The National Parking Association, which represents parking professionals from all sectors of the industry, was founded in 1951 by a group of private-sector entrepreneurs. The
Let’s face it. It’s easy to get lazy. I have been writing the blog and then taking some of it and making it part of
Many years ago, someone asked why the standard British army uniform included a red tunic. The answer from an old soldier was: “so it doesn’t
The first and last experience almost everyone has at a real estate development is the disposal, then the retrieval upon departure, of their vehicle. More
Salt Lake City’s Gary Griffiths had a problem. He was having an average of 2300 of his parking citations reduced or dismissed by the court
“Clunky old parking meters? Puh-lease! That look is so 1990’s. 1990s. This fall, the Charlotte Department of Transportation’s Park It! office is unveiling a sleek
I was having a drink at my favorite watering hole the other day and ran into some valet types. They were commenting on how the
As part of the Consultant’s Issue of Parking Today, we reached out to industry consultants for their thoughts on consulting. Here is the result: A
The local law enforcement folks in North Carolina arrested 71 people on various charges, including drinking moonshine, at a country music concert in Roanoke Rapids.
Fear, doom and gloom are all upon us lately due to the rising costs and potential scarcity of fossil fuel and the heat of global
An extremely successful launch of webcasting between Chicago and Los Angeles during the Parking Industry Exhibition in August has become the harbinger of things to
This is the second article in a three-part series on the preparation of an emergency safety and security plan for your organization. Editor. In the
Managing the condition of the parking facility to maximize its availability and capacity are major goals of the property owner. To be available when full
Politicians and the general public have increased their attention on global warming in recent years, and this enhanced awareness has resulted in new government- and
When looking for a definition for valet parking, you get “parking arrangements provided by an establishment, whereby patrons leave their cars at the entrance while
Parking Today begins a series of articles on regional associations. This month we spoke with Michael Klein, past President of the New York State Parking
I know it may seem strange to people who read my bons mots every month, but I really like operators. They perform a necessary function,
I just got back from PIE in Chicago, where JVH had invited me provided I gave a talk. It is always difficult to judge how
We recently began the task of revising our automated parking revenue control cashier’s manual. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines “manual” as a handy book for
When Town Centre Securities decided to build a new multi-story garage in Manchester, England, the parent company of Town Centre Car Parks resolved to follow
More than 700 people attended the 2006 Parking Industry Exhibition in Chicago and Los Angeles. According to Event Leaders Sandra Watson and Dawn Newman, it
The years 2007 and 2008 could be healthy ones for what may become an $18-billion parking industry, according to Dale Denda of the Parking Market
I can see the headlines in Daily Variety now: “Windy City and LaLa Land Park at PIE” or “Socko Boffo “Net Connect at Dessert Bash”
I walked around the floor at the 2006 PIE conference in Chicago and was heartened that I found one of my major customers, a city
One thousand words about parking, off the top of my head. (11) I have a space that Shelly and Rad tell me needs to be
“We are real companies with real employees, and we need to tell our story.” That’s Chip Patterson of Ameri Park in Atlanta describing one reason
Parking costs have increased nationwide for the third year in a row, mirroring rising demand for office space and adding stress for commuters in the
Progressive cities strive for an optimum balance between citizens’ numerous and often conflicting interests and objectives. Restaurant versus office, residents versus colleges, high density versus
A new parking structure at Arizona State University in Tempe exemplifies the aesthetics and practicality of Cambridge Architectural’s diverse product line, which offers innovative combinations
Editor, Parking Today: We were dismayed to find that some of the information included about UCLA in the June 2006 issue of Parking Today (PT)
Safety and security go beyond simple rules and drills in a post-9/11 world. Recent events in the Middle East and the UK, plus natural disasters
The annual convention of the Canadian Parking Association is set for Sept. 23-27 at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald in Edmonton, Alberta. According to CPA Executive
Oh, I’ll tell you, it doesn’t get any better than this. A local community, a rather large local community, has a problem. They had their
Recently our staff members have worked with several institutions (universities and medical centers) where transportation issues have turned out to be as important as parking
So JVH doesn’t like parking taxes because “it’s a tax on people using their cars” (PT’s Parking Blog). Where I come from, we call that
