The Parking Professional August 2015

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Disabled-Parking Placard Abuse

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Preventing Garage Suicide Attempts

THE INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

24

A Bright Horizon

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Parking Matters速 Turns 5

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IPI Launches Organization Accreditation

AUGUST 2015

Form and Function

IPI Chair Kim Jackson, CAPP Winners of the 2015 IPI Awards of Excellence

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ipi #53-01

WAYFINDING AUGUST 2015 | Volume 31 | Number 8

24 A BRIGHT HORIZON

A Bright Horizon

IPI Chair Kim Jackson, CAPP, talks industry changes, pride, and what’s ahead for IPI.

IPI Chair Kim Jackson, CAPP, talks industry changes, pride, and what’s ahead for IPI.

By Kim Fernandez

Ask Kim Jackson, CAPP, what it is about her career that’s kept her there so long, and the answer is almost too simple.

A

“

lot of people say I have the toughest job on campus,” says Princeton University’s director of transportation and parking services. “But I think I have the best job on campus because I get to interact with everybody.”

Parking is definitely a people business as far as Jackson is concerned, and that focus is what will set the tone for her term as chair of IPI’s Board of Directors; after all, it’s served her well throughout her long career in the industry. “I meet everyone—campus visitors to parents and students to faculty and staff to our invited dignitaries,” she explains. “I get to interact with all of those people and work with our planning teams to make things happen. That’s what’s exciting. That kind of pulse keeps me in this business.”

Jackson’s parking career started at Rutgers University in 1988, when she began working as assistant director for administration of University Parking Services. From there, she was promoted to director of parking and transportation—becoming the first person in the newlycreated position—and worked in that capacity until 1994, when she left to become meetings director for IPI. She eventually became the association’s executive director.

After 10 years at IPI, Jackson returned to the parking industry, working at Princeton University, which she says she’s loved ever since, but she remained an active, hands-on member of IPI and was shortly elected to the Board of Directors.

Jackson was installed as Board chair at the 2015 IPI Conference & Expo in Las Vegas and says she’s looking forward to two years of hard work, steady progress, and more growth for the world’s largest parking association, relying on her years of customer service experience to keep IPI on a steady track.

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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

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Progress and Goals “I like to think about what IPI can be doing for its members,” Jackson says of her time on the Board. “As a member, I think about what I think my colleagues are looking for and need for their organization. It’s been great to see how we have grown and how the international piece of our work has taken off, especially during the last few years.

“It’s very exciting,” she continues. “As members, there are so many different departments within organizations around the world that do what we do. We should all be learning from each other. It’s great that we have so many programs that let us do that, while offering networking opportunities for our members.”

The industry, she says, has come a long way since her first days at Rutgers. “When I started in the late 1980s, all parking people did was just think about parking cars,” she says. “For women especially, parking wasn’t a career path. A lot of women were in second jobs—assistant directors, managers, seconds in operations—but we weren’t directors. That’s changed.”

The perception of the industry has changed, too, and Jackson couldn’t be happier about that. “I’ve watched us go from an industry striving for recognition and information and education, to one that’s creating and relaunching the CAPP program, launching onsite training programs, offering online learning, and reaching out to people around the country and the world, making sure everybody knows parking is a profession—a proud profession,” she says.

“We have so many resources,” she continues. “If you’re not aware of something, IPI is here to help you with that.

Thanks to the Parking Matters® program, people come to us for quotes and information. It wasn’t always like that—

SAVING LIVES a topic we would hope to never encounter as parking professionals: dealing

experiences in dealing with a rash of suicides from our garage during the past most important article.

If my story motivates you to put initiatives in place for suicide prevention and saves lives, there really isn’t a better story to be written.

25

34

PLACARD USAGE

T

he 100-foot walk from a parked car to a building entrance is nothing for most people, but it is a slow slog for someone gripping a walker or crutches and shuffling forward a few inches at a time. The trip is not especially fun in a wheelchair, either.

Drivers with mobility impairments aren’t looking for sympathy, but they want reasonable access and they don’t like being cheated out of it; hence their ire when finding parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities occupied. The odds are good that at least some of those spots are being illegally used by drivers who don’t need them.

“The value of a parking placard shouldn’t be that it is free,” says Carla Johnson, CBO, CASp, director, Mayor’s Office on Disability, San Francisco. “The true benefit is finding parking that is close to your destination.”

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

29

By David Hill, MA, CAPP, CD

T

hose of us approaching middle age are fortunate to have seen many firsts in our lives—first computer microchip, first mobile phone, first email message, first solar-powered airplane. I remember the first man on the moon; as a kid, I was glued to the television while Neil Armstrong announced his “small step for man and giant leap for mankind.“ While Neil was actually the one dropping off the ladder, the magnitude of collective effort and the scale of the accomplishment was glorious to be part of, even for one small spectator who was allowed to stay up much too late.

We are not often called upon to contribute to such an effort. These opportunities to utterly change and irrevocably elevate the way we view ourselves, our world, and our mission only come at key moments in our history.

Our environment must say to us, “Evolve and adapt or be consumed.”

A Watershed Moment Such a moment has arrived for the parking industry. As we continue to integrate parking business and operational activities more deeply into Smart City or other information-based complete mobility solutions, we are forced to more clearly and sharply define our role and contribution and voice our values and accomplishments so we are not consumed. As parking professionals, if we do not raise the bar for ourselves and our organizations, it will be done by others and we will ultimately lose most of the credibility and influence we have gained during the past 30 years.

The IPI Board of Directors identified this as a challenge at the 2011 IPI Conference & Expo in Pittsburgh and set about organizing a response. As Neil Armstrong was not available, the Board established a volunteer committee to investigate and propose a program for standards accreditation of parking organizations that

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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

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be equally applied to industry scope from airports to medical centers and to scale from enforcement to real estate investment, and we achieved the developmental equilibrium that allowed us to make headway.

Working as volunteers, progress was slow but hurried along as we made more opportunities to collaborate.

The committee achieved several breakthroughs at last year’s IPI Conference in Dallas and moved toward a draft accreditation program concept later in 2014.. By summer, the draft was suitable for beta testing and several IPI stalwart organizations stepped up to the plate. The intrepid Beta Bunch—City of Missoula, Cornell University, City of Houston, University of Washington, and Miami Parking Authority—provided their time, patience, and cooperation while the committee worked through themes and theories and applied practical content to real-world best practices.

The result, which launched at the 2015 IPI Conference in June, is a combination of self-audit checklist and physical site review that ensures that each accredited organization stands in the top 30 percent of our industry; it also provides a special recognition for those in the top 5 percent. Recognition is given within the industry and is also significantly targeted at stakeholders and the general public, with the goal of educating average people to the level of facility and service quality they should expect for their parking dollar. Over time, the Accredited Parking Organization designation will raise the bar to ensure continuing relevance and growth for parking professionals around the world.

APO is a reality. The only question is are you up for the challenge? Answer that at parking.org/apo. ➜

INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

parking.org/tpp

suicides in a two-month span, I decided that an aggressive proactive

warranted.

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

35

IPI’s Parking Matters® Program Turns 5

As it celebrates its early success in changing attitudes within and outside the parking industry, the program is still working its magic

A

nyone who has been in the parking industry for more than five years has witnessed some profound changes, but perhaps none more remarkable than the the way it is regarded by others. As the

International Parking Institute’s (IPI’s) 2015 Emerging Trends in Parking survey recently confirmed, nearly half of the parking professionals polled feel that these past five years have seen an improvement in others’ perceptions of the industry.

It certainly is no wonder, given that some of the world’s most powerful media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, and CNN, and highly influential trade media are now conveying overwhelmingly positive messages about parking. When an NPR reporter says, “The parking industry tries to make your life easier by helping drivers get in and out of spaces as conveniently as possible,” anyone who’s been around for more than a few years knows that the industry wasn’t always viewed that way.

At least some of the credit for this extraordinary turnaround goes to Parking Matters®, IPI’s industry-wide public relations and marketing program to improve industry perceptions, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year.

By the late 2000s, the industry had long been struggling with an undeserved image problem. “When I was first being interviewed for a position with IPI, I was astonished at how complex and important parking was, yet the people working in the field got no credit for the enormous responsibility they shoulder and the expertise they need to be successful,” says IPI Executive Director Shawn Conrad, CAE, who

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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

came on board in 2008. “There was a major disconnect between the incredible work being done and the negative views people had of the industry. We hadn’t yet found a cohesive and comprehensive way to convey the expertise and all the many positive changes taking place.”

Conrad encouraged IPI’s Board members to take a leap of faith and tackle its image head-on with a multi-faceted public relations program. He tapped colleague Helen Sullivan, who developed similar successful programs for other industries, to share her experiences with IPI’s Board members and lay the groundwork for a positive parking program. “We had an enormous hill to climb,” says Conrad, “but I was confident we would be able to make inroads in changing people’s impressions.”

Parking Matters began with a document Sullivan likes to call the “Manifesto,” outlining a number of ambitious, long-term PR goals: to educate and increase awareness about the value of parking professionals among influential target audiences who could most benefit the industry, to generate positive media messages to change public perceptions, and to help those in the industry appreciate the value of their profession and attract people to the field.

“It is so rewarding to see just how much already has come to fruition,” says Sullivan, who has directed the program since its official adoption in 2010. “I’ll be the first one to acknowledge we have a long way to go, but we have accomplished a great deal of what we wanted in this first phase plus a few things we thought were pretty ‘blue sky’ at the time. It just shows that when an industry decides to harness the power of PR, great things can happen.”

lective self-concept by showcasing the critical role parking plays in the bigger picture of smart transportation, sustainable progress, economic development, successful downtowns, and livable cities.

“I personally respond differently now when someone asks me what I do for a living,” she says.

Building Respect Starts from Within

Having made headway in positively transforming the way the parking industry views itself, the Parking Matters program has conveyed that relatively newfound self-respect to key target audiences that directly affect the bottom line of the parking profession. The goal is to increase awareness of the vital role parking and parking professionals play in transportation, economic development and revitalization, traffic flow, college and university life, hospitality, commercial and residential real estate, sport and entertainment venues, retail, security, law enforcement, and more. Increasingly, parking professionals are being recognized for their specialized expertise and called in at

One of the core elements of the Parking Matters program is to give parking professionals better tools to appreciate—and communicate—how important their own careers are. “This isn’t about making parking professionals look good. They are good; in fact, they’re fantastic,” says Sullivan. “My job’s easy. I don’t have to make things up or gloss things over—I just have to tell our story.”

Cindy Campbell, past IPI chair, now staff, was one of the visionaries behind the Parking Matters program. She understands the challenges faced in recrafting the industry’s unwarranted poor image. Campbell says the program has elevated the industry’s colparking.org/tpp

Up for the Challenge The Board of Directors made it clear that this was to be no one-way trip to Mars. The Accreditation Committee was expected to boldly do what no one had done before: return with a product that could be rolled out to the entire industry and get it done within its fiveyear mission mandate.

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Suicide can happen in your garage. What one parking professional learned about preventing tragedy.

game plan was

®

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

Cover photo: Michael Yoon

The first action was to establish a zero-tolerance policy for anyone on the roof of the garage who wasn’t coming to/from a vehicle, regardless of his or her reasoning. Even if the reason for being on the garage is to take a picture or conduct a video shoot, permission is required.

The next step was to put in place no-trespassing signage within the guidelines of the city defiant-trespass warning. With these signs posted in place, staff and police could enforce our internal zero-tolerance policy for pedestrians on the roof.

After three

By Michele Ostrove

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE would be applicable in our own North American environment, as well as for other parking industry organizational environments around the world.

The Accredited Parking Organization (APO) program was envisaged to link with the renewed CAPP certification for individual accomplishment and would catalogue and codify current industry best practices so they could be taught in CAPP classes and close the loop in our professional education and recognition program. The initial committee members comprised a group of recognized and passionate deep thinkers in the industry: Dennis Burns, CAPP; Casey Jones, CAPP; Barbara Chance; Max Clark; Mike Drow, CAPP; Lee Bourque; Rachel Yoka, CAPP; and Vanessa Solesbee. David Feehan represented a solid stakeholder’s opinion, and I was asked to bring an international viewpoint (my committee members also hoped I would pay for lunch). Christine Stewart and Anne Guest joined the team in 2013.

The Board of Directors made it clear that this was to be no one-way trip to Mars. The Accreditation Committee was expected to boldly do what no one had done before: return with a product that could be rolled out to the entire industry and get it done within its five-year mission mandate.

The composition of the team was key to getting the job done. All seasoned professionals with individual skills and accomplishments in the industry, the group took some time to gel. As with any launch into the unknown, it was rather shaky and uncomfortable at times and loud and scary at others, but once we gained enough latitude to see the big picture—the key elements of practice and creativity that make our industry unique—we stabilized around a concept and means of delivery that could

Policies

IPI’s Parking Matters Program Turns 5

42 IPI launches the landmark Accredited Parking Organization program and introduces the industry’s first accredited organizations.

INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

with terminal cancer deciding they didn’t want to go through that kind of slow painful death, so they went directly from the hospital to the garage and jumped.

It’s a terrible situation, but the blame and focus were never on the garage.

I had a hard time understanding why the focus would be on the facility and not the person and what would cause them to commit such an unimaginable act.

Iconic site or not, after three suicides in a two-month span, I decided that an aggressive proactive game plan was warranted.

38

With placard misuse common, some jurisdictions are finding effective strategies that improve parking for all.

BY MARK WRIGHT

2

An Iconic Site?

During the past two years, I have dealt with five suicides at one of our garages.

The Prince Street Garage (also home to my office) has become an iconic symbol in our community. Iconic is good and bad: The structure is the highest open-air facility in the downtown with a great view from the roof. The diversity of activities on the roof is like a center city square. In one typical week, a commercial was filmed, the next day we caught folks having sex in a car, the following day we found a drug user shooting up, and the next weekend had a sunbather and then a wedding party taking pictures with the beautiful city and country hills in the background.

Can your garage become an iconic site? Like many bridges and other highly visible, easily accessible locations (e.g., the Golden Gate Bridge), you may not have a choice. But how do you deal with it from a suicide prevention perspective?

Having dealt with suicides in the past at other parking programs I have overseen, the garage was never the focal point of a suicide but just the place where the suicide occurred. Several cases included individuals

HIS IS THE STORY I NEVER WANTED TO WRITE. I have published many stories over the years but fought the urge to share my experiences on

two years and providing both reactive and proactive measures will make this my

Solutions to Disabled-Parking Placard Usage

Fencing and signage was installed on the garage’s top floor.

By Larry J. Cohen, CAPP

T

But that was a selfish thought, and after a lot of reflection, I believe sharing my

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

parking.org/tpp

What one parking professional learned about preventing tragedy.

known as the “parking garage suicide expert.” Can you blame me?

