Parking & Mobility | January 2022

I N T E RT NA IONAL PARKING & MOBIL TY INSTITUTE J A N U A RY 2 0

The Cruising Phenomenon New FHWA Tool to Enable Cities to Measure and Ultimately Reduce Parking Cruising

INTERNATIONAL PARKING & MOBILITY INSTITUTE JANUARY 2022 VOL. 4 / N0. 1

FEATURES

17

Bringing Understanding to the Cruising Phenomenon

The Federal Highway Administration has develop a new tool to enable cities to measure and ultimately reduce parking cruising.

22

Back Together!

The 2021 IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo in Tampa, Fla., brought the industry community back together, face-to-face.

34

Being Ready

Preparing your parking program for a post-COVID world.

38

Everywhere at Once

Virtualizing the process and using new technologies can revolutionize hospital parking—and its customers’ experiences.

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/ EDITOR’S NOTE

Resolved DEPARTMENTS 4 ENTRANCE

It Feels Like Y2K

By Roamy Valera, CAPP

6 FIVE THINGS

About the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal

8 THE GREEN STANDARD

Sustainable Human Capital: Consider the Stress

By Conor Burke

10 THE BUSINESS OF PARKING Your 2022 Marketing Checklist

By Bill Smith

11 ON THE FRONTLINE

Earthquakes and Adaptability

By Cindy Campbell

12 MOBILITY & TECH

How to Implement Shared Parking Facilities

By Carmen Donnell, CAPP

14 ASK THE EXPERTS 42 STATE & REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT

The Texas Parking & Transportation Association

45 IN SHORT 47 AROUND THE INDUSTRY 50 PARKING & MOBILITY CONSULTANTS 52 ADVERTISERS INDEX

ONCE A WEEK, I take an hour—usually less than an

hour—to clear off my desk. My stack of papers is gone through and sorted, either into files or the recycling bin; my calendar is cleaned up and updated; my pens go back into the vintage college mug where they belong; and all the stuff that accumulates is put into its rightful place. And after that, I spray Mrs. Meyers spray on the surfaces and wipe them all down, which makes the room smell nice. If I remember, I wipe down my keyboard and mouse and dust my monitor and printer. After that, I try to get to inbox zero, or at least inbox no-scrolling-down-to-seeit-all. And then I get back to work in a much more pleasant and humane environment.

The habit started as a new year’s resolution a few years ago and has stuck, mainly because I love that clean smell and the feeling of being in control of my clutter. It helps fewer things slip off my personal radar and it generally makes me happier and more productive.

Not all my resolutions stick—like most people, I ditch the vast majority by February for one reason or another (“lazy” factors in). I have huge admiration for the people who make the big ones—weight loss and clean diets, measurable professional development, financial priorities—work for them, because best intentions aside, this stuff is hard.

This brings me to my point: What’s your resolution this year? Do you have a personal one and a professional one? Does your organization resolve to make collective improvements or changes?

January is a natural time to set goals and start trying to establish new habits.

We have fresh notebooks and planners, clean Google drives and computer files, and the motivation to make the new year better, more efficient, happier, and healthier, both on our own and with our organizations. With any luck, 2022 will be better than the last two years, as we learn more, do more, and work toward new goals.

Finally, with this column, I bid you farewell—I am moving to a new opportunity.

It has been a pleasure and an honor to be part of this community and I’ll miss you all terribly. Please connect with me on LinkedIn if we’re not and stay in touch. I wish you all the best and thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for an amazing decade. Until we meet again...

53 CALENDAR Kim Fernandez, CAE, editor fernandez@parking-mobility.org

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 3

/ ENTRANCE

PUBLISHER

Shawn Conrad, CAE

conrad@parking-mobility.org EDITOR

Kim Fernandez, CAE

fernandez@parking-mobility.org TECHNICAL EDITOR

Rachel Yoka, CAPP, LEED AP BD+C, yoka@parking-mobility.org CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Bill Smith, APR

bsmith@smith-phillips.com ADVERTISING SALES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

Tina Altman

taltman@parking-mobility.org PUBLICATION DESIGN

BonoTom Studio

info@bonotom.com For subscription changes, contact Tina Altman, taltman@parking-mobility.org or 888.IPMI.NOW. Parking & Mobility (ISSN 0896-2324 & USPS 001436) is published monthly by the International Parking & Mobility Institute.

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It Feels Like Y2K

“

By Roamy Valera, CAPP

T

HE TERM “Y2K” may bring back some vivid memories of what the

industry endured in preparation of the arrival of the year 2000. It was parking’s doomsday for many and for others, it was just an opportunity to adapt and innovate. Experts feared that the switch from the two-digit year ‘99 to ‘00 would wreak havoc on computer systems and parking had its plenty of those. The times also generated its share of tag lines and buzzwords, like the Y2K Bug, Millennium Bug, etc. You could not attend a conference and/or industry meeting without full days dedicated to the topic.

Well, it feels like déjà vu! The current pandemic has gripped the world for almost two years and, as a result, we have found ourselves in a similar time. Our vernacular now includes “curb management” (overused term with endless definitions and interpretations), “work from home,” “self-isolation,” “vaccine hesitancy,” “flattening the curve,” etc. All of it captured over the many months we have endured while dealing with a global pandemic.

This “Y2K” is different. It has a direct effect on our people (sickness and death).

And because of that, we have a need to focus on how we manage them under the new terms and conditions, which have created self-silos and isolation for many. Of course, we will look back at this event, just like we look back at many events during our lifetime, and wonder how we made it. Some of us will be reminded how it changed the social fabric, even if it was for a period. We are challenged with new work policies on how to manage our teams, like the hybrid work arrangement. We’re learning how to deal with new rules of engagement for how we manage the expectations developed during this period. How do we get back

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to our “normal” where we could disseminate our corporate culture and values with greater ease?

I will share our organization’s top three approaches to a hybrid work plan/ agreement: 1. Set the stage—think together about how we work together as a hybrid team.

2. Encourage team members’ p ­ articipation­— You don’t need to have all the answers, but you really want to hear perspectives from each member of the team.

3. Explain the process—be clear about the return to office plan and any non-negotiables.

The new normal will have its set of challenges, which we will overcome with patience, time and a lot of personal and professional investment. One thing is certain: We all need to be ready for the next “Y2K” moment, because it is not if, but when.

Take care of each other! ◆ ROAMY VALERA, CAPP, is CEO, North America, of PayByPhone and a member of IPMI’s Board of Directors. He can be reached at rvalera@ paybyphone.com.

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THINGS ABOUT THE

Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (the Infrastructure Deal) in November, setting priorities and allocating funding for a wide range of projects throughout the U.S. But what might it mean for parking and mobility? Here are five things to know, courtesy of The White House.

1

It provides $110 billion and reauthorizes surface transportation projects to “repair our roads and bridges and support major, transformational projects.” It also prioritizes a “Safe Streets and Roads for All” project to try to reduce traffic fatalities.

3

The legislation invests $7.5 billion to build a national network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the U.S. Chargers will be deployed along highway corridors for long-distance travel and in cities and towns, near where residents live, work, and shop, with a goal of providing 500,000 new chargers.

5

2

The act will invest a new $39 billion in transit and continue existing transit programs for five years. “In total, the new investments and reauthorization in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal provide $89.9 billion in guaranteed funding for public transit over the next five years,” the White House says. The funding will go to expansing transit options, replacing transit vehicles with zero-emissions versions, and specifically improve accessibility to transit for elderly and disabled riders.

4

It will focus on deploying clean energy technology across the country, reducing power outages with electrical grid improvements, and supporting the development, demonstration, and deployment of zero-emission technologies, which will affect EV chargers, among other things. This will be a $65 billion investment.

The act will invest $66 billion in passenger rail, which the White House says is the biggest spend on rail since Amtrak was founded. The money will go to rail repair and maintenance, bringing rail service to underserved areas, and offering climate-friendly alternatives to move people and things.

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/ THE GREEN STANDARD

Sustainable Human Capital: Consider the Stress

By Conor Burke

T

HE PARKING INDUSTRY HAS RECOGNIZED the value in implementing sustainable prod-

ucts and equipment in our facilities, however, one branch of sustainability that could be developed further is sustainable human capital. The sustainable human capital approach is paradoxical, because one side requires looking at your teams as the assets that need to be managed in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way, while the other side is prescribing solutions that embrace the holistic approach of seeing the workforce in their entirety as both workers and humans. This is accomplished by inputting the cost-benefit analysis for employees, employee retention, and the work-life balances employees face, and synthesizing the end goal, which is promoting a healthier work environment. The downstream effects of this type of management will help companies become more efficient, save money, and reduce their carbon footprint while also making sure that employers are able to retain more talent.

Professional Relationships The parking industry requires operational management skills that encompass a wide array of abilities, that have populations dispersed through large areas with managers in solitude locations working closely with their team.

The idea that these managers are easily replaced discounts the working environment they have established with their team and the rapport they have also built with the client on a day-today basis. This presents a problem because many of these professional relationships cannot be fully replicated by a new individual in that role.

Building a successful employee retention program and talent pipeline is imperative for reducing and/or mitigating these transitional periods and helping keep healthy and positive work environments for teams that might not feel the corporate culture as easily an in-house staff does.

Current estimates of how much it costs to replace employees is anywhere from 50 percent of their salaries for entry level workers to 250 percent of senior level employees. Shifting to a new mindset requires a change in focus, as these sustainable human capital decisions are about the benefit cost analysis and translating out of

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a bottom-line cost element that retention and recruiting currently fall under.

Sustainable human capital does not look to reinvent the wheel when looking at a healthier work environment; the main goal is to establish work-life balance into the context of worker productivity and limit the negative effects of internal and external forces. There are two forms of stress that need to be under consideration while looking at sustainable human capital: job-related stress and financial stress.

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EXPERIENCE, RELIABILITY, Sustainable human capital does not look to reinvent the wheel when looking at a healthier work environment; the main goal is to establish work-life balance into the context of worker productivity and limit the negative effects of internal and external forces.

Considering Stress Job-related stress can produce burnout and higher absenteeism that will undermine employee retention in the long run. While job-related stress may lead to a lower retention rate and produce higher health care costs for employees, the more insidious of the two major stresses on a day-to-day basis is financial stress, which can impact the work product.

For half of all employees, nearly a month’s worth of productivity is wasted on worrying about financial stresses every year, and this does not even take into consideration any loss of focus that taking on a second job may have on their primary career. Stress is a universal force all employers must contend with and try to resolve, however it is only one element of an unhealthy equilibrium that can make employees feel disengaged—and those who are disengaged but still employed are only performing at a 66 percent productivity level.

To combat this disengagement and reduce stress, human resources professionals have begun to implement employee incentive programs and other ancillary policies to make these employees feel reengaged and appreciated. The parking industry has great resources through associations like IPMI, and making sure your company follows these standards can ensure that there is a cohesive message for continued learning, job training, and salary increases that could help prevent any disconnects in policies.

Sustainable human capital is an expanding theory in strategic human resource management and the effects that it can have when implemented correctly can be beneficial for the parking industry, our corporate cultures, and the lives of our respective staffs. While this is an introduction to the topic and barely scratches the surface into it, the hope is that this will start the conversation by advocating for employees to engage in these programs and seeing the benefits of including the work forces’ lives as something that can be treated in the realm of sustainability. ◆ CONOR BURKE is general manager for VPNE Parking Solutions and a member of IPMI’s Sustainability Committee. He can be reached at cburke@vpne.com.