Parking Today has been around 10 years. These items are taken from the files of the first issues of PT published in 1996. Editor The
The other day, a friend of mine, who happens to be in the parking business, went berserk when I told him I didn’t mind paying
The following description of an LPR system used in the carwash industry could fit well in some parking applications. In reading this article, replace “parking
PIE II in Los Angeles will be held in conjunction with the annual Parking Industry Exhibition and Conference in Chicago Aug. 23-25. It will include
The Parking Industry Exhibition is sponsoring a daylong seminar on airport parking on Aug. 23. Designed for airports of all sizes, the seminar will cover
This year’s Parking Industry Exhibition – to be held Aug. 23-26 in Chicago – promises to provide networking, information, technology and discussions that will add
Top Kick Chuck Cullen has expanded “Parking Boot Camp” at this year’s Parking Industry Exhibition – Aug. 23-25 in Chicago – with three two-hour sessions
With the ever-increasing demands placed on the healthcare system in the U.S., medical professionals are being actively recruited by hospitals and medical centers with any
The sun was shining, the sky was blue, but the air was cold and crisp. Brent Loucks got out of his car on Second Avenue
Editor, Parking Today: The city of Sacramento, CA, has just spent hundreds of thousands of dollars gathering parking data in response to the perceived parking
I know we have talked about credit card acceptance here before, and you all know this old dog has learned that new trick. There are
What does one think of when “designing for revenue control” is mentioned? Sixty years ago, it meant that when the attendant greeted you at the
Denison Parking had a problem. They needed to advance the concepts of pay-on-foot and automation to their customers and clients. The problem: POF devices are
Post-tensioning – an “active” reinforcement technique designed to counteract tensile stresses and deflections from external loads – is gaining momentum in the concrete industry as
Massachusetts General Hospital, located in Boston, operates four parking garages from within its main campus to accommodate the traffic that comes standard with more than
China will be hosting 70 million people at its World Expo in Shanghai in 2010.The problem: The Chinese are attempting to leapfrog from a rural
Access, according to observers of the latest technological trends, is becoming ubiquitous. Driven by consumer demand for greater mobility and convenience, the idea is to
The International Parking Institute broke records with its Conference and Exposition held in May in Las Vegas. Over 1,000 people passed through the exhibit hall
The following was provided by Stan Cramer. He is fighting an uphill battle against the local airport that he says is attempting to drive him
Editor, Parking Today: We have a business owner here in our downtown business district who wanted two 10-minute loading zones in front of his restaurant.
I had a long conversation the other day with a senior executive of an off-airport parking company. I had asked him to sit on a
PT readers know that I’m one of the biggest supporters of off-airport parking operations. Not only do I think they are cheaper, and more convenient,
Rich Smith of The Motley Fool (www.fool.com) comments on Central Parking:You’d think one of the easiest companies on the planet to predict earnings for would
When The Grove, a popular Los Angeles shopping, dining and entertainment destination, opened in 2002 its developer took the parking experience as seriously as the
I had some interesting conversations at Intertraffic in Amsterdam, but I think the following two exchanges stand out as extreme examples of the salesman’s “art.”
Donald Shoup, Parking Expert, UCLA Professor, and darling of the mainstream media when it comes to parking, will be the keynote speaker for the Parking
Our glorious leader, JVH, asked for my perspective on a story that he featured recently where a city council decided to stop charging people for
I was impressed with the Intertraffic show this year, and I’m sure the 10 or so from the U.S. who weren’t connected with an exhibitor
Editor, Parking Today: I don’t get it!!! I am throwing down the glove and challenging what seems to be an acceptable and growing application in
Chuck Carney, Parking Director for Lowell, Mass., and his Parking Department have been honored by the municipality’s Center City Committee for making a “significant impact
TagMaster, world-wide manufacturer and marketer of RFID-based identification systems, and Utsch AG, development pioneer and international market leader for vehicle license plate technology, have signed
How do you write a story about a parking legend? Do you talk about his background as a Navy submariner during WWII, or his loyalty
Breckenridge, Colo., a ski resort community 9,600 feet high in the Rocky Mountains, attracts more than 1.5 million visitors a year. Tourism being the community’s
A recent Chicago Tribune column, headlined “Parking lots full despite traffic woes,” noted that construction on city freeways was expected to cause chaos but hadn’t.