SOLUTIONS TO DISABLED-PARKING

ISTOCK

Saving Lives

Suicide can happen in your garage.

with a suicide from one of our garages. Part of my reasoning? I didn’t want to be

28 With placard misuse common, some jurisdictions are finding effective strategies that improve parking for all.

34

Influencing Target Audiences that Directly Impact the Industry

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

IPI launches the landmark Accredited Parking Organization program and introduces the industry’s first accredited organizations.

39

As it celebrates its early success in changing attitudes within and outside the parking industry, the program is still working its magic.

Editor’s Note

DEPARTMENTS

4 Entrance 6 IPI Board Member Profile 8 Consultants Corner 1 0 The Green Standard 1 2 The Business of Parking 1 4 Financial Matters 1 6 Parking Spotlight 20 IPI’s Ask the Experts 5 0 IPI in Action 52 State & Regional Spotlight 5 4 Community Digest 5 8 Calendar of Events 5 9 New IPI Members 6 0 Parking Consultants 6 2 Advertisers Index 6 2 Parking Break

VALUABLE WISDOM

I

am writing this having just returned home from the 2015 IPI Conference & Expo in Las Vegas. Wow, what a show! I had the pleasure of meeting many first-time attendees who told me they had loads of ideas to take home from education sessions, the Expo floor, keynote sessions, and formal and informal networking with other parking professionals.

One of the topics we heard a lot about in Las Vegas was ADA parking reform—why it’s needed, how to go about it, and what to do to solve the problem of nondisabled drivers using those spots. We hope a good starting point is in this issue—veteran freelancer Mark Wright takes a hard look at the challenges and successes IPI members have had trying to solve this common problem. It’s one you’ll want to save for future reference.

Also in this issue is a feature on another hot topic: what the parking industry can do to help stop suicide attempts from garages. You’ll learn how one municipality launched a successful program that’s made a big difference, and there’s lots of food for thought on how parking professionals can help their communities while taking action to stop these tragic events from happening on their structures.

On a lighter note, IPI is proud to introduce the first recipients of its Accredited Parking Organization (APO) certification on p. 44. CAPP certifies people; an APO designation assures the public that a parking program meets national and internationally endorsed standards for professionalism, accountability, creativity, responsibility, and performance. It includes more than 200 benchmarks that assure the public that their parking choices are managed by excellent organizations. There was a lot of interest in this new program in Las Vegas and plenty of room for more organizations to apply and start earning their own designations.

You’ll read more about the 2015 IPI Conference & Expo in the September issue of The Parking Professional. For now, enjoy this issue. We hope it serves as a valuable reference for you and your organization.

Until next month…

6 4 Exit fernandez@parking.org

parking.org/tpp

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

3

ENTRANCE Publisher Shawn Conrad, CAE conrad@parking.org Editor Kim Fernandez fernandez@parking.org Contributing Editor Bill Smith, APR bsmith@smith-phillips.com Technical Editor Rachel Yoka, LEED AP BD+C, CNU-A yoka@parking.org Advertising Sales Bonnie Watts, CEM watts@parking.org Subscriptions Tina Altman taltman@parking.org.

Graphic Design BonoTom Studio info@bonotom.com Proofreader Melanie Padgett Powers For advertising information, contact Bonnie Watts at watts@parking.org or 571.699.3011.

For subscription changes, contact Tina Altman, taltman@parking.org.

The Parking Professional (ISSN 0896-2324 & USPS 001436) is published monthly by the International Parking Institute.

1330 Braddock Place, Suite 350 Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone: 571.699.3011 Fax: 703.566.2267 Email: ipi@parking.org Website: parking.org Postmaster note: Send address label changes promptly to: The Parking Professional 1330 Braddock Place, Suite 350 Alexandria, VA 22314 Interactive electronic version of The Parking Professional for members and subscribers only at parking.org/tpp.

Periodical postage paid at Alexandria, Va., and additional mailing offices. Copyright © International Parking Institute, 2015. Statements of fact and opinion expressed in articles contained in The Parking Professional are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent an official expression of policy or opinion on the part of officers or the members of IPI. Manuscripts, correspondence, articles, product releases, and all contributed materials are welcomed

by The Parking Professional; however, publication is subject to editing, if deemed necessary to conform to standards of publication.

The subscription rate is included in IPI annual dues.

Subscription rate for non-members of IPI is $120 per year (U.S. currency) in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

All other countries, $150. Back issues, $10.

The Parking Professional is printed on 10 percent recycled paper and on paper from trees grown specifically for that purpose.

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COLLABORATING ON THE FUTURE

By John Schmid

S

even years ago, I set out to build the most sustainable garage on the planet. At that time, the real estate industry had embraced environmental design. Sustainable mobility solutions were gaining momentum, and exploration of clean energy fueling options was a hot topic. The parking sector, however, had yet to fully explore the intersection of both these disciplines and effectively focus on sustainability.

With limited parking-specific resources available, I turned to the Green Building Council’s LEED certification program. Following the LEED platform, we incorporated green initiatives that led to increased efficiencies and minimal environmental impact at Canopy Airport Parking in Denver, Colo. Utilizing recycled construction materials, solar photovoltaic installations, wind turbines, geothermal technologies, efficient LED lighting, and numerous other green technologies, Canopy accrued credits in the five green design categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality, earning LEED® Certified Gold designation.

LEED was an amazing tool for understanding and implementing sustainable practices, but it was an imperfect fit for parking. Our industry needed a parking-specific sustainability resource, and as a result, the nonprofit Green Parking Council (GPC) was conceived.

The GPC, now an affiliate of IPI, represents five years of hard work by hundreds of volunteer parking and real estate stakeholders. GPC’s Green Garage Certification and educational offerings build upon the foundation of LEED to provide facility owners with a roadmap for constructing and operating an existing garage as a high-performance parking structure.

Participation in our industry’s evolution to environmental awareness has been extremely rewarding. Parking has moved to the forefront of the sustainability discussion as a driver of more efficient mobility. Green Garage Certification provides us with our own language to scale a platform of sustainable parking to entire cities, commercial real estate portfolios, and urban planners from around the world.

With the recent announcement of the first Certified Green Garages, our industry demonstrated a new approach to construction and management of existing garages. Green Garage Certification provides a menu of options for increasing a facility’s sustainability through operations, programming, technology deployment, and design. A facility’s location and customer base directly affect which of these initiatives provides the greatest environmental and economic return.

I am personally identifying the next wave of properties within Propark’s portfolio to pursue Green Garage Certification and JOHN SCHMID is president and CEO challenging key leaders in my organization to seek out sustainable of Propark and a education opportunities through the GPC and IPI. I encourage member of IPI’s Board you to do the same. of Directors. He can I believe we are more than the standard bearers of sustainable be reached at john. schmid@propark.com. best practices; we are collaborating on the future of parking.

INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

CHANGE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PART OF LIFE.

TM

We have been creating credit card accepting “Smart Meters” since 2005, and 185,000 meters later, we have changed the way people look at change. It is no longer necessary to carry a roll of quarters in your car to pay the meter. The innovation hasn’t stopped there. We have created an entire product suite to make parking management more powerful and more convenient. See how the IPS Solution can streamline parking in your city at IPSgroupinc.com.

SMARTER PARKING for SMART CITIES. TM

Copyright © 2015 IPS Group Inc. All rights reserved.

IPI BOARD MEMBER PROFILE

GARY MEANS, CAPP Member, IPI Board of Directors Executive Director, Lexington and Fayette County Parking Authority

M

y dad, Merrill T. Means, USAF chief master sergeant (ret.), always taught me to give 110 percent in whatever I do. I’m not sure he was thinking about crazy-face photos, but whenever that opportunity arises, I try to deliver.

Similarly, I try to go above and beyond with the work we do at the Lexington Parking Authority. Hard work does pay off, but I do not kid myself into thinking that I’ve been able to be in the position I am career-wise just by hard work. I’ve had great mentors along the way, a very supportive family, an awesome wife (Melissa), and most of all, God’s blessings.

Melissa and I are always working on projects around the house and enjoy the outdoors as much as possible. We love our kids, Jordan (25) and Sumer (21). This past year we added our daughter-in-law, Leslie, to the family.

I love music and have played bass guitar since my teen years. I currently play bass with our church worship team, which brings me lots of fulfillment. Mentoring and being mentored is something I enjoy, and I encourage everyone to do the same. I’ve learned no matter who you are, there is someone you can learn from and someone who can learn from you.

2015 has been a year of milestones. The Lexington Parking Authority was recently awarded an IPI Parking Matters® Award and an IPI Award of Excellence. Also, I am honored to have been elected to the IPI Board of Directors. I just celebrated my 50th birthday and my 20th year as a parking professional! It’s been a great year, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

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EDC

Corporation sales@aimsparking.com www.aimsparking.com

Check out the new AIMS Mobile Android App!

800-886-6316

CONSULTANTS CORNER

NO DECAL, NO HANG TAG, NO PROBLEM

By Vicky Gagliano, LEED AP

I

My destiny to end up in the parking industry still unknown at that time, parking enforcement officers provided my first lessons in parking. I learned that a ticket cost $15 if I parked outside my zone regardless if the lot was 50 feet or a mile from my classroom. Of course, why pay a ticket and walk a mile when I could just walk 50 feet?

I also knew where they stored towed vehicles and how the appeals process worked. No, they didn’t waive the citation because I was at the infirmary and my roommate parked my car for me. I paid my ticket(s) and graduated.

While getting my master’s degree at another university, I learned more tricks that furthered my education in parking.

I physically stood in line to drop/add college courses, my daily activities were not documented on Facebook from my smartphone (thank goodness), and I couldn’t buy a digital parking permit from the comfort of my living room at 11 p.m. the night before classes started.

Digital Permitting Emerges

VICKY GAGLIANO, LEED AP, is a senior parking specialist with Timothy Haahs & Associates, Inc. She can be reached at vgagliano@timhaahs. com.

8

Today, universities are realizing the benefits of digital permitting (electronic or paperless permitting). While a digital permit system can be applied in multiple types of paid parking operations, the demographics of most university users typically make for an easy transition and implementation. Students quickly accept the use of digital permits.

Even better, from a financial standpoint, a digital permitting operation will often provide a short payback period and yield a positive return on investment within one to three years, depending on the size of the system.

The financial advantages are primarily thanks to the fact that office staff can be allocated to other tasks when permit issuance is completely conducted online and physical decals and hang tags are not mailed or handed out at a central location. Likewise, enforcement staff can more quickly scan and verify valid permits via a license plate recognition (LPR) camera mounted on their vehicles, leading to higher compliance due to a greater probability of citation issuance for violators.

INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

In addition, officers are now able to print the citations while inside their vehicles or golf carts, which reduces the number of face-to-face conflicts.

Digital permits close many of the loopholes that existed with decals and hang tags—the same ones I once used. In addition, legitimate issues with multiple vehicles or a new car can be quickly managed online at any time, day or night, and most students are comfortable with the system.

Faculty and staff, while slightly less savvy, also enjoy the benefits of driving any household vehicle without needing to move a hang tag or stop by the parking office to obtain a temporary permit. In fact, issuance of almost all temporary permits is eliminated.

For employees who retire, find other employment, or are terminated, permits can be easily marked as no longer valid, and payroll deductions can be turned off without the need for the employee to make an additional trip to the parking office.

The same system is capable of fully automating the collection and payment of visitor and vendor permits by identifying paid vehicles using the license plate number.

I’m a proud member of Generation X who knows how to use a rotary phone but also embraces technology and how it can allow for more a more efficient parking operation.

ISTOCK

remember those days during college when I waited in line for more than an hour at the parking office/trailer to pay for and pick up a parking decal. They gave me a plastic card with suction cups that I could use to display the decal without permanently affixing it to my windshield. Of course, within two weeks of Florida heat, it must have fallen off a dozen times until I found that perfect spot where the dashboard would hold it in place even if the suction cups failed.

MHTM™ MicroDrive.

The parking barrier.

www.ac-magnetic.com

THE GREEN STANDARD

GREEN GARAGE CERTIFICATION: MORE THAN RECOGNITION

By Trevyr Meade

T

he recognition of the world’s first Certified Green Garages at the 2015 IPI Conference & Expo was a statement to our patrons and communities that parking will play a key role in the sustainability movement.

Green Garage Certification offers a menu of 48 elements garages can deploy to increase efficiency and lower environmental impact. Each element highlights an opportunity for increased sustainability through smart construction practices, alternative mobility programming, efficient technologies, or low-impact operations. Garages achieve certification by employing the elements that best fit their operations.

Since the launch of certification in June 2014, 29 facilities have registered. As professionals at each of these properties work toward certification, they’ve come to realize that the program offers much more than recognition for sustainability achievements.

Whether highlighting new patron amenities, educating frontline staff, or providing a platform for standard operating procedures, Green Garage Certification has emerged as a tool for organizational improvement.

Creative Solutions

TREVYR MEADE is a program manager with the Green Parking Council. He can be reached at trevyr@ greenparkingcouncil.org.

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Bank of America Plaza, a Brookfield Properties Certified Green Garage in Los Angeles, deployed a rideshare/ carshare package developed by Enterprise to earn credit toward the facility’s Green Garage Certification. “I’m now evaluating the opportunity to bring this offering to a number of locations throughout the U.S.,” says Laura Longsworth, Brookfield’s vice president of national parking operations. “I’ve come to realize that it is not just a sustainability initiative but a valuable tenant amenity.”

Green Garage Certification has also ignited an awareness for sustainability within the industry. Canopy Airport Parking, another of the seven certified garages announced at the 2015 IPI Conference & Expo, was designed to incorporate technologies that promote

INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

sustainability through improved efficiencies and clean energy generation. The certification process has helped the operations staff at Canopy and other locations become more familiar with the effects of these green technologies. “Going through Green Garage Certification has brought these technologies into focus,” explains Charles Billera, general manager at Canopy Airport Parking. “I now have a greater understanding of how they benefit Canopy’s triple bottom line.”

Operations Others have found the Green Garage Standard to be a useful tool for standardizing garage operating procedures.

After going through the certification process for the Forest Home Garage, Cornell University Transportation Services is embracing the program for making decisions campus wide. “We didn’t have a manual for garage operations,” says Bartt Smith, facilities coordinator. “The Green Garage Standard now acts as our playbook.”

These emerging trends are a testament to the ­industry-driven process that created Green Garage Certification. “The program was developed by our industry for our industry,” explains Green Parking Council Executive Director Paul Wessell. “The ripples beyond facility recognition show that we’ve established a program that meets our business needs in a socially responsible manner.”

As more parking professionals become familiar with Green Garage Certification, the program will create positive change not just for high performers but industrywide.