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/ THE BUSINESS OF PARKING /MARKETING

Your 2022 Marketing Checklist

By Bill Smith

I

HAVEN’T DONE A NEW YEAR’S CHECKLIST FOR A FEW YEARS, and it’s

about time. The new year is about getting a fresh start, but for many of us, it’s also about revisiting traditions. So let’s get this tradition started again.

The beginning of a new year is a great time to review your organization’s marketing to determine what’s working and what isn’t. In that spirit, here’s a New Year’s ­marketing checklist for 2022.

Strategy When I wrote my last New Year’s column in December 2017, I wrote, “Many parking organizations still take a haphazard approach to marketing.” Sadly, that’s still the case. If your marketing revolves primarily around responding to RFPs and meeting up with friends at the IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo, you’re not doing enough. These are important components, but they are only a couple of the tactics you need to be pursuing.

Marketing starts with evaluating whether your marketing strategies still align with your organization’s business strategies.

Where do you want to be as an organization in three, five, even 10 years? Where will new business opportunities lie over those periods of time? Is your strategy geared toward taking advantage of those opportunities?

Remember, when you set marketing strategy, you aren’t just planning for your current customers and prospects—you are planning for reaching future customers too. In many cases, those future customers won’t even be known to you because the industry is changing so rapidly. As you might imagine, being ready to reach customers who may not even exist yet can take some creativity.

Traditional Approaches Public relations (PR) is still the most effective and cost-effective way to reach people. And most parking organizations don’t have effective PR programs—many have no program at all. PR programs that revolve around publicity allow organizations to reach hundreds of thousands— even millions—of people who may have an interest in your organization’s products or services.

The question isn’t what type of parking organizations should be doing PR, because they all should. The question is what type of PR program you should put in place to help your organization meet its business goals. Where should you be publicizing your organization and its products or services? What messages should you be conveying through your program? What types of publicity will best serve your purposes? Which additional PR tactics will provide value (such as speaking at conferences or going after industry awards)? These are the questions you should be seeking to answer when deciding how to best use PR. If you don’t already have a digital marketing strategy, make it a priority in 2022.

Just remember that it requires a full-time commitment. Rely on dedicated, trained staff or consultants to implement your strategy and give them sole access to your platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. The last thing you

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need is for different people in your organization to have unrestricted access to your channels because there would be no way to control your messages. Also, it’s impossible to be strategic if there are too many cooks in the kitchen. It’s vital to pursue targeted tactics and strategies.

Also, use social media to convey who you are as an organization and what your corporate values are. Customers and strategic partners want to work with organizations that share their values and social media can be a powerful platform for demonstrating those values. Of course, social media is also a great way to keep your followers informed about your organization and what’s going on with you.

Fresh Starts It’s impossible to cover everything you need to know in just this space. But this is a good start.

This is a great time to get a fresh start with your marketing. After nearly two years of COVID-induced business uncertainty, the industry is picking up steam again. A fresh marketing program built around public relations and digital marketing can help assure that you hit the ground running. ◆ BILL SMITH, APR, is principal of Smith-Phillips Strategic Communications and contributing editor of Parking & Mobility. He can be reached at bsmith@smithphillips.com or 603.491.4280.

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/ ON THE FR ONTLINE

Earthquakes and Adaptability

By Cindy Campbell

S

OME THINGS JUST NATURALLY GO TOGETHER: Peanut butter

and jelly, salt and pepper, tacos and Tuesdays, California and earthquakes.

As a lifelong resident of California, I’ve experienced a handful of earthquakes.

Having said that, I’m fortunate to report that I’ve only felt two real “shakers” where I live. (A quote from my then-teenaged son: “Mom, was that an earthquake? Huh. So, what’s for dinner?”) Californians are typically aware, trained, and semi-ready for the next big one, yet Mother Nature always surprises us with her timing.

I mention this because I think it’s a parallel to how rarely we’re prepared for the unexpected changes we encounter throughout our careers. As professionals, our job assignments and related tasks can change in ways we don’t expect and frankly, may not appreciate. When this happens, how do we typically respond? Do we waste time denying that it’s even happening or refuse to acknowledge it with the hope that it will just go away—or do we adjust our sails and find ways to adapt and figure out the new path? Are we adaptable to change?

Moving Your Cheese Many years ago, this issue of change and adaptability was the focus of the popular book, “Who Moved My Cheese?” If you haven’t read it, it’s a fable about four cheese-loving mice who live in a maze.

When their cheese supply suddenly disappears, two of the mice quickly identify the need to find a new food source while the other two mice waste their time, waiting and hoping the old cheese supply will return. The core message of the fable is that things in life constantly change. The sooner we can recognize and adapt to change, the more satisfied our lives may be.

Change is hard and humans have the innate ability to further complicate that

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fact. Oh sure, some change can be exciting, but we also know from experience that it has the potential to add stress and frustration to our work life. (As an example, think about the number of changes at work you likely experienced during the first year of the pandemic.) It would be unrealistic to believe that we can stop change from happening, yet if we can adjust some of our thought processes, we gain the ability to minimize our stress related to the ongoing changes encountered at work.

Approaches To help you get started, here are some thoughts and approaches I’d like to suggest as you work to improve your ability to adapt and embrace change in the workplace.

■ Change is inevitable. It’s a fact. The world around us will continue to change.

While we can appreciate some changes, unwanted change can be disruptive and cause us to feel stress. When we’re able to acknowledge that change has occurred and is probable in the future, we’re better able move forward.

■ Expect it, anticipate it. There are some changes we can anticipate: The services we provide, technologies we employ, and the ever-changing needs and expectations of our customers. Counter to what our minds tells us, we actually feel more anxiety if we’re stuck and unwilling to move and grow as professional organizations. Our industry peers are great about sharing the latest innovations and trends.

Make sure you’re paying attention to what may be coming your way.

■ When it happens, adapt quickly. The faster we’re able to let go of “the way

we’ve always done it.” The sooner we feel less stress about implementing the change. Grumbling and complaining does not serve us well and rarely changes the outcome.

■ Help others embrace the change. Sharing positive observations and insights serves to encourage others who may be resistant to certain changes. Can you find opportunities to collaborate with other members of your team to refine and improve related processes? Are you willing to identify and share challenges and potential solutions? Thinking and working positively about a new service, adjusted process or practice can help us and our co-workers to adapt more easily to change.

We have all experienced that colleague who fights every little change encountered.

Can you imagine the internal turmoil that approach creates for them? The energy that kind of mental struggle requires makes me tired just thinking about it. My unsolicited advice on this: If that describes you, it’s time for a change. And, if we know that change is inevitable, let’s learn to adapt, appreciate, and even enjoy it a little.

Hey, life is short. Change happens. Enjoy the taste of new cheese. ◆ CINDY CAMPBELL is IPMI’s senior training and development specialist. She is available for onsite and online training and professional development and can be reached at campbell@parking-mobility.org.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 11

/ MOBILITY & TECH

How To Implement Shared Parking Facilities

By Carmen Donnell, CAPP

A

SHARED PARKING FACILITY can be defined as any shared parking

area that allows for multiple drivers to park with closer proximity to one another, and therefore, more efficiently.

Municipalities such as City of Seattle are known to have as many as five parking spaces per household. In urban settings, similar to Seattle, residents are known to navigate from one parking structure to another as they visit multiple planned destinations.

For many destinations, it’s common to have a parking facility designated exclusively to their own location. Though this is familiar, having separate parking facilities for each building often results in mostly empty parking lots, heavy traffic, and neighborhoods that aren’t very accessible or walkable. For dense urban clusters, the implementation of shared parking structures has been a groundbreaking parking management strategy. This strategy has proven to optimize space utilization and improve the walkability of neighborhoods where residents can easily access local businesses.

Shared Parking Structure Partnerships The first step to implementing a shared parking management strategy is to identify potential candidates to partner with. Most often, public-private partnerships make sense, since a parking structure can switch over to public use once a business closes.

It’s sometimes possible to find private-private partnerships between businesses with peak hours that won’t overlap. For instance, a bank could rent its parking lot to a restaurant in the evening.

Drivers tend to pick parking options that are 300 to 1,000 feet away from the buildings they need to visit. Parking spots that are 500 feet away from the two or more businesses or public facilities sharing the parking structure are ideal.

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Top Considerations for Shared Parking Facilities Not only should proximity to neighboring destinations be considered, but it’s also important to assess if an existing parking structure would be a good candidate for a shared parking facility program.

Here are a few things to consider: ■ Peak hours. Whether it’s for public or private use, it’s important to ensure that peak hours for nearby buildings won’t overlap and exceed the capacity of the parking structure.

■ Seasonal use. Parking utilization can vary from one season to another for some businesses. Local events (such as football season in a college town) could also increase the need for public parking over a short period of time.

■ Nearby public transit options. Residents are more likely to pick a shared parking facility with a convenient connection to the next leg of their trip.

■ Neighborhood walkability. One of the benefits of a shared parking facility is to have residents leave their vehicles in one spot while they run multiple errands, which requires a safe, accessible and walkable neighborhood.

■ Future proofing. To anticipate future needs, amenities such as EV charging stations, license plate recognition technology, contactless payments, and spaces designed for ride-­ hailing or ride-sharing would reduce costs and support the adoption of these innovations.

STOCK.ADOBE.COM /

Urban Development Shared parking facilities work best when they’re part of a broader urban development strategy. It makes the most sense to place these facilities near dense urban clusters where pedestrians can easily go from one building to another after parking.

Analytics can be a valuable tool in identifying the best spots for shared parking structures, matching new projects to existing demand for parking, and creating reliable projections for peak hours, seasonal use and revenues.

Addressing Existing Barriers

ment zones with more buildings that would benefit from sharing parking facilities.

■ Replacing minimum private parking requirements with parking in-lieu fees to foster public-private partnerships.

When considering shared parking facility adoption, various factors come into play to determine the optimal locations and partnerships for your area. Especially for dense urban clusters, identifying the ideal solutions will help maximize space and encourage walkability, leading to a more neighborhood-friendly and easily accessible city. ◆

Identifying and addressing potential barriers to adoption will ensure that shared parking facilities are a success. Here are some strategies that can improve adoption: ■ Adding public transit options near the shared parking facility.

■ Revising local zoning ordinances to create mixed-use develop-

CARMEN DONNELL, CAPP, is vice president, sales, North America, with PayByPhone and a member of IPMI’s Mobility Task Force. She can be reached at cdonnell@ paybyphone.com.

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ASK

THE

EXPERTS Circling for parking creates congestion and frustrates both drivers and parking and mobility professionals. What step or steps do you think can be taken to reduce the phenomenon and help people find parking without the circles?

Keith Hutchings Director, Municipal Parking Department City of Detroit

The City of Detroit redeployed its “ParkDetroit” application in December 2021 to provide the consumer with awareness of public and private parking availability and pricing. The service promotes the ability to purchase or reserve parking sessions with a single platform. Mobility options will be added in early 2022. The application is scaled to expand inclusion of multiple municipalities in the metropolitan Detroit region, including the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.

