WAYFINDING MARCH 2015 | Volume 31 | Number 3
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Being Prepared
HE MANTRA SAYS IT: Practice makes perfect.
Perhaps nowhere is this
more important than emergency preparation, and that’s absolutely critical at airports. So we at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLCIA) practice for disasters, most recently holding an accident drill last fall that
prepare Caption helped for control center photo
all our staff—
from first responders to shuttle drivers—to react to a real emergency at any time.
This exercise was the culmination of a 10-month process that included a planning team of 35 people from 20 different organizations. In the months prior to the exercise, the planning team worked diligently to solidify objectives and expected actions, confirm extent of play from participating agencies, and make logistic assignments. More than 250 people were involved in the exercise, and more than 1,500 hours were invested by planners, participants, and support personnel to make it a success. The short synopsis presented here provides only a glimpse into the scope of the event; we hope it might help you prepare for unexpected emergencies at your facility.
valuable lessons for everyone in parking and transportation. By Bruce Barclay, CAPP
Salt Lake City International Airport’s accident drill brought disaster preparedness to the forefront, offering valuable hands-on practice and feedback after it was over.
The Drill On Friday, Oct. 10, 2014, SLCIA conducted its triennial emergency disaster drill. This drill is conducted in accordance with all Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), including 14 CFR Part 139, 49 CFR Part 1542, and FEMA Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) guidance. In layman’s terms, it is a federally mandated exercise to be held every three years. The purpose of the drill was to evaluate Salt Lake City International Airport’s ability to respond to disasters. The intent is not only to identify gaps in response but also seek realistic solutions to resolve any identified gaps. A series of exercise objectives and capabilities was planned well in advance of the exercise. Among the objectives for the exercise were:
RESOURCE As CPARK-L celebrates 21 years, its founder looks back at its history and ahead to the future. By Douglas Holmes, CAPP
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ong before we all embraced Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Skype, LinkedIn, Instagram, Flickr, the World Wide Web, or even Google, there was CPARK-L, a parking-specific email list. CPARK-L was created out of my selfish desire to obtain information to help me do my job but also to serve the campus parking management community. Since then, the list has withstood the test of technological times—it turned 21 years old a few weeks ago. CPARK-L is an Internet list that is very simple in concept and very useful in practice. Basically, like all Internet lists, it is a glorified remailer. People subscribe to the list and post questions, and CPARK-L mails the queries out automatically to all subscribers. CPARK-L creates a roundtable discussion with your peers at any time of the day, whenever you want, on any subject relating to parking and transit. The list links you to any subscriber in the world. You will recognize names that are already subscribed as you read their postings to the list. CPARK-L can bring ideas to you from around the country and from around the world and offer you the ability to provide information to your peers.
CASE STUDY
Green A Transit Station Goes
A lighting upgrade exemplifies a structure’s commitment to sustainability. By Mark Bolton
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arking structures are open for long hours, sometimes all day and night. Some spaces are infrequently occupied and open to daylight, making additional lighting unnecessary. In addition, energy costs are rising and industry standards (developed by organizations such as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers [ASHRAE] and California Title 24) have become more stringent as they apply to building owners and operators. To lower energy consumption to comply with such standards, it is essential to be proactive and make energy-saving decisions that lessen costs and consumption, reduce maintenance, and increase sustainability efforts.
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These standards become even more challenging for owners and operators of park-and-ride facilities, where intermittent foot traffic often dictates 24/7 operation and magnifies the need to implement energy-saving practices. Park-and-ride lots help ease commutes by offering a convenient and safe location to transfer from a singlepassenger vehicle or bicycle to a carpool, vanpool, or transit system. Ridesharing or using public transit saves time and money while reducing traffic congestion and energy consumption. In addition to safety and affordability, public transportation saves energy, reduces traffic congestion, helps the environment, and offers benefits for individuals and communities alike. Making these facilities sustainable is important to the preservation of our natural environment. The Foothill Transit Park & Ride, Industry, Calif., demonstrates one option that uses lighting to help a parking facility successfully meet sustainability goals and save energy while improving safety and visibility.
and longer lamp life, which can reduce maintenance requirements. Estimated LED (L70) lamp life of 150,000 hours is currently available on some parking garage fixtures. This longevity also makes LEDs a possibility in areas that are difficult or costly to maintain, including remote, hard-to-reach, or dangerous locations. When coupled with control systems that monitor and adjust light levels based on motion and/or daylight, newer-generation lights provide increased energy efficiency in areas that receive intermittent use, including park-and-ride facilities. These lighting control systems can help building owners meet emerging building goals and standards related to energy efficiency. Use of tax incentives and rebates can further reduce costs and enhance the return on investment. The DesignLights Consortium® (DLC) Qualified Products List (QPL) catalogs products that qualify for efficiency program incentives across the U.S. and Canada. The DLC promotes quality, performance, and energy efficiency in commercial lighting solutions. Visit designlights.org/qpl for more information.