“Working through the process gave me more familiarity with a number of sustainability initiatives that can be worked into future projects whether or not the owner is seeking certification,” says Eric Haggett of DESMAN, who was instrumental in the certification of Cornell’s Forest Home Garage. “This program is already beginning to reshape the market.”

For information on Green Garage Certification, visit greenparkingcouncil.org/certified-green-garages.

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THE BUSINESS OF PARKING HUMAN RESOURCES LEGAL

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

By Julius E. Rhodes, SPHR

Recently, I flew to Baltimore. As I handed my boarding pass to the gate agent, I was greeted with, “Hello, Mr. Rhodes.” This is not unusual as I am a very frequent flier who typically visits between 25 and 30 states a year, and my name is clearly printed on my boarding pass. However, what happened next amazed me.

Recognition

JULIUS E. RHODES, SPHR, is founder and principal of the mpr group and author of BRAND: YOU Personal Branding for Success in Life and Business.

He can be reached at jrhodes@mprgroup. info or 773.548.8037.

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The gate agent, whom I didn’t recall meeting before, said, “Thanks for the human resources class and have a nice day.” This really caught me off guard as it has been at least a decade since I regularly instructed a college-level course. As I wobbled down the jetway stunned by the comment I had just received, I asked the forward galley flight attendant if he could help me by identifying the gate agent and where I might have been an instructor for him.

I sat impatiently trying to figure out where I knew the gate agent from and hoping the forward galley flight attendant would provide me with a clue. After what seemed like forever, the flight attendant returned and told me that the individual’s name was Brandon and that I taught him at Governors State University outside of Chicago.

He went on to say that Brandon told him he was always impressed with my presentation and demeanor and the way I engaged the students in the class; I made him and others feel like we were equals.

For Professionals Wow! What a compliment. I have always said that your personal brand should and must speak for you before you even open your mouth and linger long after you have left the room. Even so, having someone remember me that well after 14 years is incredible, even for my expectations.

INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

Here is what I have taken away from that experience that leverages your personal brand and leadership: ●● Be consistent, gracious, and appreciative. We all have issues that could cause us to shut down physically and emotionally. However, other people face the same things. We should never let our personal issues (except in extreme cases) interfere with our ability to connect with others. ●● Evenly accept compliments and complaints.

Each has the ability to add to your personal brand and your potential to be seen as a leader. We are never as good or bad as someone might make us out to be, so balance is essential. ●● Create value for others.

This creates value for you and enhances your ability to lead. Brandon, by virtue of recognizing me and being comfortable enough to share that with me, offered a valuable gift: a level of verification that things upon which I speak are tangible. In the next few days, I will again be traveling.

As I depart from my home base in Chicago, I will be looking for Brandon so I can return the kindness and consideration he showed me.

This leads me to an essential point as it relates to your personal brand and your ability to lead: Always say thank you. Brandon, even if you never read this article, I want to thank you for helping me feel good about what I tried to do for you 14 years ago and what you did for me 14 years later.

What’s love got to do with it? As you contemplate developing and displaying your personal brand and standing as a leader, love has everything to do with how you think of yourself, what people see in you, and how they connect with you. It’s just like Og Mandino said: “Do all things with love.”

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FINANCIAL MATTERS

IS RETIREMENT RIGHT FOR YOU?

By Mark A. Vergenes

MARK A. VERGENES is president of MIRUS Financial Partners and chair of the Lancaster (Pa.) Parking Authority. He can be reached at mark@ mirusfinancialpartners. com.

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1. Do you actually want to retire? Some people have a retirement date set years ago, but may not feel ready to retire yet. They may not actually want to retire, or they may be open to working a few more years. Staying on the job an extra year or two beyond your planned retirement date may enable you take advantage of your organization’s match in your 401(k) plan, save a little extra, and delay triggering Social Security, which will maximize monthly payouts later.

2. Can you afford to retire? Be honest about whether you’ll have sufficient income and assets to cover your household’s retirement expenses and liabilities. It may help to create a financial plan and stress test it: Where is your income coming from in retirement? How long can you rely on that income? You’ll want to review anticipated income from Social Security, ongoing wages, savings and investments, retirement accounts such as IRAs and 401(k)s, and, if you’re really lucky, pension funds.

Check out the My Social Security website (ssa.gov/ myaccount) to get a quick read on your benefit estimate and earnings statement. Take a close look at your savings and retirement funds, such as 401(k)s and pensions.

Make sure your investments’ risk tolerance matches your new income requirements.

Make sure you understand how each income source will be taxed. It can be complicated to determine, and you need to make sure you can live on the after-tax income.

3. Is your investment plan still appropriate? If you’re retiring, your investments need to be designed around the rest of your life. Too many people see retirement as time to cash in and close out investment accounts. I like to remind clients that the whole point of saving and investing for decades is to keep enough money set aside so it lasts through your entire retirement.

4. Can you handle a dress rehearsal? While this is something many people do immediately before retiring, it’s actually a great exercise for you at any life stage. To determine what kind of lifestyle you want in retirement, live on that budget for several months—right now. You’ll learn what kind of lifestyle you will have on your projected budget. And you may learn that you can live on less now so you can save more for later.

5. Are you prepared for long-term health costs?

INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

Most retirees can expect a U-shaped expense pattern.

Early years will probably be a scaled back version of their pre-retirement spending. However, at some point, health care costs may drive expenses up. Prescriptions, sometimes expensive, will probably become necessary at some point. Replacing employee benefits in retirement can be pricey. Many clients are surprised at how expensive health care and dental care costs can be during the retirement years.

6. Are you prepared for the passing of a spouse? Retirement benefits can change dramatically if a spouse passes on. Pension and Social Security benefits can change radically if a spouse dies.

If you’re unsure whether you want to retire, you may want to explore options. Many clients scale back, working part-time or seasonally. They may take on a lower-paying job doing something they love. Pre-­retirement is also a great time to review housing. This might be a good time to sell a large home or one with lots of maintenance.

You may want to explore single-story living or moving out of that great school district into a neighborhood with lower taxes.

Bottom line: Don’t limit your options by associating retirement with a specific age. Think about getting better control of your budget, assess all your options, and then make sure you have a solid understanding of the resources available to create the desired and consistent retirement income you need.

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ne of the most common questions my clients ask is, “Am I ready to retire?” Each case is different, but there are a few questions I always ask before making any kind of recommendations:

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PARKING SPOTLIGHT EVENT

IPI PARTICIPATES IN INAUGURAL TRANSPORTATION IVY PLUS CONFERENCE

By Rachel Yoka, CAPP, LEED AP BD+C

T

his summer, Cornell University hosted the inaugural Transportation Ivy Plus Conference on its campus in Ithaca, N.Y., garnering participation from the likes of Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, IPI, and the New York State Parking Association. The Ivy Plus conference format offers attendees the opportunity to share best practices, gain expertise, and focus on trends that are shaping transportation and parking in the Ivy League and beyond.

New Approaches The first day opened with a brief overview of conference host Cornell University and its history, as well as its future plans for expansion and development. Kyu Whang, vice president of infrastructure, properties, and planning for Cornell, provided a view of the campus and the unique foundation that allows it to to offer education in a wide range of studies. As its founder, Ezra Cornell, once said, “We haven’t invited you to see a university finished, but to see one begun.” As parking professionals know, development on campus (or anywhere else) requires careful programming, constant innovation, and new solutions.

Mayor Svante Myrick welcomed the group, acknowledging that “Every problem is at the heart a parking problem” but added that attendees made up the only group to applaud his approach to his reserved parking space. Myrick gave up his car some time ago, opting not

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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

only for transit but also for creating a wonderful new use for that reserved space—for his friends.

IPI was well represented, adding expertise and industry knowledge. Then-IPI Chair-Elect Kim ­Jackson, CAPP, of Princeton University, opened the day, addressing the state of parking and transportation at the Ivys, and challenging campuses to address the “w” word—walk. Parking and transportation touch every activity on and off campus, she said, as well as every mode of transportation (even the “w” kind).

Deep Dives Educational offerings included an in-depth look into Stanford’s bicycle programs and parking by Brian Shaw, CAPP, and a keynote

by Sam Veraldi, CAPP, of ­Kimley-Horn and Associates, on the critical importance and finer points of finance and budget management in managing transportation and parking.

IPI offered a thorough examination of two landmark programs: the Green Parking Council’s (GPC’s) Certified Green Garage

parking.org/tpp

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

17

program and IPI’s new Accredited Parking Organization (APO) credential, pointing out that Cornell University became the first university to earn both in 2015. These multi-disciplinary panels shared firsthand experience and best practices on certification and accreditation programs designed to take parking organizations to the next level.

The Overall Experience

RACHEL YOKA, CAPP, LEED AP BD+C, is IPI’s vice president of program development. She can be reached at yoka@ parking.org.

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The Ivy Plus format offers participants an invaluable opportunity not just to take in the educational sessions and network with peers but also for participants who deal with very similar challenges and patrons every day to share best practices, case studies, and real-world experience. The event is more than collegial; the shared focus of participants allows for targeted and candid conversations about the issues they face every day. They shared stories of evolving transportation demand management (TDM) and parking practices that all attendees can draw upon at their individual universities. Better yet, participants delved into the questions and use of metrics and big data and what these benchmarks mean for their operations.

The event provided numerous opportunities for networking, including multiple chances to explore the area and the campus. For the brave at heart (and early risers) of the group was a hike through the stunning Cascadilla Gorge Trail, offering amazing glimpses of the scenery and topography for which Ithaca is famous. An evening event at Cayuga Lake offered stunning sunset views from the property of the Aurora Inn. IPI Board Member Bridgette Brady, CAPP, the driving force behind the inaugural meeting, summed up the convening: “The Ivy League universities have always been honored for their academic excellence. However, after the inaugural Transportation Ivy Plus conference, we now know they should be honored for their bestin-class transportation programs as well. I’ve never felt more energy for sharing, networking, and learning than I did at what is hoped to be a longstanding tradition of gatherings for this group of transportation professionals.”

That’s just the beginning for Transportation Ivy Plus.

We look forward to seeing what they have in store in the years to come.

INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

Towson University – West Village Garage, Towson, MD Architect: Ayers Saint Gross Photo: Courtesy of Tindall Corp.

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IPI’S ASK THE EXPERTS

Marlene Cramer, CAPP Assistant Director, University Police Business Services Cal Poly State University Parking Matters® has given parking professionals tools that communicate positive messages about the parking industry. For example, every time I play the Parking Matters video I always get a great response. I love how that short video can really start a conversation.

John W. Hammerschlag President

Hammerschlag & Co., Inc. Consumers still perceive that parking costs too much; I doubt that will ever change. However, in recent years bike/car share programs and online aggregators have provided consumers with alternatives and options for less expensive parking. Parking garages are greener, more aesthetically appealing, and promote advanced technology, delivering value, convenience, and greater overall customer satisfaction.

James C. Anderson Regional Sales Manager

Watson Bowman Acme Corp.

It is my perception that the parking industry has evolved and is continuing to evolve into a recognized professional resource and contributor to urban planning and economic stimulus. The parking industry now has a seat at the table when transportation’s intermodal plans and programs are contemplated.

Nicole Chinea, CAPP

Director, Parking and Transportation Texas Medical Center The parking industry has made progress in leaps and bounds to change the perception of parking from being solely regulatory driven to more of a customer service-driven business.

We are beginning to see more revenues being distributed back into our communities, and parking has a seat at the head table for many conversations. Parking is on track to become more of a proactive conversation rather than a reactive discussion.

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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

L. Dennis Burns, CAPP Regional Vice President

Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. I believe the Parking Matters program has given the parking profession a real shot in the arm in terms of generating a more nuanced and positive perception of our industry. Hats off to IPI and the Parking Matters team for a job well done.

The opinions, beliefs, and thoughts expressed by the contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of the International Parking Institute or official policies of IPI.

The Parking Matters® program is celebrating its fifth anniversary.

How do you think perceptions of the parking industry have changed during the last five years?

TAKE THE PATH TO EXCELLENCE GET CERTIFIED.

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HORIZON

IPI Chair Kim Jackson, CAPP, talks industry changes, pride, and what’s ahead for IPI.

By Kim Fernandez

Ask Kim Jackson, CAPP, what it is about her career that’s kept her there so long, and the answer is almost too simple.

A

MICHAEL YOON

“

lot of people say I have the toughest job on campus,” says Princeton University’s director of transportation and parking services. “But I think I have the best job on campus because I get to interact with everybody.”

Parking is definitely a people business as far as Jackson is concerned, and that focus is what will set the tone for her term as chair of IPI’s Board of Directors; after all, it’s served her well throughout her long career in the industry. “I meet everyone—campus visitors to parents and students to faculty and staff to our invited dignitaries,” she explains. “I get to interact with all of those people and work with our planning teams to make things happen. That’s what’s exciting. That kind of pulse keeps me in this business.”

Jackson’s parking career started at Rutgers University in 1988, when she began working as assistant director for administration of University Parking Services. From there, she was promoted to director of parking and transportation—becoming the first person in the newly-­ created position—and worked in that capacity until 1994, when she left to become meetings director for IPI. She eventually became the association’s executive director.

After 10 years at IPI, Jackson returned to the parking industry, working at Princeton University, which she says she’s loved ever since, but she remained an active, hands-on member of IPI and was shortly elected to the Board of Directors.

Jackson was installed as Board chair at the 2015 IPI Conference & Expo in Las Vegas and says she’s looking forward to two years of hard work, steady progress, and more growth for the world’s largest parking association, relying on her years of customer service experience to keep IPI on a steady track. parking.org/tpp

Progress and Goals “I like to think about what IPI can be doing for its members,” Jackson says of her time on the Board. “As a member, I think about what I think my colleagues are looking for and need for their organization. It’s been great to see how we have grown and how the international piece of our work has taken off, especially during the last few years.

“It’s very exciting,” she continues. “As members, there are so many different departments within organizations around the world that do what we do. We should all be learning from each other. It’s great that we have so many programs that let us do that, while offering networking opportunities for our members.”

The industry, she says, has come a long way since her first days at Rutgers. “When I started in the late 1980s, all parking people did was just think about parking cars,” she says. “For women especially, parking wasn’t a career path. A lot of women were in second jobs—assistant directors, managers, seconds in operations—but we weren’t directors. That’s changed.”

The perception of the industry has changed, too, and Jackson couldn’t be happier about that. “I’ve watched us go from an industry striving for recognition and information and education, to one that’s creating and relaunching the CAPP program, launching onsite training programs, offering online learning, and reaching out to people around the country and the world, making sure everybody knows parking is a profession—a proud profession,” she says.

“We have so many resources,” she continues. “If you’re not aware of something, IPI is here to help you with that.

Thanks to the Parking Matters® program, people come to us for quotes and information. It wasn’t always like that— AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

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It’s great that we we used to have to really scrounge for statistics and facts. We learned from people who’d been in the industry, or we learned from trial and error. We tried something; if it didn’t work, we tried something else.