Tiffany Peebles Director Parking Authority of River City, Ky.

Technology is our best friend to navigate the challenges of finding parking. Developing websites, apps, or partnerships with wayfinding solutions can assist parkers in improving their chances of locating available spaces as they arrive to their destinations.

Ben Wesley, CAPP Market President, Nashville Premium Parking

Simple solutions are most often the best solutions.

Circling decreases when the public are given a venue and event webpage that shows the closest parking locations and occupancy, which syncs with a native payment app, which gives directions and real-time occupancy/availability, measured by sensor and/ or crowdsourced feedback.

Street-level signage for additional transparency into occupancy/availability aids in guiding the car to rest in the stall and getting the parker on their way to enjoy the real reason for their trip.

Larry J. Cohen, CAPP

Casey Jones, CAPP, PMP

Operations and technology will continue to play a critical role in reducing vehicles circling the block looking for space.

For operations, follow best practices and try to maintain 20 percent availability per block at all times. This can be done through effective on- and off-street pricing strategies.

Mobile apps, sensors, navigation platforms, and in-car guidance systems are moving toward not only providing available garage space but on-street space based in real time.

Cities are getting smarter— consumers are tech savvy but parking is still too often an afterthought. Mobile parking reservations, for example, will go a long way in improving the predictability parkers want while reducing endless searching for parking that needlessly exacerbates congestion.

Executive Director Lancaster Parking Authority

Director, Customer Success FLASH

/ HAVE A QUESTION? Send it to editor@parking-mobility.org and watch this space for answers from the experts.

The opinions and thoughts expressed by the contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of the International Parking & Mobility Institute or official policies of IPMI.

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Roamy R. Valera, CAPP

CEO, North America PayByPhone Visibility to accurate data is key to addressing and managing traffic congestion caused by the search of a parking space. When there is clear visibility to parking environments, users will manage to find their way, transact with less friction, and ultimately get to their destination.

Katherine Beaty VP Implementation TEZ Technology

In the future I think this will be solved by having our vehicles linked into parking so that when you arrive to a particular destination, your vehicle will ask you if you want parking and then direct you to where the open space(s) are located and inform you of the rate and pay for it all within your vehicle. The vehicle will be the next “smartphone”.

Erik Nelson, PCIP

Director of Operations and Technology Consulting Walker Consultants Communication is the key to parking happiness and reducing circling. Since parking does not selfgenerate demand, the entities that do generate that parking demand should be communicating parking availability. Technology and sound operating practices can help with the rest by measuring and reporting on parking availability in a way that is easily interpreted by users of the parking.

Additionally, TDM policies can help to reduce singleoccupant vehicle usage.

Scott C. Bauman, CAPP

James Anderson

Unnecessary circling can be minimized if cities can successfully leverage emerging technologies to manage and optimize the supply and demand of parking in real time.

Employing on-demand solutions to eliminate the critical information gap of knowing where and when a parking space is available is essential. In addition, removing the economic incentive to circle by pricing the on-street stalls noticeably higher than the off-street offerings can create a meaningful impact on congestion and overall parking availability.

On-street meter pricing strategies coupled with wayfinding apps and parking location signage are means of directing the driving public to safe and convenient parking.

Manager of Parking & Mobility Services City of Aurora, Colo.

Market Development Manager, Building Solutions Teams MBCC Group

The circling for parking space phenomenon can also be minimized by efficient design and identification of street drop-off and pickup locations for TNC ride sharing services.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 15

Bringing Understanding to the

Cruising

Phenomenon New FHWA tool to enable cities to measure and ultimately reduce parking cruising

By Dr. Rachel Weinberger; Dr. Adam Millard-Ball; Dr. Robert Hampshire; Allen Greenberg; Dr. Tayo Fabusuyi; and Ellis Calvin

I

T HAS BEEN STUBBORNLY DIFFICULT for city officials to gain a good understanding of

where, when, and why cruising for parking occurs. Often, based on anecdotal evidence, cities have conducted surveys of drivers and/or set up monitoring systems based, for example, on license plate recognition, to study cruising in places where they already believe parking to be a problem. Where a problem is identified, some cities have implemented performance pricing at the curb—raising the meter prices until an available space is almost ensured. Under this policy scenario. the thinking is that no one would have to look for parking but rather would only have to be willing to pay for it. The truth, however, turns out to be more complex.

Defining Cruising The first challenge is to define cruising.

For this project we determined a trip to be cruising if the driver took an indirect path to their parking destination. In the following illustration we show an actual path and the most direct path a driver could have taken. Given the relative lengths of the direct path and the path taken, we assign this trip a high probability that the driver is searching for parking.

number of reasons, including if available parking isn’t of the desired “flavor.” For example, if the regulation of a particular spot includes a time limit (meters often do) and

the person wanting to park needs a space for longer than allowed, then that availability is not useful to that driver. Alternatively, if some parking is free and other parking isn’t, Figure 1.

Finding the Reasons The next challenge is that cruising is only sometimes caused by an overall lack of parking availability. Cruising in traffic often occurs for reasons unrelated to parking search, such as when ride-hail and taxi drivers are seeking their next fare. Thus, when evaluating parking-related solutions, cruising for non-parking reasons needs to first be identified, and later studied and understood separately from parking related cruising.

Parking-related cruising may occur for any

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BRINGING UNDERSTANDING TO THE CRUISING PHENOMENON

some drivers will bypass paid parking and cruise in the they traverse until finding a space. A third technique is to hopes of finding free parking. detect the number of cars that pass the same point repeatResearch by the authors of this article has shown that edly within a certain period of time. frequently (about 50 percent of the time in a San Francisco study) a driver searching for parking is looking for the The Shape of Cruising “right kind of parking.” We showed that in about half of the Each of these methods is imperfect. One drawback is cases, a driver identified as looking for parking would bythat most people looking for parking are not doing so in pass an available meter and continue their search. Other a circular pattern. In the article “The Shape of Cruisresearch by this group has shown that parking scarcity— ing,” it was shown that very few drivers actually “circle” real or perceived—could lead to drivers taking a spot ahead in their hunt for parking. Rather, circling is but one of of their destination, thereby, resulting in less driving. multiple search strategies, and the predominant search In our research in Seattle, meanwhile, a recent meter strategy may vary by local custom and/or factors related price hike, though intended to enhance availability and to traffic or parking rules. Another challenge is that most decrease cruising, was followed by an increase in cruising cities lack the resources to quantify cruising across every trips that ended on a metered block. Higher meter prices neighborhood. Thus, they look for cruising where they likely made free parking on the surrounding unmetered most expect to find it, and, thus, are likely to overestimate blocks much more coveted and harder to find, thus while the overall extent of the problem. After all, University of leading more drivers to cruise for free parking also led to California Professor Donald Shoup’s finding that, where more failure (meaning that drivers go back to parking at studied, an average of 30 percent of cars in congested the meters). After the meter increase, we also observed downtown traffic in selected cities were cruising is frecruising trips of reduced duration on average. The combiquently misrepresented as 30 percent of urban traffic, or nation of more cruising but of shorter duration suggests even 30 percent of ALL traffic is cruising. that more drivers decided to look for free parking but quickly resigned themselves to paying the meter. Not In spite of the myth that 30 percent of traffic is circling surprising, having any nearby free for parking, we find that the percentage of trips that parking was shown to tempt drivers include excess parking search is between 5 percent in to cruise to avoid paying. If localities see this as a problem, they could Ann Arbor and 7 percent in Seattle. These lower rates choose to make adjacent streets undon’t mean that cruising isn’t a problem, but rather is available to parkers through regulaless universally one than previously thought. tion or by introducing new meters.

The second challenge is that cities still lack a good initial understanding of the severity of the cruising problem and the What About the Neighborhood? geographic hot spots and times of day when cruising is Attempting to understand cruising is complicated by the most prevalent. Cruising has often been estimated by a fact that the proportion of traffic looking for parking is variety of techniques including stopping and asking drivhighly dependent on the characteristic of the area as the ers, or by observing how many vehicles bypass an availdestination or as a place that is being passed through on able space and using the rate at which the spot is taken as the way to another destination. One study in New York an estimate for how many vehicle drivers are looking for City found that among “residents of a neighborhood,” parking (e.g., if, on average, three drivers by-pass a space some 65 percent of people driving said they were looking before a driver takes it, that would mean that one-quarter for parking. When surveying motorists at or very close or 25 percent of drivers are searching for parking). Anto their destinations, and deliberately excluding passother strategy has been to have field researchers actually through drivers from the survey, it is likely that a very look for parking in a neighborhood thought to be probhigh proportion of those surveyed will be “looking for lematic –whether dispatched in cars or on bicycles these parking” even if not cruising (e.g., motorists keeping an researchers are given instructions to circle until they find eye out for an available space prior to reaching the destian available space. They keep track of how many blocks nation are not cruising). At the extreme, in a parking lot,

18 PARKING & MOBILITY / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

Figure 2.

every car driver is either looking for parking or on their way out.

In other words, a high proportion of people searching for parking says as much about the characteristics of a neighborhood as it does about any excess traffic from parking search. There is a subtle distinction between searching for parking—involved in almost any trip that does not end in a reserved space—and cruising for parking—excess ­vehicle travel, with its negative consequences for congestion and pollution.

Professor Donald Shoup has characterized parking search as waiting in a queue of undetermined length and expecting your turn to be called at random. The confounders we discussed above support this characterization.

The problem is to identify excess driving due to parking search, as that is what contributes to increased pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, traffic, crash risk, and aggravation on the drivers’ part, which implies a degraded quality of life. And, further, there is a need to develop robust policy and infrastructure solutions that might mitigate excess parking search but also will not encourage excess driving unrelated to parking search.

To advance these objectives, and as alluded to earlier, some of the authors, in previous work, developed a system of

characterizing trips as likely cruising or likely not cruising according to circuity observed in GPS traces that show a driver’s path. While looking at all trips across an urban area is infeasible, studying a sample of trips allows the identification of the areas, across any geography, where excess driving due to parking search occurs with some regularity. Depending on data availability, cruising in cities at any geography and over any time period can be understood; thus, allowing the development of strategic, targeted interventions.

FHWA’s Cruising Assessment Tool and Its Applications The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is in the process of completing its development of a cruising detection and measurement system which will be shared with IPMI, cities, and the public at large. The research team used multiple data sources including GPS traces that are collected by a data broker from navigation devices, statewide travel surveys that included GPS sample components, and data that were collected in connection with safety studies wherein the vehicles of volunteers were instrumented with GPS trackers.

The team is now in the process of testing the system with location data collected from a variety of cellphone apps that

identify the phone’s geographic location throughout the day. Thus far, the team has found significant differences in data quality, ranging from instrumented travel surveys/safety studies which have been the best, navigation devices which have provided data of somewhere in between quality relative to other data sources, and generic app location data which has been the least reliable. The purpose in using all the different sources in development is ultimately to determine, through systematic comparison among data sources, if the lowest quality data–that which is most widely available— can be sufficient for municipalities to identify and understand their parking problems.