Parking Structures and Lighting LED luminaires can be one cost-effective solution that helps achieve sustainability goals and industry standards while providing benefits such as high efficacy and glare reduction for safety and security. LED lighting fixtures present a potential solution for a variety of applications due to their low energy consumption, high efficacy,
INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | MARCH 2015
parking.org/tpp
Lighting and Security Parking facility safety and security is a huge issue; beyond an obvious need to keep users as safe as possible, parking affects the economic viability of a community.Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), which applies to parking facilities, emphasizes the proper design and effective use of a created environment to reduce crime and enhance quality of life. The single most important CPTED security feature is lighting. Data suggest sufficient lighting deters crime and produces a more secure atmosphere. In fact, lighting is one of the few facility features that has been documented to reduce crime in parking facilities.
MARCH 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE
CREDIT SECURITY T
he U.S. is more than three years into its migration to Europay MasterCard Visa (EMV) chip payments, and 2015 is expected to be a year of great progress. Last year, there were approximately 120 million chip cards in the market, and this number is expected to leap dramatically to 600 million cards (or half the total cards in the market) by the end of 2015. Merchants are preparing too, with some estimates that as many as 50 percent of all payment acceptance terminals in the U.S. will be fully enabled to accept EMV chip cards by the end of the year.
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The U.S. parking industry, which generates more than $25–30 billion in gross revenues from its many thousands of parking garages, lots, and on-street parking meters, is one of the larger merchant segments taking on chip implementation projects. Upgrading all of the payment terminals throughout the industry to accept chip cards is not a simple or inexpensive task, but it is one that can help better secure the parking payment infrastructure and prevent fraud losses from counterfeit card fraud and skimming. Read on to learn why 2015 will be the “year of the chip.”
data? It’s because the magnetic stripe payment card data in retailer systems is extremely valuable to hackers; criminals will pay high prices for it because it’s easy to use to create functioning counterfeit payment cards. Magnetic stripe cards are also extremely easy to skim, which has been a problem in the parking industry, particularly for those with unattended payment terminals. Its reliance on magnetic stripe cards is one of the reasons why the U.S. has increasingly become a target for fraud. The U.S. loses approximately $5 billion a year to fraud, which accounts for about half of global card fraud Why Chip and Why Now? despite our only generating about a quarter More than 80 countries have already impleof the total volume of purchases and cash. mented EMV chip payments based on the EMV chip card data can help combat EMV global standard. The EMV standard some of this fraud because it cannot be used defines a set of requirements to ensure into make functioning counterfeit cards. There teroperability between chip-based payment are three major chip card transaction security cards and terminals. Chip cards contain features that work to prevent fraudulent embedded microprocessors (the “chip”) that transactions: ●● ●Microprocessor chip. Each chip card provide strong transaction security features By Randy Vanderhoof and other application capabilities not poscontains a secure microprocessor chip that sible with traditional magnetic stripe cards. stores payment card data placed by the isThe U.S. is one of the last major economies to adopt chip suer during the personalization process that can perform technology. Chip implementation was initiated in the U.S. cryptographic processing during a payment transaction. market in 2011 and 2012 when American Express, Discover, This payment data is stored securely in the card’s chip and is protected with advanced chip hardware and software seMasterCard, and Visa announced their roadmaps for supporting curity. This helps prevent card skimming and card cloning, an EMV-based payment infrastructure. One of the drivers for this decision is for the U.S. to implement a payment system that which are the most common ways magnetic stripe cards are is interoperable with the rest of the world. The other major compromised and used for fraudulent activity. ●● ●Authentication. In a chip card transaction, the card is audriver? Fraud reduction and prevention. thenticated as being genuine by the issuer or the terminal, and the chip’s processor generates a dynamic data element Deciding to Implement Chip that is unique for each transaction. Making the decision to implement chip acceptance sooner rather than later will benefit parking organizations in two ●● ●One-time-use cryptogram. Unlike the static code in a ways: It will protect their payment systems from hackers and magnetic stripe transaction, the chip card uses a one-timeuse cryptogram for each transaction. Even if fraudsters are skimmers, and it will prevent them from assuming potentially higher fraud losses after Oct. 1, 2015, when the liability for able to steal account data from a chip transaction, the stolen fraudulent card transactions shifts to the party with the least code will have already been used and is therefore invalid. In secure technology. Implementing chip is a decision for each addition, chip cards do not include other data needed for individual merchant and card issuer, and while it is not a magnetic stripe transactions, so criminals cannot use the mandate, those who don’t migrate to chip will absorb resulting stolen data to make counterfeit magnetic stripe or counterfeit losses in the event of fraud. chip transactions. What this means for the parking industry: For organizations Chip Security Features that start accepting chip payments, the data in their systems While 2015 is poised to be the “year of the chip,” 2014 was, will become a lot less valuable to hackers. It has been seen in unfortunately for many, the “year of the data breach.” There other countries that have migrated to chip technology that were many instances of overseas hackers infiltrating retailer hackers will focus their attacks on organizations that still use systems and stealing consumers’ payment account data. magnetic stripe data. Skimming operations, too, will become Why are overseas hackers so interested in U.S. payment card fruitless as consumers increasingly use their chip cards.
