive Design • Manage Parking Operations From Any Device • No Apps Needed • Portfolio Management • Quick-Scan Onboarding • Seamless Updates • Auto-Scale For Optimal Performance • 24-Hour AWS Monitoring
Transaction Speeds as Fast as USB Plug-And-Play • Only One Moving Part • Reduced Maintenance • Reduced Downtime in the Lane • Smallest Cash Payment Kiosk in the Industry
OVER PER ROLL
The Amano ONE product comes into the market as a revolutionary new offering for software and hardware configuration. I think it gives them an opportunity to be a game changer in the industry. - Jed Hatfield Colonial Parking Inc.
Winnipeg Parking Authority Driving into the Transportation Mobility Sector - Vehicle for Hire Division is Recognized as the
“GLOBAL REGULATOR OF THE YEAR FOR 2023” By Randy Topolniski
In 2017, the Province of Manitoba passed The Local Vehicles for Hire Act, which dissolved the Manitoba Taxicab Board, repealed The Taxicab Act, and associated regulations, and transferred oversight of vehicle for hire (VFH) regulation to the municipalities. The Winnipeg Parking Authority (WPA)- a special operating agency of the City of Winnipeg- assumed responsibility for regulating the VFH industry, with Grant Heather managing this new business line. In December 2017, the City enacted a new Vehicles for Hire By-law that streamlined and modernized VFH regulations, and the newly formed VFH division opened its doors in 2018.
2023 Global Regulator of the Year For the past several years, the WPA has been a member of the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR), a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing best practices in the licensing and regulation of for-hire ground transportation services. In recognition of their efforts to improve VFH service in Winnipeg, Grant Heather and the WPA’s VFH division was recently named the IATR’s 2023 Global Regulator of the Year. Winnipeg is only the second Canadian city ever to receive the IATR’s Global Regulator of the Year award, joining other recent winners including Montreal, Los Angeles, London, Chicago, and New York. Said Grant Heather, “This award is especially gratifying considering we have only been around for five years. It speaks to the incredible contributions our entire team has made in that short time.” Over the course of those five years, the WPA’s VFH division has undertaken a number of initiatives to improve driver and passenger safety (winnipeg.ca/vehiclesforhire/safety-security.stm), service accessibility, and the integration of for-hire travel options into Winnipeg’s transportation system. Early examples include the addition of audio capabilities to the onboard camera systems required in each taxi and a rigorous vehicle safety program that conducted 14,489 inspections of taxis and personal transportation provider vehicles (including limousines and ride-hailing vehicles) in 2022. Other examples of more recent initiatives include the addition of Indigenous cultural competency training for VFH drivers, the development of a centralized dispatch system for accessible vehicles, and the Taxi Driver and Passenger Code of Conduct.
38 PARKER WINTER 2023
Indigenous Cultural Competency Training for VFH Drivers There are a number of challenges faced by the Indigenous community in accessing safe on-demand transportation. The WPA’s VFH division has acknowledged these issues and is committed to supporting reconciliation efforts with Winnipeg’s Indigenous peoples. Partnering with the City of Winnipeg’s Indigenous Relations Divisions (IRD), the VFH division has worked to implement transportation-related items in the Calls for Justice raised by Canada’s National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous, Women, Girls, and Two Spirited People (MMIWG2+). First and foremost is a new Indigenous Cultural Competency training program for VFH drivers. The approach to developing this training was Indigenous-led and focused on decolonization, centering relationships to end violence, and being a partner in recognizing Indigenous power and place. The VFH division held workshops to consult with the MMIWG2+ community, leaders, and advocates in order to gain a better understanding of the difficult and often traumatic experiences and truths faced by the Indigenous community. The training program, developed and delivered entirely by Indigenous community members, is now mandatory for all licensed and registered VFH drivers. The 8-hour in-person training program, which is funded through a per-trip safety surcharge fee, has been well-received by members of the Indigenous community and VFH drivers alike. The hope is that this program will lead the way in training for other City of Winnipeg departments, including the City’s main public transportation service provider, Winnipeg Transit. The Indigenous Cultural Competency training program also serves to raise the collective awareness of all City of Winnipeg staff and elected officials and reaffirms the need to end violence against the Indigenous community, particularly women, girls, and Two-Spirited people. This training is considered to be the first of its kind for VFH drivers in North America.
Winnipeg WAV Centralized Accessible Dispatch The WPA is always seeking opportunities to improve the accessible transportation network by removing as many barriers as possible for both persons with disabilities and accessible service providers. When the City took over regulation of the VFH industry, the ratio of taxi licences to population was insufficient to serve the community’s demand. To fill this gap, in 2018, the WPA announced that 60 new accessible taxi operating licences would be issued, with eligibility limited to operators using wheelchair accessible vans. The VFH division received more than 3,000 applications and held a lottery to award the new licences. After completing further consultations with the accessibility community, advocates, and the VFH industry, it became clear that many passengers requiring accessible vehicles were facing significant wait times. Passengers were often forced to call several dispatchers to order an accessible vehicle, taking the first one to arrive. This worsened wait times by having multiple vehicles assigned to a single passenger, with only one of them actually providing the ride.