By tracking the same data sources before, during, and after major occurrences (e.g., COVID lockdowns or large stadium events) and parking policy changes, FHWA has been able to assess impacts. As part of the current FHWA study and in previous work, to date, the team has looked at San Francisco, Ann Arbor, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. and, in each case, identified a particular difference in pricing or urban configuration. In San Francisco, we looked at the city generally and specifically in the SFPark meter areas. In Seattle, we looked before and after a programmed meter price change. We also looked in Seattle during the COVID-19 pandemic before and after the meters were suspended. They were turned off in April 2020 in recognition of the low demand for on-street parking in metered districts and as a way to accommodate essential workers. In Washington, D.C., we looked at cruising around stadiums on event and non-event days and at different patterns of parking search in Metrorail station catchment areas and outside of those areas.

Findings The top line finding is that cities have likely overestimated their parking search problem by abstracting from the areas

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 19

BRINGING UNDERSTANDING TO THE CRUISING PHENOMENON

where it might have been expected. The most instructive finding from San Francisco was that cruising increased dramatically in some metered areas the minute meters were turned off for the day (see illustration). The importance of this finding for cities generally is that meter hours of operation could be tailored carefully to match the adjacent land uses. Rather than shutting meters at times when demand is thought to decrease, leaving them operational but charging lower rates may be a better strategy. Similarly, in a restaurant or evening entertainment district, data on cruising may show a spike if meters are turned off at the end of conventional business hours, which would be averted if meter hours were extended.

Seattle

Figure 3: Periods A, B, and C refer to pre-pandemic (business as usual price change), early pandemic (meters turned off) and early pandemic (meters restored at a uniform rate)

known anecdotally to be the worst. In spite of the myth that 30 percent of traffic is circling for parking, we find that the percentage of trips that include excess parking search is between 5 percent in Ann Arbor and 7 percent in Seattle. These lower rates don’t mean that cruising isn’t a problem, but rather is less universally one than previously thought. That’s good because it also means that cruising is likely more solvable through targeted measures. Solving cruising is a nuanced undertaking, though, and application of the measurement methodology over time will provide more insights on that subject.

San Francisco

We found that cruising for parking in San Francisco occurred in tourist destinations more than in the downtown

Overall approximately 7 percent of trips in Seattle include a cruising component, and the average time spent cruising was just over one minute. Trips that end on metered blocks have a cruise rate of 9.6 percent, reflecting denser busier parts of the city, and the average time cruising is 2 minutes. While cruising trips are relatively concentrated in the downtown, the amount of time people spend looking for parking is fairly uniform across the city.

Seattle’s Department of Transportation (SDOT) annually adjusts meter rates (up or down) to meet established performance targets. Changing meter prices has potentially opposing impacts on cruising. First, a higher price discourages people from “consuming more parking than they need.” This is the critical principle underlying performance pricing. By discouraging parkers from staying too long, parking spaces are made more available.

This is the way that performance pricing works. The price is set to ensure availability. At the same time, a higher price incentivizes some drivers to look harder for a bargain, so while parking spaces are available, some drivers will cruise more if there is nearby free parking.

Indeed, this is what we saw when studying parking search behavior immediately before and immediately after a routine price change. We see an increase in trips that involve cruising ending on metered blocks in areas where the meter price was increased - i.e. there was both more availability and more cruising at least as the drivers settled into the new price patterns.

In all three conditions—when meter price increased, decreased, or stayed the same—we saw a decrease in the amount of time spent cruising. As Seattle’s price changes (whether up or down) are based on block demand, adjustments designed to balance demand to

better match supply should lead to overall reductions in cruising, although there is no obvious explanation as to why cruising would go down when prices went down or stayed the same (except, perhaps, if sometimes-higher prices were widely publicized and led to fewer driving trips, especially to blocks with high-priced meters, and less competition for parking throughout the neighborhoods).

Finally, in Seattle, we looked at the time periods immediately before and immediately after the meters were suspended as part of the City’s COVID-19 response. While trip-making was dramatically different in the early months of COVID, with about 1/3 the number of trips being made, the proportion of trips that were cruising remained constant.

Washington, D.C.

Similar to Seattle, the proportion of trips that involve cruising across the city is

Experts say 30 percent of urban traffic comes from cars circling in the hunt for parking—but recent research says that’s not necessarily true. Join experts from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration during an IPMI Webinar Thursday, Feb. 17, to learn why that number is usually much lower and how they’ve developed a new tool to reduce circling even more, potentially transforming the way people find parking and how professionals manage it. Bring your questions and thoughts on this article and get ready for a deeper dive: click here for details and to register.

relatively low at 6 percent (versus 7 percent in Seattle); in D.C., the average amount of time spent cruising is higher at almost two minutes (versus one minute in Seattle).

With no price changes to examine, we examined cruising around stadiums and in Metrorail station areas and compared that with the rest of the city. Cruising is notably higher on weekends when travelers face the double impact of reduced transit service and abbreviated meter hours.

On event days, cruising around the stadiums was 50 percent higher than the citywide average and cruising was worst around Audi field which is the furthest from transit of the three stadiums.

We also found cruising to be more prevalent around the Metrorail stations—those areas represent the densest parts of the city—than elsewhere.

We are currently analyzing two other cities: Atlanta and Chicago. The Atlanta analysis will be cross-sectional and show different patterns of parking search across the city. The Chicago analysis will be longitudinal and show annual changes in cruising from 2018 through 2020.

We are also taking a second look at Seattle using a lower quality but more available dataset. Our expectation and goal is to create a tool that any city can use with the most readily available data so they can study their own parking search landscape in the most robust way currently possible.

Conclusions We have reviewed research about misconceptions related to parking cruising, the benefit of focusing on cruising instead of space availability as a performance metric (due to restrictions on some vacant spaces precluding various parking uses), and the need to distinguish cruising for parking versus for other purposes. We have shown a comprehensive way to identify parking cruising, along with the viability of using the tool to understand the geography and time of day/day of week of cruising. The tool

is robust to available data. While experience is thus far limited, the tool is already beginning to show value in guiding the evaluation of an array of parking policy approaches and regulations and steering policy improvements toward better outcomes.

The tool should enable cities with a staff that includes a parking professional and a GIS specialist to tell their own parking cruising story. Then, by closely analyzing the data and contemplating lessons from elsewhere, the tool will help direct efforts to mitigate identified cruising problems.

How will you use it? ◆ RACHEL WEINBERGER, PhD, is the Senior Transportation Fellow at Regional Plan Association and the Founding Principal at Weinberger & Associates. She can be reached at rachel@rpa.org.

ADAM MILLARD-BALL, PhD, is an associate professor of Urban Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. He can be reached at adammb@ucla.edu.

DR. ROBERT HAMPSHIRE is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology & Chief Science Officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation. He can be reached at Robert.Hampshire@dot.gov.

ALLEN GREENBERG is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Federal Highway Administration.

He can be reached at Allen.

Greenberg@dot.gov.

TAYO FABUSUYI is a member of the faculty at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). He can be reached at Fabusuyi@umich.edu.

ELLIS CALVIN is the Data Research Manager and Senior Planner at the Regional Plan Association. He can be reached at ellis@rpa.org.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 21

Back

Together!

The 2021 IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo

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H

ow amazing did it feel to be back in person with so many industry friends? Nearly 1,500 parking and mobility professionals gathered in Tampa, Fla., last month for the 2021 IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo and while it looked and felt a little different from other Conferences, there was no mistaking the huge smiles, waves, fist bumps, and hugs across the event.

PHOTOS: KRISTINA HOUSER, VISUAL MUSE STUDIO; KENNETH FAILLACE; KIM FERNANDEZ, CAE

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 23

BACK TOGETHER!

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Rethinking Mobility A fantastic panel of municipal members and experts kicked things off at the first general session, talking about how mobility operations and services are evolving, with a focus on cities and their leaders. Panelists included: ■ Gary Means, CAPP, Lexington & Fayette County Parking Authority, moderator.

■ Alejandra “Alex” Argudin, CAPP, Miami Parking Authority.

■ Thomas Woznick, CAPP, City of Milwaukee.

■ Scott Petri, Philadelphia Parking Authority.

■ Ken Husting, PE, City of Los Angeles DOT. Panelists shared what’s work and what hasn’t, trends, challenges, pilots, programs, and even some laughs from their unique cities, offering valuable perspective to attendees looking ahead to a different future.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 25

BACK TOGETHER!

Shoptalks and Exchanging Ideas Shoptalks, which have become a staple in virtual industry get-togethers, led the week’s agenda as hundreds of industry members gathered together for sector- or challenge-specific, moderated conversations. As always, they were very popular and a bit hit, and led to solutions, ideas, and contacts being exchanged. (Keep an eye on the IPMI calendar for upcoming online Shoptalks—always free for everyone—and make a note to attend in-person in New Orleans in July—registration’s open now.)

Education, Education, Education From mobility to curb management to traditional parking and everything in between, there were plenty of education sessions to meet everyone’s needs—and some were presented twice just to be sure everyone who wanted to attend could make their schedules work.

Speakers and moderators presented their expertise in a host of ways, from case studies to lively TV-style games to roundtables, and offered information and ideas—and the chance to ask questions—applicable to every industry sector. Attendees earned CAPP points for every session they attended as well. Thanks to all of our speakers for presenting this year!

The Expo Two full days of IPMI Expo were a great leap back into the in-person event format. Aisles were busy and exhibitors showed off products, services, and technology while sharing tons of expertise with anyone who stopped by—and they did in droves. Booths were bright, creative, and fascinating, so it was no wonder they saw so much foot traffic throughout the event. IPMI is fortunate to have so many wonderful industry partners and it felt wonderful to welcome them all back.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 27

BACK TOGETHER!

CAPP Recognition IPMI proudly recognized its newest CAPPs, who’ve earned the industry’s leading credential for individuals—the one that screams “professional.”

It was a joy to watch them walk across the stage to applause, and as you can see, they were pretty darned happy too!

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Awards and Recognition

As always a host of awards were presented this year. From new and renewing Accredited Parking Organizations to our annual Awards of Excellence, Professional Recognition Awards, and Marketing Awards, it was a thrill to hear about accomplishments, innovation, perseverance, and success on the stage.

A few special awards were given to industry professionals who’ve had a particularly big effect on parking and mobility:

Lifetime Achievement Award: David Hill, CAPP, MA, CD

Dave has parked cars for a living for over 30 years. He was founding CEO of the Winnipeg Parking Authority, the Canadian Managing Director for Ascom Transport and T2 Systems, Senior Transportation Planner with the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and has led several other organizations. He was an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy, was one of the first CAPP graduates, and has served regularly with the IPMI Board and committees. He has received awards from the International Downtown Association, IPMI, the City of Winnipeg, the Canadian Parking Association, the Association of University Business Officers, and the Consulting Engineers Association of Alberta. He was a Parking Professional of the Year and received the Chair’s Award in 2010.

Lifetime Achievement Award: L. Dennis Burns, CAPP

Dennis is a Senior Practice Builder and Regional Vice President for Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. and has over 35 years of parking operations, management, and consulting experience. He has led international research and analysis efforts in parking system strategic planning and smart parking. He co-chaired the IPMI taskforce (along with Dave Hill) to develop the Accredited Parking Organization (APO) program. In 2020 Dennis was elected to IPMI’s Board of Directors. He was its Parking Professional of the Year in 2010 and was invited by the White House to speak at the first Green Gov Symposium in ­Washington, D.C.