That’s how we knew what we knew—we couldn’t pick up a book and learn much about parking.”

IPI, she says, carved a niche for itself years ago that continues to serve it—and the industry—well. “There was very limited talk about parking in municipalities, hospitals, colleges, and airports,” she says. “IMPC/ IPI was the organization where people were dealing with parking in a different way. We started providing information for people and coursework and really developing education and a knowledge base, and that’s what made industry members feel they had the backing to pull up and claim that seat at the table we talk about.”

More recent programs, she says, have solidified that both for parking professionals and people in other industries, who now expect to see parking play a role in all sorts of business and project development decisions.

“IPI helped do that for people who had been in the business for a long time,” she says. “We gained respect from our colleagues and felt as though we had a right to a seat at the table and that we should be asking for that seat. And now people are asking us to come sit down instead of the other way around.”

have so many

programs that let us do that, while

offering networking

opportunities for our members.”

Moving Forward Recently developed education programs, both in-person and online, have continued making huge strides in advancing the industry, says Jackson, and one of her goals is to ensure those efforts keep growing.

“The big one is for frontline people and focuses on customer service,” she says. “That’s the standard; everyone wants their people to deliver exceptional customer service.” She points out that it’s not as simple as the old customer-is-always-right philosophy; violating parking rules has significant consequences for other drivers, cities, and institutions.

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“We’re helping find the balance between educating the public about what they should and shouldn’t be doing and letting them know the consequences of what they do. We need our employees to feel like they have the information and the tools to give customers the right information.”

That, she says, marks a change from the way parking enforcement officers used to work. “People are listening to us,” she says.

“In the past five or six years, we’ve all tried to empower our employees more. On the parking side, we empower our enforcement staff to go out and do the right thing, and we try to give them the recognition they deserve.”

All of that is of personal interest to Jackson and will be a continuing priority during her term as IPI chair. “I want to stay involved in the professional-level side of what IPI does,” she says. “I’m still very interested in training seminars and Conference programming and so on. I definitely see that outreach continuing.”

Another priority is ensuring that members and industry professionals continue to be informed about all IPI offers. Getting the word out, she says, is critical. “We’ll continue to work on the initiatives we’ve started, and I want to make sure members take advantage of all IPI has to offer,” she says.

That includes research. “I want people to know IPI is the source for parking information,” she explains. “I want people to say their information came from IPI—that we are the source.” That will involve further building IPI’s library of information in ways members, especially those new to the industry, can easily access and use.

“We have this new generation of directors coming in who aren’t coming in from the school of hard knocks,” says Jackson.

“They’re coming in with finance, business, and economic development backgrounds, backgrounds many directors didn’t have way back when. Our professionals have a different education level than they did 20 or 30 years ago, and it’s important for people coming from other industries to learn this industry even though they might not have worked from the bottom up. They need to understand permits and events, enforcement, TDM, and customer service. You don’t only have to know the business side parking.org/tpp

of parking but understand the functional side too. IPI is the source for that.”

Sustainability will also play a big role in the next few years, she says, as it will in the rest of the world. “We’re trying to get people to think about alternative modes,” says Jackson. “If you live in a downtown, you might not have a car. You might rely on public transportation or a bike or a carshare option. In the last five to 10 years, all of that

has integrated and weaved its way into the transportation-parking marriage.”

Jackson says she’s excited for her term as IPI chair and ready to hit the ground running and she’s looking forward to putting her unique background and perspective to work on a new level. “We as a group of people represent an important industry,” she says.

“We are gaining that recognition. Parking really matters.”

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With placard misuse common, some jurisdictions are finding effective strategies that improve parking for all.

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SOLUTIONS TO DISABLED-PARKING

PLACARD USAGE

BY MARK WRIGHT

T

he 100-foot walk from a parked car to a building entrance is nothing for most people, but it is a slow slog for someone gripping a walker or crutches and shuffling forward a few inches at a time. The trip is not especially fun in a wheelchair, either.

Drivers with mobility impairments aren’t looking for sympathy, but they want reasonable access and they don’t like being cheated out of it; hence their ire when finding parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities occupied. The odds are good that at least some of those spots are being illegally used by drivers who don’t need them.

“The value of a parking placard shouldn’t be that it is free,” says Carla Johnson, CBO, CASp, director, Mayor’s Office on Disability, San Francisco. “The true benefit is finding parking that is close to your destination.”

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B

esides upsetting those being cheated, such behavior by the able-bodied offends cultural norms about fairness. The typical human response to a suspected cheater—at least in most democratic societies—is a quick, heartfelt rebuke: “Hey, that’s not right. You can’t do that!”

In the U.S., parking placard abuse also subverts the intent and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was passed 25 years ago to help ensure that people with disabilities can access the same public spaces and services as everyone else. Indeed, nations around the globe have laws aimed at protecting disabled individuals in a variety of ways.

And while feeling cheated is bad enough, a driver with ambulatory limitations can feel downright violated when he or she is targeted by placard thieves. In Baltimore, Md., for example, 20 to 25 percent of disabled-parking placards were being stolen every month on average prior to recent reforms, fueling a burgeoning black market for them, according to Peter Little, executive director of the Baltimore City Parking Authority.

Moreover, how we define and communicate about placard problems requires clarity and sensitivity, notes Ken Husting, PE, senior transportation engineer in the

Parking Meters Division at the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. “There’s a distinction between misuse and abuse,” he says. “It’s a question of having the legal right to park in a spot versus ‘should’ they park in that spot.”

Laws themselves can further complicate the challenge, adds Johnson, who has been a member of the disability community since 1992 and has worked with disability rights laws since 1993; she joined the San Francisco Mayor’s Office in 2008.

“The current laws for disability placards have the right intention but the wrong outcome; they actually make it harder for people with disabilities to find accessible parking when and where they need it,” Johnson says.

Placard-usage difficulties—and solutions being explored and implemented—vary from city to city and state to state. (To adapt the late Tip O’Neill’s famous saying about politics: All parking is local. Likewise, disabled-parking issues.)

Solutions for Accessible (ADA) Parking Placard Abuse Parking professionals offered several potential solutions to the problem of ADA parking abuse in the recent Emerging Trends in Parking Survey conducted by IPI. A few survey questions were designed to elicit opinions on ongoing issues facing the parking industry and its consumers, including the rampant abuse of accessible (ADA) parking placards by those without impaired mobility. Asked to rate potential measures to alleviate the problem, 62 percent of respondents recommend doing away with free placards, and nearly half (49 percent) feel the industry should work with departments of motor vehicles (DMVs) and state agencies to make placards more difficult to obtain and use fraudulently. Enforcement measures, both consistent (51 percent) and targeted (29 percent), ranked second. Only 20 percent or fewer of those surveyed believe that various education efforts would be effective in eliminating placard abuse.

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How Can Accessible (ADA) Parking Placard Abuse Be Solved?

62%

Eliminating free parking for placard users

51%

Consistent enforcement Working with DMV and state agencies to make placards more difficult to obtain

49% 29%

Targeted enforcement Draft proposed model legislation in collaboration with a national accessibility organization

27% 20%

Education campaign targeted at user/abusers

17%

Education/alliances with advocacy groups Educating physician groups

INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

Improved signage

11% 8%

The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that states have experimented with a variety of measures to deal with outright scofflaws. Recent examples include: ●● Photo ID placards (Massachusetts, New Mexico, and South Carolina). ●● More-detailed verification statements from physicians (Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, and Washington). ●● Placards with more prominent expiration dates (New Jersey and Washington). ●● Tougher penalties (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey). ●● Databases of disabled permit holders provided to police by motor vehicle departments. ●● Disabilities-oriented community service for second-time offenders (Washington).

Tips to Consider Thanks to the work of a variety of jurisdictions, parking professionals need not reinvent the wheel when searching for placard usage answers. While every area surely faces its unique circumstances, commonalities abound. Consider these tips:

Define the problem: “My No. 1 best advice is to first

●●

determine the extent of the problem. Is it bad enough to do anything?”

—Gordon Dash, CAPP

Understand the problem: “Get to the root. Create a

●●

Raleigh: Everyone Pays In North Carolina, City of Raleigh Parking Administrator Gordon Dash, CAPP, found that placard abuse and misuse was mainly a convenience issue in the city because handicapped parking on the streets was free. Many people who simply wanted to park close to work commonly used placards to snag disabled-designated spots, leaving their vehicles there all day.

“When I came in 2007 this was going on quite a bit,” says Dash.

“There were no meters downtown at the time. When we put them in I started getting calls from merchants saying, ‘We have handicapped parkers parking here, so how are we going to solve that problem if they can sit there all day with impunity?’ ” The solution: Charge for on-street disabled parking but allow disabled parkers to pay for as many hours as they needed. It was a strategy that took time, television news reporters chasing after placard abusers, a business community willing to drive the issue forward with the city council, and political finesse to achieve.

“State law here says handicapped parking shall be unlimited,” says Dash. “Pricing is not even mentioned.”

Dash says the change eliminated almost all the abuse, except for those employees working at the state capitol.

“We’ve had no problems since 2010,” Dash says. “We saw all the immediate results in the first couple of months. We had to go zone by zone installing new meters, which took about eight months, but by that time, all the downtown core problems were gone.”

L.A. and D.C.: Considering Options In Los Angeles, a parking stakeholder working group identified California’s disabled-parking placard law as needing reform, which prompted the mayor’s office to have the city’s department of transportation and department on disability convene a staff working group to develop specific recommendations.

“We’re looking at a world of possibilities to see what makes the most sense,” says Ken Husting, PE, senior transportation engineer in the parking meters division at the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

Husting says staff is “discussing alternatives to strengthen enforcement and penalties, incorporate technology, address issuance parking.org/tpp

framework to address the real problem and not just the symptom.”

—Soumya Dey, PE

Know the relevant law: “For states that say disabled

●●

parking must be free, it’s impossible for the city to charge. But because North Carolina law didn’t say anything about it, we had flexibility.”

—Gordon Dash, CAPP

Take time to prepare internally: “We’re trying now to

●●

come up with all the tools at our disposal before we make a citywide effort.”

—Ken Husting, PE

Collaborate, communicate, and educate: “To change

●●

behavior we had to change people’s mindset about what the disabled-parking placard was for. Explaining that people with a physical limitation couldn’t use the old meters was an ah-ha moment that helped people understand.”

—Tiffany James

Anticipate obstacles and barriers: “Recognize barriers

●●

to clear communication. We’ve found that people are sometimes reacting to things we’re not even contemplating. We have had to explain different options and challenges so people don’t jump to conclusions.”

—Ken Husting, PE

Define success and evaluate regularly: “We are

●●

monitoring results on an ongoing basis.”

—Diane Dulken

Share credit generously: “A lot of credit goes to the

●●

mayor’s commission on disabilities—particularly its executive director, Nollie Wood Jr.—for Project Space’s phase-one success.”

—Peter Little

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“The current laws for disability placards have the right intention but the wrong outcome; they actually make it harder for people with disabilities to find accessible parking when and where they need it.”

being used, what is the turnover rate? We are looking at those who have placards but are not turning over. We want to take away the incentive for abuse.”

Because their exploration process is ongoing, Dey and colleague Evian Patterson, citywide parking division manager, are not ready for details to be published.

Parts of the mix will likely include looking at reserved spaces for people with disabilities, the amount of time that should be allowed beyond the posted time, meter heights, and fee-related changes.

“We’re working with the ADA community to see if programs are working or not and addressing the need for persons with disabilities at the curbside,” says Dey. “We have to listen and meet with the community, hear their concerns, address their concerns, and use this as a vehicle to improve the parking experience for all.”

“It’s a very sensitive issue for the millions of visitors who come here from around the world, as well as the commuters who come into the city from around the region,” adds Patterson. “The District is in a unique position in a legislative context. We rely on developing standards and rulemaking, with guidance and communication from the rest of the region.”

Patterson says they’ve been looking closely at the steps taken by nearby Arlington County, Va., and Baltimore.

Baltimore: Big Results

of the placards, and remove the incentive for the misuse of placards.” Draft recommendations could be out in about six months, he says, but the process is taking longer than initially thought.

“Unfortunately, the most meaningful changes that will likely come out of the working group will need to be adopted at the state level,” Husting explains. “The recommendations on policies we do control will probably go through the commission on disability, the city council, and the mayor.”

The L.A. effort is similar in scope to the disabled-­parking review San Francisco has been going through, although San Francisco’s is much further along, Husting notes.

L.A.’s objective to remove incentives for unintended placard usage is shared by the District of Columbia.

Soumya Dey, PE, director of research and technology transfer for the D.C. Department of Transportation, and his team have been hard at work for several years considering the pros and cons of various approaches to the placard usage puzzle.

“We look at it from an occupancy perspective in a few parts of the city,” says Dey. “How many placards are

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The rampant theft and illicit sale of placards noted earlier was just one element of a parking system in Baltimore that left on-street disabled spaces in short supply. In an attempt to create 15 to 20 percent disabled-parking space availability on the street, the city raised rates to help shift long-term parkers into garages. The move backfired.

“It actually exacerbated the abuse of placards when we raised the rates,” says Peter Little, executive director of the city’s parking authority. “There was an explosion of abuse.”

To combat the problem, the city’s parking division got together with the mayor’s commission on disabilities and developed an ambitious plan called Project Space.

Its goal: Create a space for everyone.

“We started meeting with the commission four years ago,” says Little. “Then phase one launched in mid-July of last year throughout a large area downtown.”

Census data revealed that 10 percent of city residents had some type of mobility-restricting disability and would thus be eligible for a placard, so Little’s team reserved about 10 percent of on-street metered spaces for people with disabilities. They installed signs and single-space meters from IPS Group that accept credit cards and coins.

“We did not have any ordinances or laws dictating that people with disabilities should get free parking,”

explains Little. “But the old crank-style meters were not ADA compliant. A state law says that if a person with a disability parks at a meter they should be able to park for double the duration of the meter, or up to four hours. So we set that for the new meters and the regular meters.”

Months prior to implementing the meter changes, the division launched a major public information campaign, led by Tiffany James, Baltimore City Parking Authority communications manager, with design and implementation support from a public relations firm.

(The campaign was named one of four Best of 2015 winners of IPI’s Parking Matters® Marketing & Communications Awards.) They also briefed city and state politicians months in advance.

Prior to Project Space, says Little, 96 percent of metered spaces on select (central business district) blocks were occupied—and 72 percent of the people parked at those meters displayed a placard and stayed in those spaces for a very long time. “Now, those spaces are 77 percent occupied with availability of 23 percent—a dramatic increase.”

“We are at about 46 percent utilization of reserved metered disabled spaces, and we’d like to see that number go up as the word gets out,” says Little. “We’ve heard from people with disabilities that they are ecstatic about the on-street reserved spaces.”