Intertraffic Amsterdam 2006, the biannual exhibition for infrastructure, traffic management, safety and parking attracted 23,890 visitors from no fewer than 110 countries. Organized by Amsterdam
Photo Violation Technologies (PVT), the Vancouver, Canada-based company that has developed a new type of parking meter, has been testing and demonstrating its new product
The International Parking Institute holds its annual convention and trade exposition, Growth 2006, May 15-18 in Las Vegas. This is the largest event of its
Like most folks, when I first entered the parking industry, other than navigating my vehicle to fit between the two designated yellow lines, I knew
The Boss gave me a quick preview of this month’s letter to the editor – boy, that guy Rollo has some strong feelings about putting
Elaine was cheerful and well-liked. The town of Middleton, CT, was stunned when it learned that she had stolen $1,060 over a three-month period. Elaine
Sheila and I began fussing a year ago about when PT’s 10th anniversary should be celebrated. I said it should be 2005; she said 2006.
Screenwall panels were specified for Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s new five-story, 1 million-square-foot parking deck, for their aesthetic, practical and budgetary attributes. “We were interested
In honor of the 10th anniversary celebration of Parking Today, Founder and Editor John Van Horn agreed to be interviewed as part of research on
IIn May 2005, the Temecula Parking Group (TPG) released its first publication: “A Parking White Paper.” That document served four purposes. It:1. Introduced the members
IIn May 2005, the Temecula Parking Group (TPG) released its first publication: “A Parking White Paper.” That document served four purposes. It:1. Introduced the members
Editor, Parking Today: As I was reading your Point of View column in the most recent issue of Parking Today, I realized that you might
A one-time governor of California who had a Plymouth as his limo, slept on a mat, ate bean sprouts and ran around with a pop
Street ParkingThe British row I talked about last time – city-controlled street parking – still gets lots of publicity, with one driver now claiming that
They are passing a law in Missouri that says folks from the “show me” state will receive a 50% discount on parking at the stadiums
This thing solves so many problems. What a great customer service tool. Jeff Buttikofer, CFO of Realtech, owner of Century City Medical Center and the
Sometimes, being a commercial operator can be like musical chairs. You move from place to place, often at the whim of an owner. So operators
Richard F. Roti, the Founder of International Parking Design, passed away Dec. 24, 2005, in Newport Beach, CA. He was 81. Roti, who was born
The best way to handle employee theft problems, says James W. Bassett, is to identify dishonest job applicants before they are hired. In a two-part
A friend told me that an audit is like a colonoscopy. It’s not pleasant, but it finds problems and can help you correct them before
The Northwest Parking Association was founded by a group of parking professionals who saw value in a regional organization designed to provide those involved in
Peter Guest is a consultant and parking connoisseur in the UK. Now a PT correspondent, he will be filling us in on all things parking
PT spoke briefly with Samuel Shanes, CEO of Talk-A-Phone, on the subject of emergency telephone and communication equipment. Question: Why have emergency telephones in your
In 1997, the city of Chicago collected $66 million from parking citations, related fees and fines. In 2005, it collected $161 million. “That’s not bad,
Editor, Parking Today: I’ve been subscribing to Parking Today for the past three or four years. Thanks for doing all the work to keep the
I was auditing a garage in the mid-South a few months ago. From the outside, it was seemingly well run. There were few problems I
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” It applies everywhere — in personal situations and
I recently attended the joint conference of the Middle Atlantic Parking Association (MAPA) and the Parking Association of the Virginias (PAV). The keynote speech focused
Many municipalities and universities are under more fiscal pressure than ever before, being asked to produce greater results with fewer resources. This means that you
In the November and December 2005 editions of Parking Today, two articles covered how the potential output of parking or transportation programs could be measured
Security is about limiting someone’s opportunity to take what is yours. The more attention you pay to protecting your assets, the less chance there is