Chairman’s Award: John Bushman, PE

John Bushman, PE, joined Walker Consultants in 1980 and was appointed Chairman and CEO in 2003. He brings over 40 years of experience in managing a wide range of projects throughout the U.S. and in Mexico, Panama, China, and Dubai. He continues to be Project Advisor on large and complex projects. Under John’s guidance, Walker has grown to over $60 million in annual revenue and 25 offices. John has been co-chair of IPMI’s Planning, Design & Construction Committee since 2012. He has been a presenter at IPMI’s annual conferences and co-authored articles for Parking & Mobility magazine.

Along with individuals, organizations were recognized.

The Accredited Parking Organization program welcomed new APOs: The City of Columbus, with distinction.

Parking Authority of River City, with distinction.

California State University, Fullerton.

Georgia Institute of Technology.

City of Lincoln, Neb. UF Health Shands.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 29

BACK TOGETHER!

Fore!

It wouldn’t be an IPMI Conference without a golf event to benefit the CAPP Scholarship Fund and this year wasn’t any different. Dozens of golfers played TPC Tampa Bay—some newbies even took advantage of club pro lessons—and had loads of fun and got in a lot of networking in the beautiful Florida sunshine while raising money to allow more industry professionals earn their CAPP certifications. As always, a wonderful time was had by all.

By the time we bid Florida farewell, our heads and hearts were full, which is a terrific thing. We can’t wait to see you in NOLA this July!

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Thanks to Our Strategic Partners!

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 31

G Y

e t

o u R i n

R e c o G n i z e d A c c o m p l i s h m Yo u R i n d u s t

f o R e n t s R Y

I M P R O V E YO U R T R A J E C T O R Y

Call for Entries open January 11 through March 15, 2022.

– A wA R d s

of

excellence –

– p R o f e s s i o n A l R e c o G n i t i o n A wA R d s –

TIME TO SHINE. SUBMIT YOUR BEST PROJECTS, PEOPLE, AND PROGRAMS. Categories and criteria recognize excellence in our changing industry – find out more today.

Visit parking-mobility.org/awards for details.

IPMI Awards & Recognition Programs

I

PMI’S ANNUAL AWARDS AND RECOGNITION PROGRAMS celebrate individuals and

organizations in the parking, transportation, and mobility industry. Winners in two major award categories—Awards of Excellence and Professional Recognition— exemplify industry excellence.

Awards of Excellence Showcasing outstanding parking and transportation facilities and innovative programs in a number of categories, the Awards of Excellence require a formal entry submission and judging process. Many winning projects receive state, regional, national, and international media coverage.

Owners, operators, and project team members may submit their projects in these categories: ■ Innovation in a Mobility, Transportation, or Parking Program ■ Marketing & Communications, Public Sector ■ Marketing & Communication, Private Sector ■ Surface Parking Facility Design ■ Surface Parking Facility Restoration ■ Standalone Parking & Mobility Facility Design ■ Mixed-Use Parking & Mobility Facility Design ■ Structured Parking Facility Restoration ■ Sustainable Design ■ Sustainable Management Program ■ Architectural Design

Professional Recognition Awards Professional Recognition Awards recognize the individual contributions of parking, transportation, and mobility industry professionals—our industry’s best.

Entrants for these prestigious awards may be self- or peer-nominated. Nominees must be IPMI members in good standing and there is no nomination fee. Categories include: ■ Industry Professional of the Year ■ Organization of the Year ■ Emerging Leader of the Year ■ Professional Excellence Award. This category recognizes all staff, from the frontline to management. Awards will recognize outstanding performance in a variety of areas, including Customer Service, Operations, Marketing, Leadership, Innovation, Technology, Human Resources, and more.

How to Enter IPMI offers a streamlined awards entry process via a sophisticated online platform. We encourage entries from all market segments and sectors; all IPMI members are invited to submit in all categories.

Submit your best people, programs, and projects—and be sure to share great pictures and visuals as part of the process.

Download comprehensive awards details and entry criteria at parkingmobility.org/awards.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 33

Being Ready Preparing your parking program for a post-COVID world

By Vito Del Vescovo

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A

S DRIVERS RETURN TO THE ROADS and employees begin to return to in-person

work, preparing your parking program with user-friendly processes and safe, attractive facilities has never been more important. Even with a sizable increase in the number of people working from home, mobility demand is not expected to be impacted in the long term.

In fact, 32 percent of car-buying consumers said they would travel more frequently by private car post-pandemic, while only 13 percent said they would travel less by car.1 These statistics suggest a substantial increase expected in road travel, resulting in a greater reliance on parking facilities in cities and municipalities. Reevaluating parking facility features like lighting, technology, security, and more can help ensure your program stays efficient, safe, and reliable in a post-COVID world.

One example of a city bracing for a change in parking trends is Scranton, Pa. An innovative public-private partnership formed between the nonprofit National Development Council (NDC) and the Scranton Parking Authority involved the restructuring of the city’s parking assets, including six downtown parking structures and all on-street parking meters. The partnership allowed Scranton the opportunity to modernize its parking assets while maintaining their control and ownership. Read on to see how the City of Scranton, in partnership with the NDC and ABM, is engaging in these parking best practices and improving the functionality of their garages with upgrades in lighting, energy efficiency, technology, and more.

Energy Efficiency With younger generations on the road comes shifting needs and desires among drivers. An increased focus on sustainability and eco-conscious options is becoming one of the largest generational trends. In order to reach more eco-conscious parking tenants, the City of Scranton made the decision to install EV charging stations in their parking decks.

Today, there are well over 1 million electric vehicles in use on U.S. roads, a number that is expected to grow to 1.8 million by 2030.2 Keeping up with driver trends will be essential in the long-term success of your parking program. A global COVID-19 auto and mobility consumer survey found that 49 percent of respondents are in favor of greener mobility infrastructure, indicating that current green initiatives should be amplified and accelerated.3 Adjusting your city or municipality electrical offerings to

match consumer sustainability trends will play a key role in meeting driver needs moving forward.

Lighting When it comes to lighting, customization is the key to achieving safe, attractive spaces. From stairwells to ramps, different areas of your parking facility demand different types of light fixtures. For example, stairwells and pathways need a brighter, more concentrated light spread that can be produced by track lights and spotlights.

For general parking areas, multiple light fixtures that produce a wide beam angle are needed, like flood lights.4 An overhaul of Scranton Parking Authority’s lighting system involved the replacement of all bulbs with LED lights, a switch that would prove to be both an economical advantage and an eco-friendly enhancement.

Advantages like low-heat output, high-lumen output, and long lifespan make LED lights a practical replacement for outdated fixtures like linear fluorescent, metal halide, and high-pressure sodium lights.4 In addition to enhancing the safety and aesthetics of your parking facility, a lighting upgrade can result in substantial energy cost savings. Lighting retrofits can result in a reduced lighting load of up to 50 percent, a number than can be enhanced by applying advanced control strategies to reduce energy consumption.5

Lot Maintenance An inconsistent maintenance routine can quickly lead to repairs and restorations that are disruptive to tenants and create unexpected costs and safety concerns. Scranton’s

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BEING READY

parking program revamp involved capitechnology included a focus on security.

Reevaluating parking tal repairs, fresh paint jobs, and lighting An upgraded camera system, in addition upgrades to improve the overall user to contracted security patrol on weekfacility features like experience and property lifespan. A ends, enforced a safer environment for lighting, technology, goal of implementing proactive asset parking customers. security, and more can care and regular maintenance adds Ensuring your customers and their help ensure your to the city’s vision for future parking vehicles are safe and secure in your program enhancements. program stays efficient, facility is key to a successful parking For asphalt upkeep, the process of program. Investing in closed circuit telesafe, and reliable in a sealcoating can help protect pavement vision (CCTV) cameras that can monipost-COVID world. against water penetration, oxidation, tor and record drivers’ faces and license and oil leaks. Parking lots that are sealplate numbers can be a good place to coated every three to five years and have cracks filled anstart when it comes to enhancing your parking facility’s nually can last 30 years without replacement, compared to security. Placing clear call boxes or intercom systems can a 15-year lifespan for a lot without regular maintenance.6 also help to provide customer peace-of-mind, as well as Issues like cracked concrete beams and columns, expandeter criminal activity. Additional security measures can sion joint failure, and delaminated pavement coating can include a contracted security team for optimal safety. all become major liabilities if left unattended.7 ImplementAs your city or municipality adjusts to post-COVID ing a regular maintenance routine can result in a multiparking trends, working with an experienced parking solutude of benefits, like doubled pavement lifespan, assured tions provider can ensure your program receives a cuscompliance with ADA regulations, increased safety, and tomized plan tailored to fit every need. Whether your parkimproved curb appeal. ing program calls for integrated or stand-alone solutions, prioritizing the safety and efficiency of your facilities will Technology ensure the success of your program in the long-term. ◆ When it comes to providing a seamless, user-friendly parking experience, keeping your program up to date with the VITO DEL VESCOVO is a regional operations latest forward-facing technologies can make a big impact. manager for ABM Industries. He can be reached at In the City of Scranton, outdated revenue systems and tickvito.delvescovo@abm.com. eting equipment hindered the parking experience, resulting in customer communication and usage issues. A technology upgrade from a cashier system to automation was SOURCES implemented to enhance the functionality of the garages.

1. Five COVID-19 aftershocks reshaping mobility’s future Utilizing technology to support hassle-free parking | McKinsey experiences is becoming the rule, not the exception, for 2.

Why City Planners Should Install EV Charging Stations drivers. Contactless payment features like scanning a QR | Enel X code with your smartphone are becoming the preferred 3.

How car buying and mobility is changing amid solution, not only for transient parking transactions but COVID-19 | McKinsey also for customers worried about pathogen transmission 4. 4 Tips to Keep in Mind When Lighting a Parking Lot in a post-COVID world. In 2020, 92.3 million U.S. consum|eepros.com ers used contactless payment methods at least once during 5.

8 Reasons to Invest in a Lighting Retrofit Upgrade | a 6-month period, a number that is expected to grow to 125 wesco.com 8 million by 2025.

6. The Many Benefits of Regular Parking Lot Maintenance | Grainger Security 7.

Proper Parking Structure Maintenance: Catching If not properly protected, parking lots and decks can beProblems Early | CoatingsPro Magazine come magnets for criminal activity. According to a report 8.

The Benefits of Contactless Payment Options | conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 10 percent Wetherbee Electric of all crime occurs in parking lots and parking garages.9 9. Parking Lot Kidnapping | Negligent Security Attorney For the City of Scranton, an overall upgrade in parking

36 PARKING & MOBILITY / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

2022 & Marketing MediaKit

IPMI’s 2022 Marketing & Media Kit offers innovative vehicles to meet your prospects and clients right where they are.

Find out more, download the latest, and set up a meeting with our team to build your custom package designed to showcase your company and expertise.

EVERYWHERE

Virtualizing the process and using new technologies can revolutionize hospital parking— and its customers’ experiences.

L

IKE ANY INDUSTRY HEAVILY RELIANT ON TECHNOLOGY, the urban mobility marketplace continues

to evolve with advances in available and emergent technologies. Today, it’s common for owners and operators to use technology to engage their customers virtually while retaining an element of personalized interaction.