He adds that Project Space has paid for itself during its first 10 months, recouping the approximately $600,000 the city invested in the initiative.

And the stolen placards? Little says theft has dropped to fewer than three per month.

Portland: Success Calls for disabled-parking permit reform in Portland, Ore., were commonplace less than two years ago, as levels of placard use—particularly downtown—were conspicuously high.

“Free parking was not working for the disabled or for downtown businesses,” says Portland Bureau of Transportation Public Information Officer Diane Dulken.

She says about one in nine vehicles parked downtown displayed a placard and tended to sit in the same space all day. That undermined the city’s goal of a healthy downtown that provided access for all.

After considerable study and citizen engagement, the city council passed a resolution in December 2013 to make a number of changes—including pay-to-park—to its disabled parking downtown and in three other areas.

Those took effect July 1, 2014. Dulken says the city did ample outreach and issued warnings before starting enforcement.

As the city explained on its website: “The new program extends parking meter times for people holding parking.org/tpp

Links & Resources Baltimore: morespace4all.com

●●

Chicago: cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/mopd/supp_info/information_

●●

for_motoristswithdisabilities.html

Hagerstown, Md.: hagerstownmd.org/index.aspx?nid=287

●●

Michigan: michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1585_49898---,00.html

●●

Portland: portlandoregon.gov/transportation/64922

●●

San Francisco: sfpark.org/how-it-works/accessible-parking-policy

●●

IPI’s Emerging Trends in Parking Survey: parking.org

●●

Disabled Parking Placards and adds 105 reserved parking spaces for people holding these placards, including 32 specifically for wheelchair placard holders.”

Dulken says the changes improved access and freed up spaces. In fact, she says, some of those 105 reserved spaces often go unused.

More Examples Big cities are not the only ones to tackle disabled-parking usage issues. Hagerstown, Md., founded in 1762 and now home to about 40,000 people, requires payment at all of its meters, including those used by placard holders.

Parking professionals who responded to IPI’s recent Emerging Trends in Parking Survey said by a wide margin (62 percent) that free placards for disabled drivers should become a thing of the past. Nearly half (49 percent) said the parking industry should work more closely with state departments of motor vehicles and other agencies to make placards more difficult to obtain and use fraudulently.

Donald Shoup, PhD, recently retired from University of California, Los Angeles, has written about other jurisdictions opting to charge for disabled parking, including Arlington County, Va. He has also cited Michigan and Illinois as variations on charging all disabled-parking placard holders. Those states adopted a two-tier system based on the disabled person’s level of mobility impairment. Those with severe limitations park free, while the rest pay.

Have you addressed disabled parking abuse? Found success or encountered challenges with permits?

IPI is working on this issue and wants to hear what you’ve done and your concerns, thoughts, and ideas.

Please email Helen Sullivan at sullivan@parking.org and use ADA Abuse as the subject line.

MARK WRIGHT is a freelance writer. He can be reached at mark@wrightscontent. com.

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Suicide can happen in your garage.

What one parking professional learned about preventing tragedy.

SAVING LIVES

By Larry J. Cohen, CAPP

T

HIS IS THE STORY I NEVER WANTED TO WRITE. I have published many stories over the years but fought the urge to share my experiences on a topic we would hope to never encounter as parking professionals: dealing

with a suicide from one of our garages. Part of my reasoning? I didn’t want to be known as the “parking garage suicide expert.” Can you blame me?

But that was a selfish thought, and after a lot of reflection, I believe sharing my experiences in dealing with a rash of suicides from our garage during the past two years and providing both reactive and proactive measures will make this my most important article.

If my story motivates you to put initiatives in place for suicide prevention and saves lives, there really isn’t a better one to be written.

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Fencing and signage was installed on the garage’s top floor.

An Iconic Site?

During the past two years, I have dealt with five suicides at one of our garages.

The Prince Street Garage (also home to my office) has become an iconic symbol in our community. Iconic is good and bad: The structure is the highest open-air facility in the downtown with a great view from the roof. The diversity of activities on the roof is like a center city square. In one typical week, a commercial was filmed, the next day we caught folks having sex in a car, the following day we found a drug user shooting up, and the next weekend had a sunbather and then a wedding party taking pictures with the beautiful city and country hills in the background.

Can your garage become an iconic site? Like many bridges and other highly visible, easily accessible locations (e.g., the Golden Gate Bridge), you may not have a choice. But how do you deal with it from a suicide prevention perspective?

Having dealt with suicides in the past at other parking programs I have overseen, the garage was never the focal point of a suicide but just the place where the suicide occurred. Several cases included individuals parking.org/tpp

with terminal cancer deciding they didn’t want to go through that kind of slow painful death, so they went directly from the hospital to the garage and jumped.

It’s a terrible situation, but the blame and focus were never on the garage.

I had a hard time understanding why the focus would be on the facility and not the person and what would cause them to commit such an unimaginable act.

Iconic site or not, after three suicides in a two-month span, I decided that an aggressive proactive game plan was warranted.

Policies The first action was to establish a zero-tolerance policy for anyone on the roof of the garage who wasn’t coming to/from a vehicle, regardless of his or her reasoning. Even if the reason for being on the garage is to take a picture or conduct a video shoot, permission is required.

The next step was to put in place no-trespassing signage within the guidelines of the city defiant-trespass warning. With these signs posted in place, staff and police could enforce our internal zero-tolerance policy for pedestrians on the roof.

After three suicides in a two-month span, I decided that an aggressive proactive game plan was warranted.

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Fencing was installed on the top two floors of a tall garage to serve as a suicide deterrent.

No matter what you do, there is no 100 percent guarantee of avoiding future suicides by installing fencing.

Make sure your stakeholders are aware of that!

36

Partners in Prevention I put together a Suicide Summit of law enforcement, community members, board members, staff, and mental health professionals from the city, county, and state to discuss how we could best deal with the situation of suicides from the garages.

Not surprisingly, from this group was an overwhelming response in support of prevention as the best possible solution. One of the initiatives we undertook included posting suicide prevention posters with a local crisis number to call, instead of the national suicide prevention hotline. Mental health professionals felt the response would be better with a local number.

We also discussed installing a direct hotline phone strategically placed at areas on the roof. Ultimately, we decided to defer this initiative as the cost/benefit didn’t seem to make the most sense at the time.

Training Managers, several staff members, and I went through suicide prevention training. There are several good programs available for non-health care professionals.

The one recommended to us is called QPR for “Question, Persuade, and Refer.” At the end of the three-hour session, my staff felt comfortable that if they encountered someone on the roof or over the phone, they would be able to talk to them until police were contacted and respond to the scene. To date, we have encountered several other individuals contemplating suicide and have kept them from harming themselves.

We now know how to handle a potential suicide situation, but just as important is asking how your staff, and potentially even customers, will handle a suicide scene. Are they emotionally prepared? Not to be morbid, but there are some people who can view a

INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

dead body on the sidewalk and not be affected while others will feel traumatized dealing with something no one should have to see in their lifetime. Be prepared to deal with your staff and anyone else who may encounter any aspect of a suicide and offer professional help to those in need.

Legal and Insurance After seeking input from various legal professionals, insurance providers, and peers, I struggled for a long time with what action should be taken to stop the pattern of suicides from the garage. The issue was also debated in newspaper editorials with historical facts of incidents over the years throughout the country. But it basically boils down to “you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” Half the attorneys and insurance professionals say you must do something because you have been put on notice based on the number of incidents that have occurred in a relatively short period of time.

The other half say if you do something such as putting in place a physical barrier, you should do the same to the entire garage and all your other garages to ensure you keep the same level of consistency. For someone who is usually firm in his decisions, I deliberated on this issue a very long time. Your specific situation and pertinent input from key stakeholders will help you determine which direction you go.

Security Measures Fencing

Garages are not prisons that keep pedestrians from moving in and out freely. In many cases it is not feasible to retrofit an entire garage with fencing, whether for suicide prevention or theft. But there are cases in

which this has happened.

Cost is a major consideration, even though there should not be cost associated with saving lives. The reality is cost is always a consideration, especially for a small municipal authority. But this is what we faced as we worked toward eliminating the iconic landmark status of our garage as a suicide destination.

I decided to fence the top two levels of the garage. Bids came in at between $40,000 and $120,000 for the two upper levels of one garage. If you choose fencing, make sure you use small chain-link fencing that’s at least eight feet high, which prohibits someone from climbing the fence if they somehow have the strength and motivation to do so. Recent precedent for garage fencing comes directly from iconic suicide bridges that include the Golden Gate, whose authority has budgeted millions of dollars for fencing and netting.

Even with this financial commitment, someone can still jump by just moving down several levels lower. We made the commitment to do something; the caveat is that this does not eliminate the potential for suicides in the future but eliminates this happening from the roof.

Suicides can happen from the second level of a garage.

But this was our first step as a deterrent. Fencing in other areas can be added in the future. No matter what you do, there is no 100 percent guarantee of avoiding future suicides by installing fencing. Make sure your stakeholders are aware of that!

Geofencing

We explored geofencing as an alternative and/or addition to chain link fencing. Geofencing technology provides closed-circuit television camera coverage in a layout specific to your structure that provides for alerts and notifications that you specify. If someone penetrates that invisible barrier, many things can happen—a zoom-in on his or her face, to a voice coming from a loudspeaker, to bright white lights illuminating. The best example of the use of this technology is to alert operations to someone jumping a fence at a nuclear power plant. The motion triggers an alert that someone is climbing a fence. The person monitoring the system reacts by an established script on how to react. Will this system alert you to someone on the roof? Yes. Can this be a deterrent to a suicide? Maybe. But maybe it causes the individual to run and jump out of panic. parking.org/tpp

Security Patrols

With zero-tolerance for anyone on the roof, staff who drive company vehicles are directed to pass through the roof level prior to returning to the office. This provides for a level of eyes and ears within the facility on a consistent basis. At night, we park one of our logo-marked vehicles at strategic locations throughout the garage, giving anyone walking in that area the sense that personnel are nearby and inferring that they are not alone in the facility, whether late at night, early morning, or daytime.

If you were to lay a typical garage flat, the square footage would be the size of five football fields. It is simply impossible to cover all of it and be there at just the right time. The best we can do is provide physical security and give the perception that a person would be caught before being able to jump from one of our garages.

We scan police and hospital scanners. Many times, they will put out alerts that someone has left the hospital and may be heading over to the garage as they are contemplating jumping. This will give your operation a head start on a potential individual entering your facility.

Landscaping

Trees can be planted along the perimeter of garages to provide a deterrent against jumping from a location that does not provide an open landing area. Once again, it’s a terrible thing to think about, but in prevention of suicides from your garages, everything needs to be evaluated.

Dealing with the Press Whether we like it or not, suicides from garages are newsworthy. The local newspaper ran multiple stories with varying story angles when we experienced this situation. One story even outlined with dashes the path from the roof to the sidewalk, and up to five television stations covered the story.

Don’t feed into the sensationalizing of a tragic event.

As the spokesperson, stress as much as possible that the story on the subject include initiatives for prevention, awareness of mental health issues, and empathy. If you are not comfortable dealing with the press under these circumstances, take a media relations class; the one offered by IPI (parking.org) is excellent.

I had been alerted by our mayor to avoid reading public comments in the paper, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to gauge public perception and reaction. I should have listened to our mayor. Many are mean-spirited, and some even said I was responsible for the suicides because I didn’t act quickly enough to deter the next one.

I encourage you to be proactive and prepared for what may never happen, rather than improvise when the unimaginable occurs. Begin the conversation now, before emotions, stress, and the media are at your door.

I hope it never happens in your facility, but I also hope you’ll learn from our experiences and be as prepared as possible.

LARRY J. COHEN, CAPP is executive director of the Lancaster (Pa.) Parking Authority.

He can be reached at lcohen@ lancasterparkingauthority. com or 717.299.0907.

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By Michele Ostrove

’s IPI Parking Matters Program Turns 5

®

As it celebrates its early success in changing attitudes within and outside the parking industry, the program is still working its magic

A

nyone who has been in the parking industry for more than five years has witnessed some profound changes, but perhaps none more remarkable than the the way it is regarded by others. As the

International Parking Institute’s (IPI’s) 2015 Emerging Trends in Parking survey recently confirmed, nearly half of the parking professionals polled feel that these past five years have seen an improvement in others’ perceptions of the industry.

It certainly is no wonder, given that some of the world’s most powerful media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, and CNN, and highly influential trade media are now conveying overwhelmingly positive messages about parking. When an NPR reporter says, “The parking industry tries to make your life easier by helping drivers get in and out of spaces as conveniently as possible,” anyone who’s been around for more than a few years knows that the industry wasn’t always viewed that way.

At least some of the credit for this extraordinary turnaround goes to Parking Matters®, IPI’s ­industry-wide public relations and marketing program to improve industry perceptions, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year.

By the late 2000s, the industry had long been struggling with an undeserved image problem. “When I was first being interviewed for a position with IPI, I was astonished at how complex and important parking was, yet the people working in the field got no credit for the enormous responsibility they shoulder and the expertise they need to be successful,” says IPI Executive Director Shawn Conrad, CAE, who

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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

came on board in 2008. “There was a major disconnect between the incredible work being done and the negative views people had of the industry. We hadn’t yet found a cohesive and comprehensive way to convey the expertise and all the many positive changes taking place.”

Conrad encouraged IPI’s Board members to take a leap of faith and tackle its image head-on with a multi-faceted public relations program. He tapped colleague Helen Sullivan, who developed similar successful programs for other industries, to share her experiences with IPI’s Board members and lay the groundwork for a positive parking program. “We had an enormous hill to climb,” says Conrad, “but I was confident we would be able to make inroads in changing people’s impressions.”

Parking Matters began with a document Sullivan likes to call the “Manifesto,” outlining a number of ambitious, long-term PR goals: to educate and increase awareness about the value of parking professionals among influential target audiences who could most benefit the industry, to generate positive media messages to change public perceptions, and to help those in the industry appreciate the value of their profession and attract people to the field.

“It is so rewarding to see just how much already has come to fruition,” says Sullivan, who has directed the program since its official adoption in 2010. “I’ll be the first one to acknowledge we have a long way to go, but we have accomplished a great deal of what we wanted in this first phase plus a few things we thought were pretty ‘blue sky’ at the time. It just shows that when an industry decides to harness the power of PR, great things can happen.”

lective self-concept by showcasing the critical role parking plays in the bigger picture of smart transportation, sustainable progress, economic development, successful downtowns, and livable cities.

“I personally respond differently now when someone asks me what I do for a living,” she says.