What parking professionals need to know about EMV chip migration.
parking.org/tpp
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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | MARCH 2015
There are several factors that make CPARK-L such a handy tool. First, and foremost, it is free. It does not cost anything to subscribe, maintain your subscription, or have access to the archives. All you need is an Internet connection. There are no advertisements or pop-ups. The database is not provided to vendors, although there are many vendor subscribers (they are not allowed to post advertisements, but many provide solid non-promotional response to technical questions). The value to vendors is that they can see market trends developing through the various discussion threads that make their way to CPARK-L. They also get valuable insight into the kinds of parking.org/tpp
products that parking professionals need or want to make their operations more efficient. CPARK-L can serve as a recruitment tool for employers looking for quality parking professionals. Organizations have reached out to the subscriber base to find parking managers, alternative transportation managers, transit managers, and other specialized disciplines that are needed to ensure the smooth operation of a quality parking/ transportation system. As parking continues to diversify and become integrated with transit operations, CPARK-L can help serve as a clearinghouse for information as the world evolves. CPARK-L has also been used by state and regional parking associations to announce their upcoming educational programs and trade shows. CPARK-L has a searchable archive that can look back three years. A web interface makes the archives easy to access. Topics are wide-ranging, from permit distribution systems to cash-handling procedures, from bicycle sharing programs to ride sharing to carpools to vanpools. In January, for example, there were requests for information on consultant selection, enforcement technology, MARCH 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE
Simple Fixes
The death and resurrection of bicycle transportation on campus.
Simple
FIXES The death and resurrection of bicycle transportation on campus. By Ron Steedly, CAPP, MEd, LCI
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et’s face it: Bicycle transportation on a college campus is essential. No matter if the campus is 5,200 acres like Texas A&M University (10th in the nation in overall acres) with nearly 56,000 students or 14 acres like Thomas More College of Liberal Arts with its 84 students, you will find bicycles at school.
INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | MARCH 2015
If you have ever looked closely at the bicycles parked in college campus racks, you might have seen a fleet of metal and rubber dying a slow death. Rows and rows of “Bicycle-Shaped Objects” (BSO) fill the racks, showing the effects of weather and a lack of maintenance. Rust on most metal parts such as the chain, chain ring, and cassette (gears); flat tires; exposed tubes; melted grips; disintegrated seats; and missing parts are common. If you listen carefully, you may hear a faint “help me” groan coming from the bicycle parking area. These bicycles want to be used and seen as reliable transportation for the owners, but they need proper care. A very small percentage of these bicycles is owned by cyclists who are cognizant of the need for bicycle maintenance to keep their bikes healthy. In an ongoing informal poll conducted by me when I am out and about on campus, the response to, “Before college, when was the last time you used a bicycle on a regular basis?” is a resounding “middle school,” at least 90 percent of the time. That explains a lot about understanding the essential need for maintenance (in addition to the disregard for traffic laws, the scary driving tactics, and the need to practice for the bicycle slalom Olympic event using pedestrians as slalom poles).
Students can learn to fix their own bikes or get referrals to local repair shops from the HUB.
parking.org/tpp
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When the Customer Hears No
When the Customer We want to make the most of the opportunity to engage with customers and leave them with a positive experience when communicating with us.
Training parking service providers to improve customer evaluation and perceptions.
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s parking administrators know, developing a workforce of customer service providers who are committed to building a valuable parking brand for the organization can be a big challenge. Our employees have an enormous responsibility in building a positive image for parking operations.
These employees are the ones who answer the phones and provide first impressions when current or prospective clients seek to communicate with us. As with other businesses in which customers drive the work environment, customer service in parking operations is essential. Unfortunately for parking professionals, their business—in much the same way as an airline or finance office—cannot always accommodate customer requests. In fact, many policies that are in place for the well-being and safety of the community and to ensure efficient daily operations are not favored by those who use our services. By V. Ann Paulins, PhD, and Teresa Trussell, CAPP In the parking services department (and as in the offices of many service providers) at Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, the majority of our customer service representatives are part-time employees. On our campus, virtually all of our part-time employees are students who work until graduating. This creates a dynamic of new employees on a regular basis and, consequently, a need for ongoing customer service training along with an effort to ensure employees are appropriately educated on all policies and regulations. To best serve our customers, employees must be knowledgeable and have confidence in policies and procedures. Having a clear understanding of the rules and regulations allows employees to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to find ways to meet the needs of their customers in a caring, efficient manner. But simple knowledge of policies and procedures is not enough; especially in heated customer service
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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | MARCH 2015
As CPARK-L celebrates 21 years, its founder looks back at its history and ahead to the future.