38 PARKING & MOBILITY / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

AT ONCE

During the COVID-19 global pandemic, the healthcare industry has proven to be a fascinating case study in the application of advanced parking technology to support the vertical’s broader goals of increasing staff and patient safety while simultaneously reducing hospitals’ and clinics’ capital and operating costs.

Virtualization of the customer experience was driven initially by market preferences for technology-forward service solutions that generated value for parking operators by reducing overall expenses without sacrificing the high level of service that draws traffic to their facility. While this remains an important consideration today, the continuing COVID-19 global pandemic has accelerated efforts to

By Adamo Donatucci

provide the services people need at a distance that keeps them safe.

Early efforts to virtualize the customer experience centered around providing lower-cost alternatives to on-site staffing by directing intercom calls from an attendant’s desk to an off-site monitoring station to save on staffing costs. Newer technology gives parking operators the flexibility to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) driven kiosks that help users navigate large and complex facilities; in some deployments, this includes turn-by-turn directions back to their car based on the license plate number they enter.

With a greater-than-ever demand for touchless access solutions, parking operators are developing new systems that let users

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 39

EVERYWHERE AT ONCE

interact with the equipment without ever coming into contact with it; some suppliers have even found ways of integrating gestures to activate ticket dispensing and are leveraging Bluetooth Low Energy technology for permitted access. And now on the market are technology integrations that begin the virtual customer experience before drivers even arrive at a parking facility; the same technology that is being launched to create reservations for gated facilities is being tweaked to control peoples’ access to the facilities themselves.

With all these exciting developments in technology, parking facilities are becoming more sophisticated and promising greater customer experiences all the while continuing to deliver exceptional value to owners and operators.

Support at a Distance Staffing a parking facility 24/7 can get expensive, especially when you need to build into your schedule redundancies for breaks as well as sick days and vacation days. And as parking equipment becomes increasingly reliable and customer preferences shift more and more to electronic payments, it’s harder than ever to justify this expense, especially outside of core business hours when there’s even less for staff to do.

Still, the occasional issue does come up: a driver doesn’t know where to scan their validation or is tapping their credit card on the wrong panel at a pay station. ­Using IP-based technology, parking equipment suppliers can outfit your operation with intercoms and CCTV cameras that let specially trained staff see and speak to your customers to assist them in using your equipment, adding a more personal touch than general usage instructions posted somewhere near the equipment.

Staff can either be located in a central parking office that oversees your entire complex or at your supplier’s headquarters, where they follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) specific to your site. In either case, remote customer service gives you the flexibility to staff more efficiently without sacrificing the quality of service, whether you want to cover breaks, offer off-peak support, or replace on-site staff altogether.

For drivers who are accustomed to seeing parking attendants, this service can seem a bit too remote, which is why most hospitals continue to staff their parking operations at a minimal level to assist elderly patients and visitors. But with the reliability of modern parking equipment, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to staff attendants, even to perform “Level 1” service and maintenance.

Particularly as touchless technologies grow in popularity

40 PARKING & MOBILITY / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

among consumers, even ticket replenishment and clearing jams are a thing of the past in many deployments.

And as it becomes less financially viable to retain staff in parking facilities, each remaining attendant is responsible for a larger area within a facility, making them more difficult to track down if there’s an issue. By contrast, remote customer service gets drivers in touch with support more quickly, which results in higher satisfaction ratings among facility users.

Where service calls are still necessary, the same agents that respond to customer queries via the intercom can remotely monitor system alarms and dispatch technicians to address issues that can’t be cleared remotely.

AI-Driven Solutions Self-serve kiosks powered by artificial intelligence have found increased use in hospitals over the last few years.

Hospitals and their associated parking operations are often large and complex affairs, and kiosks with preloaded maps are a useful tool to direct patients and visitors to their destination; the wages saved by not staffing dedicated positions to provide this level of assistance easily offset the one-time investment in the technology platform, and perhaps more importantly still, reducing in-person interactions in hospital settings has benefits for the health and wellbeing of staff and patients alike.

Beyond simply displaying maps, these kiosks can be leveraged to provide turn-by-turn directions through the facility to guide patients to their appointment somewhere within the complex; in applications that are integrated with license plate recognition software, these automated stations can direct you back to the exact location where you’ve parked.

By reducing the possibility of confusion among patients and visitors not familiar with the layout of the facility, these kiosks help them spend less time in the hospital and to take more direct routes through it, minimizing further still the risks associated with being in a healthcare facility.

Last-Mile Services So-called “last-mile services” are integrating parking technology into your customers’ experience before they even arrive at your facility.

Where facilities’ terminals and pay stations are equipped with barcode scanners, operators have the option to create QR codes that discount their guests’ parking, whether it’s included with a hotel room, as part of their admission to an event, or any number of other scenarios. Sophisticated integrations with the equipment backend mean that operators can use these QR codes to distribute reservations and validations with specific date

With a greater-than-ever demand for touchless access solutions, parking operators are developing new systems that let users interact with the equipment without ever coming into contact with it; some suppliers have even found ways of integrating gestures to activate ticket dispensing and are leveraging Bluetooth Low Energy technology for permitted access. and time ranges, in/out privileges, and other parameters that grant the bearer access to your facility based on those parameters.

A recent development during the COVID-19 global pandemic has been the application of this technology to access more than just parking facilities. In the case of hospitals, for example, this technology can be used to screen patients, staff, and visitors alike as they arrive for their appointments, shifts, or visiting hours.

In this application, the system prompts visitors to complete a symptom self-assessment in advance of their scheduled arrival at the hospital to receive a QR code, which they use as their access credential; they identify themselves upon arrival using facial recognition technology that can determine whether they’re wearing a mask, and scan their arm to take a temperature reading. Based on these inputs, the system can grant the visitor or employee access or redirect them to a triage location for further assessment.

Systems like these can be augmented further with a remote customer service functionality to address any issues that may arise.

With two-way voice and video communication available, patients and visitors can contact a nurse or screening agent to perform triage and assess the situation while maintaining a safe physical distance between hospital staff and anyone entering the facility.

Applying technology in this way not only gives individuals a safer touchless experience as they arrive at the hospital, but it lets the hospital’s operations team enforce the facility’s parameters, collect data and analytics for reporting purposes, secures access controls, and reduces physical contact between staff and visitors.

On-Site Automation Touchless access solutions remain an integral part of on-site automation, and with greater awareness of the health implications of facilities’ common touchpoints and trepidation regarding in-person interactions, interest in these technologies continues to grow.

Leveraging banking platforms’ EMV-certified tap-and-go payment technology, drivers are able to use their RFID-enabled credit and debit cards or mobile wallets on their smartphones as a credential to enter gated parking facilities and start their parking session; the systems are then configured so that, at the end of their stay, drivers need only tap the same payment method again either at a pay station or at the exit to end their session, calculate the amount due, and make their payment.

In parking operations where tickets are still desirable, they can be dispensed automatically when a vehicle is detected approaching

SHUTTERSTOCK/ GROMMIK

the entry terminal, eliminating the need to push a button. Where this may be impractical, existing parking terminals can be upgraded with an illuminated infrared button activated by a wave to dispense a ticket. In both cases, the ticket can be used to pay for the parking session at a pay station or an exit terminal like normal, and if used in conjunction with a form of contactless payment, the driver will have moved through the entire parking experience without once having to touch a piece of equipment.

Drivers’ smartphones can also be used to display QR codes for parking reservations or validations, whether directly in an app or attached to an email message, such as a hotel’s reservation or clinic appointment confirmation email. Or for a totally frictionless driver experience for permitted parkers or reserved parking sessions, automatic license plate recognition technology can be deployed in gated systems to raise gates when a registered plate number is detected.

Contactless payment is also becoming increasingly popular in non-gated lots, not only at parking meters equipped with EMV-­ certified payment solutions but with the use of mobile payment apps.

These apps offer a number of convenient features that parking meters simply can’t, including turn-by-turn directions to an available space, stored payment options associated with business and personal accounts, and real-time notifications of expiring sessions with the option to extend a session without having to return to a meter.

These touchless technologies are easily applied to access and revenue control environments where sanitation is a primary concern. By leveraging NFC technology built into smartphones and payment cards, drivers are able to start, end, and pay for parking sessions using items already in their possession—without the need to physically touch any of the equipment.

These technologies, especially in combination with remote customer service, also further reduce the need for on-site attendants to accept payments or validate tickets. Where those services may still be required to upgrade tickets into passes or to provide a level of customer service a premium facility feels is still warranted, service can be provided through two-way voice and video connections so that transactions can still be completed as safely as possible. ◆ ADAMO DONATUCCI is business development and strategy officer with Precise ParkLink. He can be reached at adonatucci@precisebi.com.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 41

/ STATE AND REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT/TEXAS PARKING & TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION

The Texas Parking & Transportation Association: parking. mobility. connected.

S

By Mary C. Mabry, CAPP

INCE 1987, the Texas Parking & Transportation Association has been a vehicle for individuals engaged with

the parking and transportation businesses in municipalities, hospitals, airports, universities, and parking authorities. We promote the mutual interests of the membership in the provision and operation of adequate, safe, efficient, convenient and economical public parking and transportation as a proper and necessary function for the economic and social well-being of our members.

TPTA works hard to educate its members and their customers about the ­importance and impact of parking and transportation in general and promote industry best practices. TPTA’s vision: parking. mobility. connected. We are a dedicated organization that engages in relationship building, information sharing and business growth.

In 2019 TPTA developed a new logo for our new vision. The following sums up our key priorities and on-going objectives.

We continue to build on these platforms, enhancing our association and our membership benefits.

■ Expand Membership. Expand regular membership by 30 percent in the next two years within Texas and surrounding state through personal engagement and professional marketing.

■ Enhance the Annual Conference. Review the pricing structure, expand conference offerings, and create a marketing strategy to target all parking and transportation professionals in Texas and surrounding states.

■ Enhance Outreach and Communications.

Improve member outreach and communications by connecting members and vendors, establish member volunteer committees, launch annual formal engagement survey, and formalize membership communications vehicles.

■ Enhance Roundtable Program. Enhance the roundtable program by instituting social/networking events in conjunction

with the roundtables, identifying topics that appeal to different facets of parking and transportation and creating a volunteer committee.

This year we added a new position to our association. We hired Dawn Marti as our association and events manager—please help us welcome her to our team.

2021 Conference and Tradeshow For 2021, the TPTA Conference and Tradeshow was at the Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Round Rock, Texas. This year’s conference was met with excitement and some apprehension as it had been two years since our last conference in 2019 due to the COVID pandemic, which cancelled our 2020 Dallas conference. The promise of

42 PARKING & MOBILITY / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

a face-to-face conference brought out 140 attendees who were grateful for a personal interaction instead of our normal virtual calls and meetings. This year’s events included competition games of “Name that Parking Tune,” with 15 winners of various tunes, and the “Ultimate Corn Hole Match Up”, which seemed to be the favorite with Matthew Valera and Dylan Prep, PGS team

hanging in there for the big win.