Building Respect Starts from Within

Having made headway in positively transforming the way the parking industry views itself, the Parking Matters program has conveyed that relatively newfound self-respect to key target audiences that directly affect the bottom line of the parking profession. The goal is to increase awareness of the vital role parking and parking professionals play in transportation, economic development and revitalization, traffic flow, college and university life, hospitality, commercial and residential real estate, sport and entertainment venues, retail, security, law enforcement, and more. Increasingly, parking professionals are being recognized for their specialized expertise and called in at

One of the core elements of the Parking Matters program is to give parking professionals better tools to appreciate—and communicate—how important their own careers are. “This isn’t about making parking professionals look good. They are good; in fact, they’re fantastic,” says Sullivan. “My job’s easy. I don’t have to make things up or gloss things over—I just have to tell our story.”

Cindy Campbell, past IPI chair, now staff, was one of the visionaries behind the Parking Matters program. She understands the challenges faced in recrafting the industry’s unwarranted poor image. Campbell says the program has elevated the industry’s colparking.org/tpp

Influencing Target Audiences that Directly Impact the Industry

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Parking Matters has brought about the intentional advancement of the industry through partnerships with and education of government officials, organizational-administrators, and the public about challenges faced and solved by professionals in the parking industry. Everyone benefits from more coordination and collaborative solutions thought about before projects are initiated, when there is time for proper input, budgeting, and planning to implement them correctly. These things do take time—much like turning a battleship—so we are starting to see better advance planning—better Gary A. Means, CAPP engagement, better partnerLexington Parking Authority ships.

“ I often have to give presentations or updates to our local city/county council.

Shortly after the Parking Matters video first came out, I began one of my presentations with it. The council remained engaged during the entire two minutes, and I saw heads nodding and smiles appearing on faces.

The video gave me confidence and credibility that I am a parking professional; our industry is about solving problems, and we need to be at the table. Nationally, it has been great to see the excellent feature stories and articles that the IPI Parking Matters program has initiated.”

“ The Parking Matters program has been a much-needed and very well-executed program that has elevated the reputation of the parking industry, improved our media presence, and enhanced the perceived professionalism of our entire industry.”

“ When I joined IPI five years ago, it was rare to see an article or news story about parking that wasn’t completely negative. Today, it’s not uncommon to see parking professionals weighing in on everything from child safety to philanthropic investments in local L. Dennis Burns, CAPP communities—and in every Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. medium, from local news“ The value of Parking Matpapers to “Good Morning ters is in its very name.

America!” In my opinion, Parking is no longer an the Parking Matters program afterthought. Parking now has helped elevate the imhas a seat at the table in age of the parking profesconversations about best sional in a way that is both practices in transportation good for the industry and and mobility. Effective for the communities we all parking management is serve.” valued as a key component Vanessa K. Solesbee of successful project impleKimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. mentation, land use policy decisions, and economic Debbie Hoffmann development.”

Texas A&M University Mike Estey Seattle Department of Transportation

the earliest planning stages of construction to avoid issues that might arise later on.

The expertise and dedication of Parking Matters Committee members during the past five years has contributed greatly to the program’s success. Few people have had as close a front-row seat to the process as committee Co-Chair and former IPI Board Chair Casey Jones, CAPP. Jones stresses that the key to effectively reaching target audiences is to first understand their individual needs and then frame the messages within the context of how industry can serve these customers. “It is all about us having a service orientation,” he says.

“When we communicate to people from the vantage point of how we can better serve them—how parking expertise can address the various issues they are facing—we speak in a language that is positive, and that has helped us succeed.”

Positive Impressions Fostered by the Media Untold numbers have been reached through affirmative articles about the parking industry placed in related trade publications, including American City and County, BOMA (Building Owners and Management Association), Building Construction & Design, Planning, Airport, Health Facilities Today, Government Buyer, Mass Transit, Public Sector Digest, College Services, and Government Technology, among others. Messages such as, “Tapping the expertise of experienced parking professionals at the earliest stages of planning any project can make all the difference” have continually reinforced the value of the profession and its forward-looking embrace of technology and sustainability.

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Sullivan is thrilled to have the media turning to IPI as a resource on parking. She points out that many trade publications that never considered parking as a topic for editorial coverage are now scheduling regular features, or in the case of Airport Revenue News, ongoing parking columns.

“We’ve had our share of fun consumer-oriented stories on local radio, TV news broadcasts, and even my favorite—a threepart ‘extreme parking’ segment on The Travel Channel,” she says.

“But the business media can have a much more powerful impact on the bottom line of the parking industry—opening up the eyes of hospital, airport, and university decision-­makers and city elected officials about the benefits of including parking professionals when new projects are planned.”

Helping the Public by Promoting Parking Safety As is often the case with a business, industry, or association, there is much to be gained by embarking on public service initiatives, and finding ways to help the public has proved to be particularly rewarding for IPI. Under the umbrella of Parking Safety Matters, IPI has engaged in two public service initiatives since 2010: Preventing heatstroke among children in parked cars and parking education for teen drivers (in partnership with AAA Mid-Atlantic and the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education). A third program, on parking tips for seniors, also with AAA as a partner, is in the works. These messages are continually reinforced in press outreach and augmented by other seasonal, topical articles, such as smart parking strategies during the holidays.

These prove to be a win-win for everyone, says Sullivan—they attract media attention, delivering a wide audience and the ability to reach significant numbers of people with potentially life-saving safety measures, and they naturally showcase the parking industry in a very positive light.

Conrad feels that it goes even deeper than that. “It is our responsibility and obligation as an industry to promote the public’s safety,” he says. “The industry didn’t always see how critical that role is, and the program has given us the tools and resources to really make a difference, change the dynamic, and save lives.”

Recognizing Initiative within the Industry In 2014, IPI inaugurated the Parking Matters Marketing & Communications Awards to recognize members who have enlightened audiences about the value of parking expertise, communicated about parking and transportation options and technologies, improved parking efficiencies, or otherwise conveyed positive parking messages that have helped advance the profession. “We wanted to shine a spotlight on organizations that are employing creative and effective measures to improve the image of parking,” says Conrad. “Productive marketing tells a story that builds a customer base, boosts revenue, and supports communications goals.”

The awards not only provide a vehicle for sharing positive program ideas; they are also a way to help professionals feel good about the jobs they are doing, says Conrad. “We have a terrific story to tell, and this is a great way to tell it,” he says. “But the awards have had an equally profound effect on the industry itself.

When you showcase excellence and success, it breeds more excellence and success. Our members become inspired by their colleagues’ work, and that creates an exponential benefit.”

Connecting Parking to Environmental Sustainability Perhaps the single-greatest paradigm shift for the parking industry has been toward sustainability, and many credit the Parking Matters program with helping alter people’s perspectives. The establishment of IPI’s Sustainability Committee—an idea first presented in the original Parking Matters plan—grew the association’s Framework on Sustainability for Parking Design, Management, and Operations, a continually evolving document that outlines the industry’s ambitious sustainability goals.

“As recently as five years ago, anyone who uttered ‘parking’ and ‘sustainability’ in the same sentence would have earned a good laugh,” Conrad says. Today the industry is being singled out for its progressive and proactive embrace of sustainable new technologies—largely as a result of the consistent efforts of Parking Matters.

A recent article in Government Buyer magazine is just one of many that have touted the parking industry parking.org/tpp

as a model for sustainability: “Along with technological improvements, the parking industry has been revolutionized by a heightened environmental awareness, with parking professionals assuming active roles in fostering sustainability,” it said.

Sullivan says sustainability and technology have aligned to support the affirmative messages behind the Parking Matters initiative. “From the revolution in technology to the focus on sustainability, everything just coalesced to create this perfect storm,” she says. “This could never have been achieved by individual companies working alone; it takes an association to do it credibly.

It’s remarkable to see the collective karma that has powered our success, and what can be achieved when an association takes matters into its own hands.”

Educating Parking Professionals for an Ever-Changing Future One of the benefits of Parking Matters yet to be realized is the influence it will have on future generations of parking professionals. It has paved the way for unprecedented enthusiasm for pursuing a career in the industry—so much, in fact, that courses of study on parking at higher institutions of learning are now being considered. IPI is currently working with institutions that offer urban planning degrees, including MIT, to incorporate parking knowledge into the curriculum. IPI Immediate Past Chair Liliana Rambo, CAPP, has helped direct the industry’s focus on education and predicts that a complete, ­university-level parking program may be on the horizon.

“Typically, people have entered the parking profession accidentally while they were in college, and then 25 years pass by, and they see that it is so much more than they ever originally thought,” she says. “As we continue to frame the profession through Parking Matters, we can attract more professionals to pursue the field because it offers so much—whether they are into technology, community development, business, service, or whatever.

Judging from the relationships we are building with academics, I expect that we will see many more coming on board to support this growing industry.”

When you combine these interrelated elements, it is clear that the picture now being painted of the parking industry is radically different from that of just a few years ago. “We’ve come very far, but still have a long way to go,” Sullivan says. “This was never designed to be a short-term program. You can’t just wave a magic wand and change perceptions overnight. But we are moving the needle in the right direction and will continue to do so.”

“To me, Parking Matters isn’t a fad, or a slogan, or a tagline,” adds Conrad. “It has become the fabric of our industry. With the help of this program, we have altered the way parking professionals think about themselves, and, ultimately, how others view the industry.”

MICHELE OSTROVE is a writer who frequently reports on industries and trade associations with innovative programs.

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

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UP FOR THE IPI launches the landmark Accredited Parking Organization program and introduces the industry’s first accredited organizations.

By David Hill, MA, CAPP, CD

T

hose of us approaching middle age are fortunate to have seen many firsts in our lives—first computer microchip, first mobile phone, first email message, first solar-powered airplane. I remember the first man on the moon; as a kid, I was glued to the television while Neil Armstrong announced his “small step for man and giant leap for mankind.“ While Neil was actually the one dropping off the ladder, the magnitude of collective effort and the scale of the accomplishment was glorious to be part of, even for one small spectator who was allowed to stay up much too late.

We are not often called upon to contribute to such an effort. These opportunities to utterly change and irrevocably elevate the way we view ourselves, our world, and our mission only come at key moments in our history.

Our environment must say to us, “Evolve and adapt or be consumed.”

A Watershed Moment Such a moment has arrived for the parking industry. As we continue to integrate parking business and operational activities more deeply into Smart City or other information-based complete mobility solutions, we are forced to more clearly and sharply define our role and contribution and voice our values and accomplishments so we are not consumed. As parking professionals, if we do not raise the bar for ourselves and our organizations, it will be done by others and we will ultimately lose most of the credibility and influence we have gained during the past 30 years.

The IPI Board of Directors identified this as a challenge at the 2011 IPI Conference & Expo in Pittsburgh and set about organizing a response. As Neil Armstrong was not available, the Board established a volunteer committee to investigate and propose a program for standards accreditation of parking organizations that

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CHALLENGE would be applicable in our own North American environment, as well as for other parking industry organizational environments around the world.

The Accredited Parking Organization (APO) program was envisaged to link with the renewed CAPP certification for individual accomplishment and would catalogue and codify current industry best practices so they could be taught in CAPP classes and close the loop in our professional education and recognition program. The initial committee members comprised a group of recognized and passionate deep thinkers in the industry: Dennis Burns, CAPP; Casey Jones, CAPP; Barbara Chance; Max Clark; Mike Drow, CAPP; Lee Bourque; Rachel Yoka, CAPP; and Vanessa Solesbee. David Feehan represented a solid stakeholder’s opinion, and I was asked to bring an international viewpoint (my committee members also hoped I would pay for lunch). Christine Stewart and Anne Guest joined the team in 2013.

The Board of Directors made it clear that this was to be no one-way trip to Mars. The Accreditation Committee was expected to boldly do what no one had done before: return with a product that could be rolled out to the entire industry and get it done within its five-year mission mandate.

The composition of the team was key to getting the job done. All seasoned professionals with individual skills and accomplishments in the industry, the group took some time to gel. As with any launch into the unknown, it was rather shaky and uncomfortable at times and loud and scary at others, but once we gained enough latitude to see the big picture—the key elements of practice and creativity that make our industry unique—we stabilized around a concept and means of delivery that could parking.org/tpp

be equally applied to industry scope from airports to medical centers and to scale from enforcement to real estate investment, and we achieved the developmental equilibrium that allowed us to make headway.

Working as volunteers, progress was slow but hurried along as we made more opportunities to collaborate.

The committee achieved several breakthroughs at last year’s IPI Conference in Dallas and moved toward a draft accreditation program concept. By summer, the draft was suitable for beta testing and several IPI stalwart organizations stepped up to the plate. The intrepid Beta Bunch—City of Missoula, Cornell University, City of Houston, University of Washington, and Miami Parking Authority—provided their time, patience, and cooperation while the committee worked through themes and theories and applied practical content to real-world best practices.

The result, which launched at the 2015 IPI Conference in June, is a combination of self-audit checklist and physical site review that ensures that each accredited organization stands in the top 30 percent of our industry; it also provides a special recognition for those in the top 5 percent. Recognition is given within the industry and is also significantly targeted at stakeholders and the general public, with the goal of educating average people to the level of facility and service quality they should expect for their parking dollar. Over time, the Accredited Parking Organization designation will raise the bar to ensure continuing relevance and growth for parking professionals around the world.

APO is a reality. The only question is are you up for the challenge? Answer that at parking.org/apo. ➜

The Board of Directors made it clear that this was to be no one-way trip to Mars. The Accreditation Committee was expected to boldly do what no one had done before: return with a product that could be rolled out to the entire industry and get it done within its fiveyear mission mandate.

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

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THE FIRST CLASS

OF APOS Cornell University Department of Transportation and Mail Services Cornell University’s Department of Transportation and Mail Services provides leadership in developing and implementing comprehensive, economical, flexible, efficient, and sustainable programs to facilitate the movement of people, vehicles, mail, and packages.

Cornell is committed to operating in an environmentally responsible manner and encourages low-impact travel whenever possible. Transportation Services supports the university’s sustainability goals by offering and encouraging alternatives to the single-occupant vehicle through the employment of transportation demand management strategies, promotion of active transportation, and generous access to public transit.

The department recently hosted the inaugural Ivy Plus Transportation Conference (see p. 16 for more) and became the first university to achieve Green Garage Certification for the Forest Home Garage.

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Miami Parking Authority The Miami Parking Authority (MPA) manages and operates affordable and convenient parking facilities in the City of Miami. It manages more than 31,000 parking spaces and provides parking for approximately 6 million vehicles every year. MPA is one of the largest municipal parking authorities in the country and is highly regarded in the parking industry as a leader and innovator.

The authority was created in 1955 by a special act of the Florida Legislature and incorporated into the City of Miami Charter in 1968. It is a semi-autonomous agency, fully self-funded, and receives no property tax support.

MPA’s mission is to meet the community’s parking needs by working in partnership with and being responsible to internal and external customers by continually and measurably improving performance and striving for excellence in all aspects of the businss.