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STUDY
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What parking professionals need to know about EMV chip migration.
The Value
CASE
A lighting upgrade exemplifies a structure’s commitment to sustainability.
Boosting Credit Security
Subscribers were slow in coming at first. However, as word spread at regional conferences, by word of mouth, and through the International Parking Institute (IPI), the number of subscribers grew quickly. Today, there are more than 1,200 subscribers from countries all over the world, including Australia, Canada, Cocos Islands, Israel, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.
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A Transit Station Goes Green
The Birth of the List The idea for CPARK-L was hatched when I was notified by my then-vice-president that my operation was not running lean enough and that most campuses across the country had much lower overhead costs than ours. I had no way to check the accuracy of the comment and spent days on the phone contacting similar universities, trying to get benchmark information and, if we were indeed fatter, to solicit ways to trim things up. After a couple weeks, I had my answers and was able to write a report and action plan to satisfy the VP’s concern. Fortunately, we compared quite favorably to peer institutions. The problem was that the research effort was labor-intensive, and I wanted a way to at least help speed up information-gathering without engaging in unnecessary games of phone tag. A couple weeks later at a meeting on campus, I explained my challenge to my colleague, Pete Weiss. Pete worked in the university’s computer system and is a technical genius. After an explanation of just what an Internet list was, we decided to create CPARK-L. It was a way for me to quickly garner information, help, tips, and advice from campus parking managers. Pete is no longer fully active on CPARK-L, but I still seek out his knowledge from time to time. I act as the editor of the list. The reason I say “campus parking managers” is quite simple. Back when we kicked the list off, Internet access was common on campuses but not in corporate or governmental America. (Anyone remember Gopher?) However, as the Internet expanded its reach, the list’s subscriber base grew in other sectors of the profession. Municipalities and other governmental agencies that dealt with parking began using it, as did medical centers, mass transportation authorities, and entertainment venues.
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An Invaluable Resource
AN
A well-planned disaster drill offers valuable lessons for everyone in parking and transportation.
BEING PREPARED A well-planned disaster drill offers
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interactions, the best strategy is for all customer service employees to be prepared for difficult situations, including telling customers no.
Perceptions As in other customer service environments, parking services’ frontline customer service representatives are, to borrow a phrase, where the rubber meets the road—they are the voice of parking operations and they build the brand image, positive or negative, that is communicated community-wide by word of mouth. As Jeff Petry noted in the June 2014 issue of The Parking Professional, parking has thousands of consumer interactions each day that determine customers’ perceptions of their business. We want to make the most of the opportunity to engage with customers and leave them with a positive experience when communicating with us. We, like many other parking operations departments,
are often unpopular and battle negative stereotypes associated with parking enforcement activities. At Ohio University, the parking office partnered with the academic retailing program in the Patton College of Education to study customer service in the parking program and, in particular, explore what happens when customers hear “no.” We investigated how clients rated the services they received during patron-initiated telephone encounters and compared the customer service ratings between those whose requests were able to be honored and those whose requests were denied. We employed independent researchers who listened to and rated the service provided by parking employees using a previously established service quality scale. Simultaneously, we employed the Ohio University Scripps College Research and Survey Center to survey the customers themselves, using the same scale. What we found did not surprise us: Independent evaluators rated the customer service quality the same regardless of whether requests were met or not, but the customers whose asks were denied rated our services levels less favorably than customers whose requests were met. This gives us a strong rationale to attend to the perception of customer service provided by our parking employees and develop a best-practices approach to mitigate the inevitable outcome of perceived poor services when we are unable to accommodate individual requests. parking.org/tpp
How Customers Hear “No” Parking operations staff are all too familiar with the typical situations often leading to customer requests being unmet. During the period of our study, the following situations comprised the reasons customer requests were denied: Wanted a better reserved parking space when none wee available. Ineligible for campus parking but wanted parking privileges. Wanted citation to be voided. Wanted access to parking lots that were closed for other events. ●● ●Wanted a boot removed free of charge or a tow reimbursed. ●● ●Wantede policies and procedures changed to accommodate their specific needs or wants. ●● ●
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Driving Best Practices Based on previous experience, word-of-mouth, or the unpleasant event of being ticketed and fined for their failure to follow parking rules, customers often form negative impressions well before they call our office. These preconceived perceptions carry over and they form an opinion before they ever speak to a customer service representative. Therefore, even when customer service employees are performing at exceptional levels, MARCH 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE
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Training parking service providers to improve customer evaluation and perceptions.