In the spirit of giving, our attendees came through bidding on the silent auction items such as a UT-Austin Bevo Print and signed football, a Baylor signed basketball, a four-pack of Ranger tickets with parking pass plus sevral baskets. All in all, we raised almost $3,000 which was donated directly to two local charities, Austin Sunshine Camps and The Refuge for DMST. Thanks again to everyone who made a donation and who won the silent auction items.

The networking and educational sessions, as always, were a big draw and of course the pandemic discussions were at the top of the list on how cities and entities were recovering as well as new curb management strategies, business and personal strategic development along with the future expectation of electric charging, mobility at large, smart cities, and sustainable parking, just to name a few. TPTA would like to thank all our presenters, sponsors and vendors for their generosity and support of our association and conferences. Without their backing, we as an association would cease to be able to provide the beneficial assistance that we have offered over the years. We thank all our members for their support of the 2021 Conference and Tradeshow. As we missed many of you, we hope to see you soon at our April 2022 Conference and Tradeshow in San Antonio, Texas.

2021 Awards ■ Distinguished

Service Award: Bob Hall, President of BP Equipment

■ Employee

of the Year: No Nominees Structure-New: University of Houston’s Gateway Garage and Walter P. Moore ■ Parking Program: WinPark’s Four Oaks Project ■ Parking Equipment and Technology: WGI-City of Grapevine ■ Parking

2021 Roundtables and Networking Sessions Our 2021-2022 Roundtables and Networking Sessions have been postponed until further notice but our Board Member, Jaime Snyder, CAPP, has picked up the tasks of our monthly Let’s Do Lunch series, where we have a different moderator and topic each month. We held three separate IPMI training sessions during the 2021 year with Cindy Campbell during our LDL series, which was a hit of course. We want to thank sponsors Walter P Moore, Cardinal Tracking, Inc., and Flash for their support of the sessions that Cindy provided: “Developing Workplace Resilience”, “When the Old Script Doesn’t Work…”, and “Team Dynamics and their effect on Organizational Agility”. Please note, if you have a topic you would like to discuss or if you would like to provide support and sponsor a Let’s Do Lunch session, please email Jaime. ◆

MARY B. MABRY, CAPP is product manager/client advocate, parking solutions, with Cardinal Tracking, Inc. She can be reached at mmabry@cardinaltracking.com.

2021 Board of Directors PRESIDENT

Mary B. Mabry, CAPP Cardinal Tracking, Inc. VICE PRESIDENT

Dennis Delaney, CAPP University of Texas at Austin TREASURER

Nicole Chinea, CAPP WGI SECRETARY

Bill Herrel Associated Time and Parking Controls IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Maria Irshad, CAPP, MPA ParkHouston, City of Houston Dean Ahmad DFW International Airport Peter Lange Texas A&M University Michelle Morris Toledo Ticket Company.

Paul Stresow City of El Paso Jaime Snyder, CAPP Walter P Moore Clay Haverland University of Texas at San Antonio TPTA ASSOCIATION AND EVENTS MANAGE

Dawn Marti

2022 Upcoming TPTA Conference and Tradeshow: Grand Hyatt, San Antonio, Texas April 18-21, 2022. You still have time to register to attend one of the best attended state association shows in the US, just click here: texasparking.org/conferences.

More events will be planned throughout the year so be sure to check out our website at www. texasparking.com, for questions send to TPTA@texasparking.org.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 43

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IN

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Highlights from the IPMI Blog

Winter Break in a Small College Town

By Hal Robinson, CAPP

LOGAN KIRKLAND/ OLE MISS DIGITAL IMAGING

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Read IPMI’s blog every business day in your daily Forum digest email or at parking-mobility.org/ blog.

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Doing anything during the holiday season can be torture for those of us who hate crowds. Oxford, Miss., has a population of fewer than 30,000. During the regular academic year, close to 20,000 additional people reside in and around the city. So, when school is out, it is very noticeable.

Fall semester final exams almost always occur during the first full week of December.

After that, regular classes do not resume until late January after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is around the third week in January. So, for roughly five weeks, Oxford is heaven!

Stores are still busy leading up to Christmas, but it is nothing compared to larger municipalities. Want to go out to eat?

Tables are almost always available. Want to get groceries later than 8 a.m.? It should not be an issue. Traffic is almost nonexistent. If people cannot find a place to park, they are not looking.

This is the time of the year to be in a small town with a lot of big town options.

It comes with drawbacks of course. It is also a time of maintenance and catchup for those of us at the university, a time for us to do things that are difficult to do while the students are around. We often put things off until the break if we can do them while cooler temperatures prevail. But that is the university. For awhile, when many businesses would see increased sales and transactions, Oxford business activity slows and, in some cases, stops. Some restaurants close for their own winter break because it is not cost effective to stay open when most of their customer base are out of town.

I will take what I can get. Five weeks of relative peace and quiet is a great way to prepare for things to come! The only thing that would make Oxford better during winter is snow! This is the South! Snow makes everything better!

HAL ROBINSON, CAPP, is assistant director, parking and transportation systems, at the

University of Mississippi.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 45

IPMI 2021: The Energy We Need

By Patrick L. Wells

The Super Bowl of Parking Conferences just concluded, and like many organizations, we didn’t know ahead of time what to expect. We heard the rumors that clients who normally attend had scrapped travel plans from a fear of health concerns.

However, upon arriving in Tampa, I immediately noticed a level of enthusiasm and excitement from individuals that I haven’t seen in a while, an eagerness to talk and, yes, HUG! My first Shoptalk was moderated by Chris Austin, CAPP, from the University of Buffalo. There were more than 150 individuals in the room, most from colleges and universities. Participation was lively and many were eager to share their thoughts–the session could have easily lasted longer.

When the Expo hall opened, our anxiety reappeared as we wondered how much traffic we would see. It was fantastic!

Individuals were engaged, eager to listen to what we had to say, and excited to be seen.

The virtual world has definitely had its advantages the last 21

months, allowing us to maneuver in a business climate like we have never seen before and still be successful. However, at the end of the day, in-person contact is needed–we crave interaction, especially the serendipitous encounters that help establish and drive business.

We also intuitively want to utilize our complete arsenal of senses by evaluating body language and, maybe most importantly, have fun!

To this point, as 2021 Industry Professional of the Year, Brian Shaw, CAPP, with Stanford University mentioned during his acceptance speech, “This week brought me the energy I needed!”

Thank you, Brian, I agree. It brought us all the energy we’ve been missing.

PATRICK L. WELLS is senior associate, regional director with DESMAN.

A Farewell to Arms (Gate Arms, That Is)

By L. Dennis Burns, CAPP

My parking journey began as a long-term parking lot attendant at the new (at the time) Charlotte Douglas International Airport nearly 40 years ago. I spent the first 20 years in operations/management and the second 20 years as a consultant.

I have found parking, as an industry and a career choice, to be challenging, exciting, and full of generous, caring and supportive professionals.

The work we do to improve access and mobility options to support and enhance our communities is important and meaningful. Though often under-appreciated, our efforts contribute to more vibrant, active and well managed urban areas, campuses, and destinations.

Over my career, I have worked on over 500 parking studies/ masterplans, logged over 2 million air miles, worked in hundreds of cities, in multiple countries, and on several continents. Parking has provided me with so many opportunities to experience many new places, work with great colleagues and community leaders and, hopefully, I have contributed a little something along the way. I love

how parking and mobility are connected to and influence so many other areas (such as community development, urban planning and management, transportation/logistics, retail support, etc.). These connections and intersections make parking a diverse, challenging and exciting specialty area with lots of potential to make positive contributions to the communities we serve.

At the end of 2021, I will be retiring.

As I reflect back on what I feel has been a deeply rewarding and satisfying career, it is the wonderful people that I will miss most. Along my journey I have been extremely fortunate to have developed great friendships with many of my clients and professional colleagues, many of whom Sharon and I plan to visit in retirement. For those I will not see again, thank you for the opportunities, friendship, and support you have provided these many years.

It has been an honor and a privilege to be associated with such a great industry and such a wonderful group of passionate professionals.

L. DENNIS BURNS, CAPP, is regional vice president, senior practice builder with Kimley-Horn, a member of IPMI’s Board of Directors, and

a frequent contributor to IPMI committees and publications. We hope we make his “to-visit” list.

46 PARKING & MOBILITY / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

/ ParkMobile Announces Partnership with the Town of Telluride, Colo.

Amano McGann Names Tom Keeley Vice President of Canadian Operations AMANO MCGANN, INC. (AMI) is

PARKMOBILE announced that it will be expanding its services to the Town of Telluride, Colo. This is a new market for ParkMobile and will help make parking seamless for visitors and locals. This partnership comes at a great time as Telluride gears up for a busy winter ski season. Through the partnership, ParkMobile is offering 440 on-street zone parking spaces for payment throughout town.

ParkMobile has over 29 million users across North America and is available for both iPhone and Android devices. ParkMobile can also be accessed on a mobile web browser for those who do not want to download an app. To pay for parking using the mobile or web app, a user enters the zone number posted on parking meter or on the signs in the parking lots, selects the amount of time needed, and touches the “Start Parking” button to begin the session. The user can also extend the time of the parking session on their mobile device.

The launch of Telluride expands the company’s footprint in Colorado, where there are almost 1M users in the state. ParkMobile is also available in Boulder and Colorado Springs. Beyond the state, the ParkMobile app can be used to pay for parking in over 500 cities in the U.S. including many in the Mountain States region like Boise, ID, Sante Fe, NM, Phoenix, AZ, and more.

“Introducing ParkMobile to the Telluride community comes at the perfect time as we prep for our busiest season,” said David Nepsky, Public Information Officer for the Town of Telluride. “Our goal with the ParkMobile partnership is to reduce traffic congestions and give our residents and visitors an easier way to park around town.”

“This time of year we do a big push for ski towns, so the addition of Telluride aligns with our company goals,” says Jeff Perkins, CEO of ParkMobile.

“We’re excited to welcome the Town of Telluride to ParkMobile, giving residents and visitors an easy way to pay for parking this season.”

pleased to announce that Tom Keeley has joined AMI as Vice President of Canadian Operations. Based in Ottawa, Keeley will be responsible for all Amano McGann Canada sales and operations.

Keeley is a 30-year veteran of the parking industry, having held leadership positions in distribution, sales, and municipal parking operations.

Prior to joining AMI, Keeley was the Regional President—Eastern Ontario, Quebec & the National Capital Region for a national dealer serving the parking industry across Canada.

“With Tom’s extensive experience and record of success in the parking industry, we are confident he will be a great asset to Amano and our Canadian operations,” stated Steve DiMarco, President and CEO of Amano McGann.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 47

/ Parkopedia Launches “Park and Charge” Product The EV industry continues to grow substantially, and automakers are under pressure to provide solutions for the many pain points EV drivers are currently experiencing when trying to utilize global public charging infrastructure.

In response to this, Parkopedia wants to transform the combined parking and charging experience for EV owners with the launch of “Park and Charge,” leveraging existing expertise, technologies, and data-management skills within the company, to deliver the most comprehensive and accurate charging service available. EV owners would be able to accurately find, authorize, pay and manage charging sessions with ease, all in one place from within their vehicles.