MPA’s planners, working closely with city officials and private developers, have built and proposed a number of developments that bring new life to neighborhoods. These developments and the revenue they generate support public safety, drive consumer and commercial traffic into business districts, enhance development programs, and add to Miami’s quality of life. parking.org/tpp

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

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Missoula Parking Commission The Missoula Parking Commission (MPC) is located in Missoula, Mont., a cultural hub in the heart of the Rocky Mountain West and home to the University of Montana and its 15,000 students. With a population of 80,000, Missoula is home to one of the most vibrant and diverse downtowns in the Pacific Northwest.

Since 1971, MPC has been a leader in supporting downtown Missoula’s vibrancy and securing future economic development opportunities through quality parking management. With the mission to work with government, businesses, and citizens to provide and manage parking and parking alternatives, the MPC identifies and responds to changing parking needs and opportunities. Functioning as an enterprise fund, the MPC is governed by a five-member board of directors appointed by the mayor and approved by the city council.

Under the leadership of Anne Guest for 23 years, MPC is a comprehensive parking program that includes administration, enforcement, collections, and mainte-

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nance. With 12 employees, MPC manages approximately 1,100 on-street metered spaces and 1,275 off-street parking spaces in 12 lease lots and operates three parking structures that offer both short- and long-term parking.

Its jurisdiction extends beyond the central business district and includes a residential parking permit program adjacent to the University of Montana.

MPC’s Park Place parking structure received the 2014 IPI Award of Excellence for Architectural Achievement, and Parking Enforcement Officer Cyndie Winchell received the 2009 IPI Parking Staff Member of the Year Award for her outstanding service.

City of Houston Parking Management Division The City of Houston Parking Management Division (PMD) strives to develop a superior, customer-oriented parking system, responding to the current and future needs of the citizens, visitors, employers, and property owners. Through active planning, management, community partnerships, and communication, the division collaborates with stakeholders to make parking a seamless transition to the customer’s ultimate destination.

Its parking programs provide customized management plans and services unique to each urban area, business district. and neighborhood.

As a division of the administration and regulatory affairs department, PMD services and maintains more than 9,200 on-street parking spaces and 19 parking facilities. PMD partners with other city departments to create sound, data-driven regulations for all commercial and residential areas to enhance pedestrian safety, support mobility, and ensure that emergency vehicles reach their destinations.The division actively works to raise awareness of parking safety while supporting public transit initiatives.

As a solution-focused partner, PMD supports the City of Houston’s economic development goals by providing superior customer service, investing in cutting-edge technologies, and building active partnerships with diverse stakeholder groups from across Houston. Its vision is to establish a premier municipal parking organization for the greater Houston area.

parking.org/tpp

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

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University of Washington Transportation Services Acknowledging its role as a vital first impression for visitors, employees, and students arriving at the University of Washington campus, Transportation Services (TS) is dedicated to providing customers an exceptional experience and a lasting impression of Husky hospitality. The department provides clean, safe, and convenient parking resources, as well as services that make other modes of travel to campus—transit, walking, and biking—easier and more cost-effective options for members of the UW community with varying needs.

DAVID HILL, MA, CAPP, CD, is CEO of Clayton Hill Associates and chair of IPI’s Accreditation Committee. He can be reached at david@ clayton-hill.com.

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TS is an evolving organization comprised of closely linked work groups that include shuttles, fleet, parking and parking maintenance, enforcement, sales, and commute options. All are united in a shared mission to provide innovative and sustainable transportation solutions that facilitate the educational, research, cultural, and service missions of our university.

The department’s vision is to be the provider of choice for its customers and to serve as a model of excellence for our industry.

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caPP is a rigorous certification program that covers seven topic areas: I. General Knowledge II. General Management III. Operations Management IV. Financial and Operational Auditing V. Federal, State, and Local Laws VI. Marketing and Public Relations VII. Analysis and Application of Technology

IPI IN ACTION EVENT

PARK YOUR PARK NEXT MONTH

By Rachel Yoka, CAPP, LEED AP BD+C

H

ave you heard of PARK(ing) Day? From a single temporary park in 2005 to nearly 1,000 tiny parks around the world in 2011, PARK(ing) Day has grown by leaps and bounds. An annual worldwide event in which artists, designers, and citizens get creative, this movement takes metered parking spots and turns them into temporary public parks.

Dreamed up by San Francisco art group Rebar, PARK(ing) day quickly spread around the world, involving everyone from design groups to law firms to— you guessed it—parking organizations in a one-day celebration of tiny, temporary parks in parking spaces.

This year, it’s your turn.

Parking Professionals Challenged IPI would like to challenge our members and friends to take part. Our members know the value of an on-street parking space, as well as that of a pocket park. Why not blend the two to show our communities that parking professionals really do get it? We understand the complex interaction that can make our city streets (and public spaces in general) vibrant and captivating.

We know parking isn’t just about cars, it’s all about people, mobility, and transportation systems that work together to build community. Who knows better how to transform a parking space than the leading organization of parking professionals?

The city of Ithaca, N.Y., may provide us with some inspiration – the mayor himself turned his private space into free parking for all his friends. As part of the IPI/ GPC/TimHaahs/City of Fort Lauderdale Greening the Lot project in 2013, the city went above and beyond to create a parklet out of the spaces in the highly visible Orchid Lot that serves City Hall. Examples abound—and we thought it fitting that IPI members should add our unique perspective to this one day event.

Your Mission RACHEL YOKA, CAPP, LEED AP BD+C, is IPI’s vice president of program development. She can be reached at yoka@ parking.org.

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Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is as follows: Go do your homework at parkingday.org. The site has great examples and ideas, although we know you will have plenty of your own. Sign up through the site and download the manual. (Yes, they provide a full manual and FAQ on how to make this a visible and successful program.)

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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

Ithaca, N.Y., enjoys a permanent parking-space parklet thanks to its mayor, who gave up his reserved spot in favor of providing “free parking” for everyone in town.

Let us you know you plan to participate by sending an email to yoka@parking.org. ●● On PARK(ing) Day, post your best photos to IPI’s Facebook Page (facebook.com/IPI.InternationalParkingInstitute) with the hashtag #IPIParkingDay. ●● Use all your social media channels to get the word out, and have a little (or a lot of ) fun with it. ●● IPI will select the best submission from our members and friends in late September, and the winning team will receive their own Parking Matters® swag bag and, of course, bragging rights. We will feature multiple submissions in The Parking Professional this fall to show just how innovative and inspiring our members can be.

This event is happening in just a few weeks—the third Friday in September 2015. So get your team ready and put your thinking caps on.

Oh, and don’t forget to pay the meter. Friendly but not free, right? ●●

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Taking an International Parking Institute online course is the easiest and best way to enter, advance, and excel in the rapidly-evolving parking profession. These affordable, self-paced courses are designed to provide essential information in an easily-digested format. Train your entire staff. Six courses are available now, with more on the way.

Want to learn more? Go to parking.org/onlinecourses

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parking.org

STATE & REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT PARKING ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA

PARKING IN THE PINES: THE 2015 PAG CONFERENCE ON THE GLOBALIZATION OF PARKING

By Becky Smyth

W

elcome to the ever-changing, ever-expanding, new world of parking, transportation, mobility, technology, and people needing each other to be successful!

The 2015 Parking Association of Georgia (PAG) Conference featured two and a half days of educational sessions, networking, and exhibitors demonstrating how to expand our parking world. The gathering of parking professionals from throughout the state of Georgia and beyond was a huge success, and the venue promoted a great environment to socialize and talk about the business of parking.

This year’s conference was held at beautiful Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga. The conference drew more than 31 exhibitors and 130 attendees who learned, played, and made new parking friends while enhancing existing friendships. Overall, it was the most highly attended conference we have held since PAG began.

One of the reasons the conference was so successful is that we held it at a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind.

The conference kicked off early in the morning with a golf tournament at the Mountain View Course, and though there were conflicting stories about who won, who hit the longest drive, and who carried his/ her team, many lasting friendships were created. Most importantly, we are very proud to announce that $500 was raised through our annual mulligan sale. The money was donated to the golf course’s charity of choice, the

Callaway Foundation for Youth. The local golf professional was ecstatic about the donation.

Education The conference’s educational sessions began with an exciting presentation by Andrew Van Epps, an FBI coordinator, called “Active Shooter: the Role of Parking and Transportation.” Each conference session was geared toward expanding and fine-tuning parking operations on all levels. Sessions included: ●● On-Street Parking in Decatur, Georgia. ●● Everything You Need to Know about EMV.

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Improving Security, Lighting, Cash Flow.

Mobile Payments. ●● Connected Vehicles. ●● Creating a New Main Street by Using Parking.

Each session was well-attended and engaging as the attendees posed several questions to our experts. ●● ●●

Socializing To help kick back and relax after a long day of educational sessions and visiting the exhibit hall, we ended Thursday evening with our Georgia Pig Pickin’ Party, which included a whole roasted pig. The party was held on the lawn of the Lodge at Callaway Gardens on a beautiful evening. This was a relaxing networking event with live music, great food, an outdoor fire pit, and even a cornhole competition; just like the earlier golf tournament, ●● Staff Member of the Year: Teddy Yallah, Georgia Tech. there are still conflicting stories on who won. The event ●● Professional of the Year: David Santa Ana, CAPP, rounded out a productive day of making new contacts Georgia Tech. ●● President’s Award: Mike Cosby, University of Georgia. and friends for attendees and vendors alike.

No conference can succeed without the support of Each of these individuals is a rock star at his or her industry-related sponsors. The 2015 conferrespective institution or place of business. Congratulations to all! ence was well-supported by some of Save the Date the leading firms in the parking The conference ended on 2016 Parking Association of industry.

Friday with two very spirited Georgia Conference Our generous sponsors inroundtable shop talks by industry Jekyll Island Club Hotel cluded ParkingSoft; ITR/Amaleaders in university and muApril 27–29 no McGann; Aiphone; Res-Tek; nicipal parking operations. These AIMS/EDC; Quickit; ParkMobile; discussions promote great interaction Zenitel; Transcore; T2 Systems; Timothy Haahs between owners, vendors, and consultants, and and Associates, Inc.; The Housing Company; CramZ several challenges and new ideas were presented, deMarketing; TIBA; and Alliance Bus. Our heartfelt thanks bated, and openly discussed. As in previous years, the go out to these firms. roundtable discussions were a great way to close out the conference.

Awards and Events The 2015 PAG Spring Conference continues to raise Each year the Parking Association of Georgia recog- the bar of PAG both in educational content and members. nizes parking professionals for their contributions to Moving forward, it is the mission of PAG to continue the industry and their respective parking operations or our efforts to help educate, expand, and reinforce the businesses. This year, we had several nominees from all important role that parking plays. We look forward to across the state, and picking winners was a real challenge. continuing this effort and growth in 2016, when we will Winners are: gather at the beautiful Jekyll Island Club Hotel. We will ●● Organization of the Year: Emory University Transpordevelop a theme that is consistent with the trends and tation and Parking Services. issues facing the parking industry. Everyone at PAG ●● Supervisor of the Year: Petra Anderson, Georgia Buildlooks forward to seeing old friends and new faces at ing Authority. the 2016 conference. parking.org/tpp

BECKY SMYTH is parking services manager for the office of downtown development, Rome, Ga. She can be reached at bsmyth@ romega.us.

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

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COMMUNITY DIGEST

TIM MALONEY JOINS SPOTHERO

On-demand parking service SpotHero announced at the 2015 IPI Conference & Expo that Tim Maloney joined the company as vice president of sales.

“SpotHero is focused on continuing to be the best partner possible for the parking industry,” says Mark Lawrence, CEO of SpotHero. “Given Tim’s background, he has intimate knowledge of what works best for operators. Now that he is a member of our team, we can ensure our company continues to meet and exceed the needs of our parking partners.”

Maloney spent the majority of his career at Propark, where he first served as senior vice president of the western U.S. In that role, he built a team of 1,000 employees and added 80 parking locations throughout the West Coast. After seven years, Maloney became executive vice president of national sales and shifted his focus from operations to growth. He established a national sales team that added 95 new locations to Propark’s inventory and oversaw the acquisition of Winpark.

“I’ve dedicated my entire career to the parking industry, and I have never seen something as revolutionary as what is happening right now with mobile reservations,” Maloney says. “In my previous position, I worked with almost all of the parking aggregators, and SpotHero is by far the one best positioned to help operators. I couldn’t resist the chance to work with SpotHero to help operators across the country leverage technology to grow revenue.”

Printek Launches New Mobile Printer PrintekMobile recently launched its new FieldPro 530 mobile thermal printer series. The FP530 printers will provide smartphone, tablet, and laptop users the ability to print receipts, work orders, invoices, tickets, or other documents right from their devices. The FP530L has the added capability of printing labels anywhere, anytime.

Like other PrintekMobile printers, the FP530 series is available in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cabled versions. This compact mobile printer features true 5-ips printing speeds, 6-foot drop survival, IP54 rating for water and dust, simple drop-in paper loading, and the latest battery technology providing full-shift printing in all configurations. The FP530 boasts a web-based interface to make printer configura-

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tion quick and easy, as well as extensive fonts, character sets, barcodes, and graphic capabilities.

Russ Corace, executive vice president, says, “We are extremely excited about the launch of this groundbreaking new mobile printer platform. The FP530 series, with its Postscript compatibility, its ability to print popular file types directly, its web-based configuration, and its ability to emulate other popular printer brands, is the easiest mobile printer to use and to integrate into business applications. It is only one of a series of revolutionary new products we will release in the near future, once again emphasizing Printek’s commitment to provide leading-edge mobile printers for the rapidly changing workforce.”

APT SKIDATA OPENS THE GATE TO ACCESS-IS APT SKIDATA introduced its latest batch of Access-IS barcode scanners. Now installed in hundreds of SKIDATA column solutions, the Access-IS LSR116 2D OEM barcode scanner is an integral part of a system’s overall performance and is a key factor in determining the user experience.

Of critical importance to customers specifying parking gates is the ability to process and release vehicles efficiently and reliably. Vehicle throughput is optimized, queues are minimized, and car park use and profitability are maximized. The LSR116’s ability to read tickets with almost zero latency and in any orientation from smartphones, tablets, and paper simplifies the main human

interaction significantly and allows for minimal instruction to be given.

The simple plug-in design, using just a single bracket, enables it to be quickly and cost-effectively integrated into the SKIDATA entry/exit devices. Its new sibling, the LSR118, now adds NFC functionary to the mix, further extending its capabilities.

Ben Walby, new product development manager, says, “The Access-IS device is designed for both indoor and outdoor environments and all weather conditions, giving us absolute flexibility when it comes to the positioning of our gates. It reads all of our required barcode symbologies and integrates seamlessly with the ­SKIDATA parking application.”

INDECT Completes Groundbreaking System at DFW Airport INDECT USA recently announced completion of a groundbreaking parking guidance installation at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal A. The $176 million program featured the installation of parking sensors in each of the terminal’s 6,050 covered spaces.

Mounted sensors are located above each parking space, offering a clear view to drivers of where open spaces can be found and what type of parking is permitted in an individual space. Different colors indicate each space’s status: green for available, red for occupied, blue for HP, and white for one-hour parking. The lights are clearly visible from several hundred yards away, and signage at the end of each driving aisle also indicates how many and what types of spaces are available adjacent to travellers’ departure gates.

The sensors also collect data about lengths of stay, occupancy, and usage. That data can be used to establish parking management strategies and regulations to better manage parking assets and ensure that travelers can easily get to and from the airport’s terminals.

“This is an extraordinarily important parking guidance project, and it sets the standard for other airports,” says Dale Fowler, director of INDECT USA. “This parking guidance program is already providing significant customer service benefits to DFW travelers

parking.org/tpp

while, at the same time, helping the airport to operate its parking resources more efficiently and profitably. As revolutionary as this technology is, it will be the standard in just a few years.”

The project also included the installation of 140 of INDECT’s Upsolut multi-space camera sensors to provide surveillance and control in the facility’s one-hour parking area. DFW becomes the first airport in the United States with camera-based sensors in its parking areas.

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COMMUNITY DIGEST

IDeaS Expands Car Parking Team, Focuses on Growth IDeaS Revenue Solutions has appointed Jim Short as senior account executive in its car parking division.

“Jim is joining IDeaS at one of the most exciting and challenging times for the car parking industry, especially with the intense competition and increasing commercial pressure for parking organizations like airports to maximize their non-aeronautical revenues,” says company Business Development Manager Pauline Oliver. “Jim’s experience in the industry provides an essential understanding of the financial and operational challenges faced by those responsible for growing parking revenues.”

Short has more than 20

56

years of experience working with organizations to enhance their business through technology, including his role as the U.K. business manager for Xerox Parking Services, where he led with barrier revenue control systems. Working with large cities, municipalities, and their commercial partners to deliver Smart City solutions, his most recent role involved working with both on- and offstreet parking operations to provide solutions to gather and transmit parking information, providing the capability to analyze the parking environment through data.

Short has been involved in major parking projects at many U.K. airports, including

INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

London Luton, and built successful partnerships with local authorities that include Westminster in central London.

“Parking organizations are very interested in seeing consolidated business information through enhanced analytics as they realize data intelligence, visualization, and insight will allow them to improve their customers’ experience and make better pricing decisions in their car parks,” says Short.

“The combination of innovation from IDeaS and worldclass analytics from SAS® makes our Car Park Revenue Management solution the best in the industry, and I am proud to be part of this dynamic team.”

Too close for comfort?

Not with Park Sentry

速

In the close confines of parking structures where space is at a premium and structural columns limit lines of site, collisions are a reality.

Park Sentry速 cushions the impact of collision damage; wrapping columns in a highly visible, energy absorbing material that withstands repeated impact and buffering vehicles and columns from costly dings, dents and scratches. Made of high-tech material, modular design; customizable to fit any size column or wall.

For additional information contact

Sentry Protection Products 1.216.228.3200 info@sentrypro.com www.sentrypro.com www.parksentry.com

parking.org/tpp

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Highlighted are IPI and IPI Allied State and Regional Association Events

August 19

September 21–22

September 23–25

IPI Webinar Developing a Strategic Plan for Your Parking Operation parking.org/webinars

Parking Design, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation Two-Day Seminar, presented by IPI Raleigh, N.C. parking.org

European Parking Association Congress and PARKEN Berlin europeanparking.eu/congress

September 23–25

Southwest Parking and Transportation Association Annual Conference Phoenix, Ariz. southwestparking.org

September 16 IPI Webinar Chinatown, D.C., Case Study: Multimodal Value Pricing Pilot and Curbside Management parking.org/webinars

Carolinas Parking Association Annual Conference and Trade Show Myrtle Beach, S.C. carolinasparking.org

September 24–25

September 27–30 Midwest Parking Association Conference Lawrence, Kan. mcpaonline.org

Looking for a multi-space solution that does more?

September 30–October 2 Pennsylvania Parking Association Annual Fall Conference Pittsburgh, Pa. paparking.org

October 7–8 IPI International Parking Conference Santiago, Chile parking.org

October 8

The flexible way to pay with coins, bills, credit cards, smart cards, value cards, and more. And as part of the open T2 UNIFI

™

Parking Management Platform, Digital Luke II integrates seamlessly into your complete

Dutch Parking Congress Amsterdam vexpan.nl

October 13 Mid-Atlantic Parking Association Fall Golf Outing Windsor Mill, Md. midatlanticparkingassociation.org

parking operation to increase revenues and improve the parking experience.

October 14 Mid-Atlantic Parking Association Fall Annual Conference Baltimore, Md. midatlanticparkingassociation.org

October 14–16 NYSPA Annual Conference & Exposition Buffalo, N.Y. nyspa.net

October 21 IPI Webinar Parking Construction: New Technology, Innovation, Practices, and Delivery parking.org/webinars

T2systems.com | 800.434.1502

DIGITAL_PARKING_PROF_HALF_ISLAND 4.75x7_AD_FINAL.indd 1

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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

6/15/15 2:17 PM

NEW AND RENEWING IPI MEMBERS ACADEMIC Austin Peay State University Michael Kasitz Kennesaw State University Debra Mahan Georgia State University Wayne Reed Southern Oregon University Jessica Wanderscheid Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Karen DiNovo Wake Forest University Alex Crist Georgia Southern University Kristi Bryant CarPark Joseph Gharib Auraria Higher Education Cente Dave Berry Boise State University Nicole Nimmons City of Houston Maria Irshad Simon Fraser University David Agosti University of Arkansas Gary Smith

Colorado Convention Center David Fields

Smart Citizen Damian Fernandez

Morgantown Parking Authority Dana McKenzie

CORPORATE

Mentis Services Jerome Le Dall

City of Albuquerque Angela Graham

Brookfield Laura Longsworth

ZIRX Patrick Horenstein

Macquarie Capital Rob Valentine

Southland Printing Co., Inc. Della Copp

American Museum of Natural History Anthony Paternostro

Capital City Development Corp.

R. Max Clark

Smart Parking Technology Ltd Patrick Hollins

SUPPLIER

Pacific Cascade Parking Equipment Corporation Mark Curtis

Prestige Parking & Technologies, Inc. Jay Francisco Envision Solar International, Inc. Morgan Coles Lanier Parking Solutions Glenn Kurtz Gorrie-Regan & Associates Scott Wilson InfoSend, Inc. Glen Everroad Optec LED Lighting Jeff Gatzow Electro Sistemas De Panama Eduardo Gonzalez Alvarado

University of Albany Jason Jones

Elisco Electronic Tickets and Parking Solutions (EETAPS) Jose Davila

University of Alaska, Anchorage Glenna Muncy

Transaction Services David Leppek

Arkansas State University Jonesboro David McKinney

Nice Group USA David Hoel

University of Wyoming Paul Kunkel University of Michigan, Parking Services Stephen Dolen

COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS The Airport Valet John Biebighauser MDistrict Park, LLC Ben Worku SCP Parking Sdn Bhd Choon Wong Bj Pakeying Technology Co,.Ltd Man Yunyu Aero Corporation Solomon Cramer Preferred Parking Service, LLC Jillian Cooper Citipark Jon Knobloch

parking.org/tpp

Northwest Bus Sales, Inc. Joe Wisner IPDisplays Anna Black Moneris Solutions Michael Hughes Bissell Commercial/ Haaga Sweepers Terri Foley Mesoamerica Parking Leonel Carias Rutz PayBySky, Inc. Bern Grush Parking Vault, Ltd. Cole McDowell Access Control Group, Inc John Chisum Inventive IT Gary Pyatt Meridian Specialty Vehicles David Ronsen

City of Glendale Tad Dombroski City of San Luis Obispo Jeff Brown City of Santa Ana Arturo Rodriguez

EDC Corp. (AIMS) Charles Genung

City of Atlanta Cotena Alexander

Commend, Inc. Thomas Reilly

Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce Blake Fry

AIRPORT

Missoula Parking Commission Anne Guest

Albany International Airport Katherine Ozarowski San Francisco International Airport Kevin Van Hoy

Wilmington Parking Authority Stanley Soja Union City Parking Authority Ramon Vasquez

McCarran International Airport Dan Busch

Bexar County Raul Talamantes

Austin Bergstrom International Airport Jerry Dinse

City of Charlotte Clement Gibson

Charleston County Aviation Authority Michael Heider Columbus Regional Airport Authority Tracey Pomeroy

CONSULTANT Graelic, L.L.C. Charles Ignatz Xerox Ellen Bell CHANCE Management Advisors, Inc. Barbara Chance

New Brunswick Parking Authority Mitchell Karon Urban Redevelopment Authority Helen Pereira City of Portland, Oregon Marni Glick Easton Police Department Matt Lohenitz Newark Parking Authority Ernest Booker City of San Jose Arian Collen Societe Parc-Autos du Quebec Jacques Dorval

DESMAN Associates Timothy Tracy

Downtown Lincoln Association Terry Uland

HOSPITAL-MEDICAL CENTER

RETIRED/TRANSITIONAL

JPS Health Network Eric LoBalbo

Gary Presswood Karl Boderck

PUBLIC

STUDENT

City of Wilmington, DE Linda Gibbs-Hunter

Or Adar Evin Blatt

Bethlehem Parking Authority Kevin Livingston

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

59

PARKING CONSULTANTS

DESMAN

Design Management National Parking Specialists Architects Structural Engineers Parking Consultants Planners Transportation Restoration Engineers

▪ Parking Structure Planning & Design ▪ Studies & Operations Consulting ▪ Restoration Engineering ▪ Structural Engineering

800-FYI-PARK carlwalker.com

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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

Boston Chicago Cleveland Denver Ft Lauderdale Hartford New York Pittsburgh Washington, D.C.

Green Parking Consulting

Providing Parking Solutions for Over 40 Years

w w w. D ES M A N . co m

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF SERVICE • Parking Facility Design • Restoration Engineering

Leverage Data | Metrics Guidance | Optimize Resources Safeguard Assets | Analysis Consensus | Reduce Risk Plan Effectively | Decisions Policies | Improve Service Innovate Smartly | Alternatives

• Parking Study Services

Providers of objective advice for more than 30 Years

800.860.1570 www.walkerparking.com

Philadelphia, PA n 215-564-6464 n www.chancemanagement.com Parking

n

Transportation

n

Access Management

Parking engineered to your needs

Jacob Gonzalez, P.E. 800.364.7300 WA LT E R P M O O R E . c o m

parking.org/tpp

Project Management Design Parking Consulting Structural Engineering Diagnostics

Traffic Engineering Civil Engineering Intelligent Transportation Systems

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

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ADVERTISERS INDEX

Aims (EDC Corporation). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 aimsparking.com | 800.886.6316

Parking Soft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 parkingsoft.com | 877.884.7275

Ameristar Booth & Building Structures. . . . . . . . . . . 26 ameristarbooths.com | 855.526.6847

Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute . . . . . . . . . . 19 pci.org/hpprecast | 312.786.0300

CHANCE Management Advisors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 chancemanagement.com | 215.564.6464

Rich & Associates, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 richassoc.com | 248.353.5080

Carl Walker, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 carlwalker.com | 800.FYI.PARK

Rydin Decal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 rydin.com | 800.448.1991

DESMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 desman.com | 877.337.6260

Sentry Protection Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 sentrypro.com | 888.265.8660

Duncan Solutions, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2 duncansolutions.com | 888.99.DUNCAN

Southland Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 southlandprinting.com | 800.241.8662

FAAC International, Inc. (Formerly Magnetic Automation Corp.). . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 faacusa.com | 321.252.4840

T2 Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22–23, 58 t2systems.com | 800.434.1502

Global Parking Solutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 globalparkingsolutions.com | 215.399.1475 Horoad Electronic Technology Development Co., Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 horoad.com | 0086 755 83209520 IntegraPark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3 Integrapark.com | 888.852.9993 IPS Group Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 ipsgroupinc.com | 858.404.0607 Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 kimley-horn.com/parking | 919.677.2090 Macurco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 macurco.com | 877.367.7891

PARKING BREAK

JIM BASS is landside operations manager at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, Little Rock, Ark. He can be reached at jbass@fly-lit.com or 501.537.7354.

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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

TagMaster North America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 tagmasterna.com | 866.615.5299 Timothy Haahs & Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 timhaahs.com | 484.342.0200 Toledo Ticket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 toledoticket.com | 800.533.6620 Walker Parking Consultants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 walkerparking.com | 800.860.1579 WALTER P. MOORE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 walterpmoore.com | 800.364.7300 Xerox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 xerox.com/transportation | 877.414.2676

5 ways you can save a child from dying in a hot parked car this summer.

Never leave your car without checking the back seat. Put your wallet or phone in back as a reminder.

Never leave your child in a parked car.

Never. Not even for a minute.

If your child is missing, check the pool, car, and trunk of car immediately.

Call 911 if you see a child alone in a car. Every minute counts.

Arrange for your childcare provider to call if your child doesn’t arrive on time.

When it’s hot outside, the temperature inside a parked car can rise to fatal heatstroke levels within minutes, even if the windows are partially open.

Learn more at parking.org/safety

SAFETY

EXIT

NOT SO FAST, ILLEGAL PARKER You’ve probably seen the video by now: one very unhappy illegal parker in Brazil returned to his car to find it decorated with thousands of sticky notes after he left it in a space for the disabled without the appropriate permit. Recorded by delighted passers-by, the YouTube sensation racked up more than 5 million views in just four weeks after it was uploaded, and that number continues to climb.

While wallpapering an illegally-parked vehicle is certainly amusing and offers a sense of vindication, it’s not terribly realistic or advisable for most parking organizations. IPI wants to hear what you’re doing about ADA parking abuse; send your ideas, stories, and programs to sullivan@parking.org.

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INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE | AUGUST 2015

Looking for a more reliable way to gain income from your parking operations?

Find lost revenue and increase efficiency with IntegraPark’s powerful software. For a detailed explanation of its benefits, call Ruth Beaman at 888.852.9993 or visit IntegraPark.com

parking.org/tpp

AUGUST 2015 | INTERNATIONAL PARKING INSTITUTE

c3

VERYEN. GRE Y VER XIBLE. FLE

®

AUGUST 2015 The Parking Professional ● IPI CHAIR KIM JACKSON, CAPP ● ENDING DISABLED PARKING ABUSE ● PREVENTING GARAGE SUICIDES ● PARKING MATTERS TURNS 5 ● ACCREDITED PARKING ORGANIZATIONS