WINTER 2023 PARKER 39
Being named Global Regulator of the Year by the IATR shows that the City of Winnipeg’s decision to integrate VFH regulation with its parking authority to create a more holistic mobility management agency was the right move.”
Recognizing a need and following the increase in wheelchair accessible van capacity with the addition of the new licences, a plan was developed to improve on-demand accessible VFH service. In May 2022, the WPA’s VFH division launched the Winnipeg Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) on-demand centralized dispatch system: LINK In partnership with one of the largest taxi dispatch companies in the city, Winnipeg WAV employs a thirdparty software platform to run a dispatch system dedicated to accessible trips. VFH drivers may run the WAV platform in parallel with their regular dispatcher, enabling them to accept requests for rides from either source. The Winnipeg WAV system sends the closest available accessible vehicle, regardless of the dispatch company with which it is affiliated. Winnipeg WAV is also being used to supplement the City’s para-transit system, Winnipeg Transit Plus. “The Winnipeg WAV has been a transformative service for many users. It has streamlined the process for obtaining accessible service by creating a single point of contact, accessible by phone, website, or through the app, so that customers no longer need to call multiple service providers to obtain a ride,” remarked Grant Heather, the WPA’s Manager of Vehicles for Hire. “It also allows small service providers access to a much larger market and puts technology in their vehicles that they would not normally be able to afford. This program is truly a win-win all around.” Participation in the Winnipeg WAV centralized dispatch system is voluntary from accessible drivers and accessible vehicle owners. To account for the additional upfront capital investment and greater time commitment required to provide wheelchairaccessible service, accessible vehicle owners and drivers are given financial incentives based on customer service ratings and other trip metrics. In 2022, a total of $153,550 was paid to drivers and owners providing this accessible service. These incentives and other program costs are funded by a per-trip accessibility surcharge. By the end of 2022, 2,565 trips had been provided through Winnipeg WAV. As the system continues to gain popularity, it is expected that Winnipeg WAV will dispatch approximately 11,500 dedicated accessible trips in 2023. The Winnipeg WAV program is the second of its kind in Canada, and one of only a handful currently operating in North America.
40 PARKER WINTER 2023
Taxicab Driver and Passenger Code of Conduct In an effort to ensure the WPA’s role as a regulator was starting off on the right foot, the City of Winnipeg conducted a public engagement survey on VFH safety and accessibility in 2018. The survey results suggested that passengers and drivers could benefit from a formal Code of Conduct that would set standards for behaviour and business practices during on-demand trips. After further consultation with passengers and industry stakeholders including taxi drivers, owners, and dispatchers, the Taxicab Code of Conduct was approved in 2020. Copies of the document in both English and French are now posted in all licensed Winnipeg taxis. The Code of Conduct clearly lays out the rights and responsibilities of both drivers and passengers. The document addresses safety and security (e.g., the use of seatbelts and the display of a valid taxi licence), payment methods, and some elements of professionalism and customer service such as a requirement for drivers to be familiar with major routes and destinations throughout the city. The Code of Conduct is a living document that may be updated from time to time based on feedback from passengers and drivers. It helps to establish a mutual understanding for both parties and serves as a helpful supplement to the City’s Vehicles for Hire By-law, which may not be familiar to all passengers and drivers. Development of the Code of Conduct (LINK) was funded through a per-trip Safety and Security surcharge, at no cost to taxi drivers or owners.
Parking, Vehicles for Hire, and Mobility Management Building on its success as a regulator of the local VFH industry, the WPA intends to continue integrating other aspects of transportation and mobility management wherever possible. The agency is in the final stages of developing a five-year strategic plan that considers parking, on-demand transportation services, active transportation, transit, curbside management, and infrastructure to support zeroemission vehicles. As the WPA’s General Manager, Randy Topolniski, puts it, “The Winnipeg Parking Authority has been evolving steadily since it was created in 2004. We’re now responsible for parking operations and enforcement, managing the ticket appeal process for nearly 1,000 different offences in 22 by-laws, collecting outstanding fines for 10 City departments, and overseeing the regulation of Winnipeg’s vehicle for hire industry. Being named Global Regulator of the Year by the IATR shows that the City of Winnipeg’s decision to integrate VFH regulation with its parking authority to create a more holistic mobility management agency was the right move.”n
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Randy Topolniski, General Manager, WPA randytopolniski@winnipeg.ca
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