With an existing database of 70 million parking spaces globally, Parkopedia’s high quality data will provide a unique and comprehensive service of parking and charging. The new Park and Charge service offers automakers a solution for their drivers that addresses the current driver pain points surrounding public charging, such as: ■ Finding EV charger locations using market-leading, accurate POI data, including chargers located within inside indoor facilities without GPS.* ■ Enabling in-vehicle EV charger activation, regardless of service provider.

■ Enabling in-vehicle EV charging payments, regardless of provider, as well as comprehensive reporting and billing systems.

As the largest and most accurate parking services provider in the world, Parkopedia is leveraging its expertise and data management skills to deliver the most comprehensive and accurate EV charging service available. Supported by the company’s existing technologies, such as its market-leading static and dynamic parking data products, indoor mapping services and Payment Platform.

Park and Charge caters for the growing number of electric vehicles and the charging demands this will bring, into one easy to use interface. Park and Charge is able to bring together the current highly fragmented parking and charging value chain that brings friction to drivers, by utilizing its interconnected products: ■ Static data provides comprehensive parking and EV charger POI information including location, pricing and restrictions ■ Dynamic data provides current and predictive parking and charger availability, delivered in real-time ■ Payments via a secure PCI compliant platform that enables Single Sign-On payments for parking and EV charging ■ High-definition 3D maps of indoor parking facilities enable cars to navigate to indoor EV chargers where GPS is not available By utilizing existing assets, as well as aggregating industry play-

48 PARKING & MOBILITY / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

ers, such as Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and E-Mobility Service Providers (EMSPs), Parkopedia’s integrated in-car solution bridges the disconnect between parking and charging industries and services - overcoming the barriers to enable frictionless parking and charging in-car experiences for drivers.

Parkopedia first launched in-car parking payments in 2014 in partnership with Volvo, and, earlier this year, announced a payment platform to include a wider range of vehicle-centric, such as ‘payat-the-pump’ fueling, tolling fees and now, EV charging payments.

By aggregating the multitude of merchants involved in EV charging, Parkopedia saves automakers a costly and time-consuming exercise, while its Single Sign-On platform capability eliminates the existing barriers to entry, such as the need to swipe a card to unlock a charging station, delivering a heightened level of connected service to drivers and simplifying management for automakers.

Parkopedia’s transaction platform, currently in use by various leading automakers, can now be leveraged to include EV charging, bringing together the fragmented landscape and solving the current complex pricing structure via Parkopedia’s fully integrated, single sign-on, PCI compliant platform.

Parkopedia’s Park and Charge solution unifies the complicated existing value chain, bringing together charge point operators (CPOs) and E-mobility service providers (EMSPs), to deliver a frictionless EV experience for drivers. Parkopedia allows automakers to access CPO EV point of interest (POI) data, charging detail records (CDR), and support driver transactions with EMSPs. With new entrants regularly joining the already complicated value chain, Parkopedia will continue to onboard new operators and merchants into its aggregated solution, providing a time-saving and future-proof solution for automakers.

PayByPhone Brings a Better Parking Experience to The City of Asbury Park, New Jersey Residents and visitors of The City of Asbury Park, N.J., will have another contactless parking experience thanks to PayByPhone.

The provider of mobile parking payment solutions is expanding to more than 3,000 parking spaces across the city. PayByPhone offers not only a mobile app option but also an IVR number, allowing parkers to dial in to pay for parking, without having to download an app or use data if they have limited data plans.

“We’re excited to be expanding our contactless parking services across New Jersey,” said Roamy Valera, CAPP, CEO of PayByPhone. “The City of Asbury Park will be joining a number of our New Jersey communities, including Camden, Fort Lee, Morristown, and more.

PayByPhone is a hassle-free solution for over 43 million drivers, allowing them to pay for parking with just their smartphone. The app sends text messages automatically when a parking session expires, and gives drivers the ability to extend their parking session without needing to return to their vehicle. Drivers can also begin a session without registering for an account using the website, making it ideal for those who are pressed for time.

Todd Brosius Joins FLASH FLASH announced the appointment of industry-changemaker Todd Brosius as the President of Ungated and Digital Solutions. As FLASH expands its end-toend mobility platform, Brosius will oversee the growth of operating system solutions for ungated parking assets, mobile payments, and digital enforcement.

Brosius brings an unmatched level of parking expertise and relationships to FLASH. His experience driving innovative, profitable growth for asset owners and parking operators will accelerate FLASH’s mission to enable the world’s largest platform of dynamic mobility hubs.

“COVID has transformed the mobility ecosystem and the Smart City. The road to recovery requires optimizing operations with flexible, cloud-based technology and transforming nascent assets, like surface lots, into 21st Century mobility

STOCK.ADOBE.COM / JIN

hubs delivering integrated consumer experiences. Todd is the forward-thinking leader to ensure we flawlessly execute on that vision for our customers and partners,” said Dan Sharplin, chief executive officer and chairman of the board FLASH. “I’ve witnessed first-hand the massive impact the pandemic has had

on our industry. Our customers need turnkey solutions that drive value to their assets, can be deployed quickly, and remain flexible to meet parkers’ evolving expectations,” shared Brosius.

“FLASH’s industry-leading platform has become the standard, and I couldn’t be more proud to lead these strategically important initiatives.”

Brosius joins FLASH from REEF Technology, where he served in multiple executive roles, the last of which was president of North America. Brosius oversaw the company’s rapid mobility growth as well as leading operational solutions and customer management. Prior to REEF, Brosius served as president of AmeriPark and SVP of hospitality for Citizens Lanier Holdings.

Brosius will continue to reside in Atlanta with his family.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 49

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/

CALENDAR

2022 JANUARY 10 #IPMI2022

Call for Presentations Closes

JANUARY 11 #IPMI2022

Call for Awards Opens

JANUARY 11 Free Virtual Frontline Training

Advance Your Career by Setting and Achieving Goals

JANUARY 12 IPMI Webinar

Innovation Strategies for the Parking & Mobility Industry

JANUARY 13 Free Member Chats Awards Chat

JANUARY 26 Free IPMI Learning Lab Presented by Blink

From the Experts: How To Unlock Your EV Stations Revenue Potential

JANUARY 19 Free IPMI Virtual Shoptalk

The Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behavior and the Future of the Parking Industry

FEBRUARY 23 Free IPMI Webinar

APRIL 14 Free Member Chats

MARCH 2 Free IPMI Virtual Shoptalk

APRIL 19 & 20 Two Day Training: CAPP Point Courses

United States Department of Transportation Research and Programs

How Parking Plays A Key Role in the New Hybrid Work Environment

MARCH 8 & 10 Accredited Parking Organization (APO) Site Reviewer Training Online, Instructor-Led Course

MARCH 8 Free Virtual Frontline Training

Curb Management - Lessons Learned

MARCH 9 IPMI Webinar

Call for Awards Closes

MARCH 16 Frontline Training at MSTPA Conference Birmingham, AL

FEBRUARY 8 Free Virtual Frontline Training

MARCH 30 Free IPMI Learning Lab

FEBRUARY 9 IPMI Webinar

Changes in Managing Parking & Travel Demand

FEBRUARY 16 Free IPMI Learning Lab To be announced

APO Member Chat

To be announced

APRIL 12 Free Virtual Frontline Training

Doing More with Less...How to Make Your Data Work for You

APRIL 13 IPMI Webinar

APRIL 27 Free IPMI Learning Lab To be announced

MAY 4 Free IPMI Virtual Shoptalk

Impartial Parking Policies and Curbside Equity

MAY 5 Free Member Chats MAY 10 Free Virtual Frontline Training To be announced

MARCH 15 #IPMI2022

MARCH 24 Free Member Chats

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Navigating Your Professional Path

Online, Instructor-Led Course

CAPP Chat

No Parking Without a Plan: Planning for a Successful Technology Implementation

JANUARY 20 Free Member Chats New Member Chat

New Member Chat

Curb Loading Trends (CLT): How to Secure and Leverage Data to Manage, Monetize, and Reinvent the Curb

MAY 11 IPMI Webinar

Empowering the Parker: The Benefits of True Open Parking Ecosystem

MAY 18 Free IPMI Learning Lab Presented by gtechna

JUNE 14 Free Virtual Frontline Training To be announced

JUNE 15 IPMI Webinar

IPMI’s Mobility Framework in Action

JUNE 16 Free Member Chats APO Chat

JUNE 29 Free IPMI Learning Lab To be announced

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING & MOBILITY 53

/

CALENDAR JULY 24-27 2022 IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo, New Orleans

AUGUST 1 IPMI Call for Volunteers Open AUGUST 22 Call for Volunteers Closes SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 Free IPMI Virtual Shoptalk Innovations at the Curb

SEPTEMBER 13 Free Virtual Frontline Training To be announced

SEPTEMBER 14 IPMI Webinar

Everything You Wanted to Know About EV Charging But Were Afraid to Ask – EV Charging Basics.

SEPTEMBER 20 & 22 Wicked Problem Solving

SEPTEMBER 29 Free IPMI Learning Lab

OCTOBER 26 Free IPMI Learning Lab

OCTOBER 11 Free Virtual Frontline Training

NOVEMBER 2 Free IPMI Virtual Shoptalk

OCTOBER 13 Free Member Chats

NOVEMBER 8 Free Virtual Frontline Training

OCTOBER 13 Free Member Chats

NOVEMBER 9 IPMI Webinar

OCTOBER 18 Accredited Parking Organization (APO) Site Reviewer Renewal Training

DECEMBER 6 Free Virtual Frontline Training

Presented by gtechna

To be announced

CAPP Chat

APO Chat

Online, Instructor-Led Course

OCTOBER 18, 20, 25, & 27 Parksmart Advisor Training Online, Instructor-Led Course

Presented by Blink

To be announced

To be announced

Parking Work is Emotional Customer Service Work

To be announced

DECEMBER 7 Free IPMI Learning Lab To be announced

Online, Instructor-Led Course

State and Regional Events Calendar FEBRUARY 1 PIPTA Road Show Event Salt Lake City, Utah

MARCH 2 New England Parking Council (NEPC) Municipal Forum Worcester, MA

MARCH 15 NYSPTA Spring Professional Development Seminar Port Jefferson, NY

MARCH 15-16 Mid-South Transportation & Parking Association (MSTPA) Conference Birmingham, AL

APRIL 18 – 21 Texas Parking & Transportation Association (TPTA) Conference & Tradeshow

OCTOBER 18-20 New York State Parking & Transportation Association (NYSPTA) Conference & Trade Show

MAY 3-4 OPA Conference & Trade Show

OCTOBER 19-21 Pacific Intermountain Parking & Transportation Association Annual Conference & Expo (PIPTA)

San Antonio, Texas

Cleveland, Ohio

JUNE 8 NEPC Charity Golf Tournament Mashantucket, CT

JUNE 8-10 NEPC Conference & Tradeshow Mashantucket, CT

SEPTEMBER 13-16 36th Annual CPMA Annual Conference and Expo Charleston, SC

Buffalo, NY

Salt Lake City, Utah

OCTOBER 24-26 SWPTA Fall Conference Las Vegas, NV

DECEMBER 6-9 Florida Parking and Transportation Association (FPTA) Annual Conference and Tradeshow Palm Beach, FL

Stay up to date on industry events and activities! Visit parking-mobility.org/calendar for the latest updates and additions.

54 PARKING & MOBILITY / JANUARY 2022 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG