Year: 2007

As Robyn and I were driving to the mall to visit the after Christmas Sales, I discovered that I didn’t exactly know where the mall

There is a new series on A and E called "Parking Wars."  You can get a taste of it here. Basically is a series of

Twas the night before christmas and all through the house, not a creature,,, When children reach the age of reason (usually about two or three

Read this article Then tell me how much they charge for onstreet parking in Crystal Lake, IL. Keep in mind, they have a lot of

Let’s see, you go to the hospital for a check up in the UK, its absolutely free, paid for by the government (of course it

Here we are in Warren County, Me. There is a parking crunch brought on by eliminating a few spaces on street, marking nine spaces in

The City of Champaign, IL, has raised its downtown on street parking rates to 75 cents an hour, up from 25. They are doing this

It has been reported that 548 parking meters have been stolen off the streets of Atlanta, GA in the past year. That’s 39% of the

The IPI Board has appointed Maurice Anderson, former President of the Toronto Parking Authority will step into the role of Interim Executive Director of IPI.

It has come to our attention that we used a picture of the IPI show held in Las Vegas to promote the upcoming PIE show

I have received word that Jeff Fitzwilliams has sold Standard Parking Systems to his long time second in command, Dave Peters. Dave notes that he

The Philadelphia Parking Authority is under siege, and the Perth Amboy Parking Authority has been turned into a city utility so the city council can

The recent blizzards in the central plains and the northeast have caused the cities to institute  parking bans. Since I’m from Southern California where the

There have been two incidents reported concerning parking spaces. The first, in Pennsylvania, tells of a woman who was struck by a car when she

Read this article — I’m sure you won’t see it in the local main stream media. There is a radio host that says that if

Sigh — Read this article in the Miami Herald about Miami Beach preparing to allow Hybrid owners to have discounted parking and reserved spaces.  Then

This article about a family in Oakland that has been targeted for parking their RV on street along with three other vehicles brings a solution

The city of Yonkers is giving free on street parking today and next Saturday, but keeping the off street parking charges at their normal level. 

The Norwegian city of Trondheim has a problem. They are charging people up to $158,000 to park on street for a couple of hours.  OK,

I already commented on how amusing it is that politicians are "shocked SHOCKED" when shown that the government is screwing up in some way. The

They don’t have enough to do in Barbara Chance’s Office. Joe Sciulli send me the picture below with this comment: This sign is at PATCO’s

As the Christmas travel season goes into full swing, here are some tips from the Airline Industry through their blog, Travelhacker.com.  Its all common sense,

I commented below that Sarasota, FL, was bundling the cost of parking in with the ticket price to events in their concert hall. I said

The County in which Ft. Meyers, FL is going to build a $71,000 per space garage in downtown Ft. Meyers to help alleviate the parking

January’s PT will have an article basically written by three senior staff from revenue control equipment manufacturers. John Lovell from Zeag North America took an

This article in the Meadville (PA) Tribune and its associated comments say it all. First the Mayor notes that people who drive to other towns

Here’s a cute little ditty sent in by one of my more cynical readers. Give it a listen. JVH

Peter Guest tells met that I am missing his point…See his comment here on my post "Horsefeathers" below: No John, your missing the point. We

Peter Guest, PT’s expert on all thing parking and not in North America, has taken me to task in his January Column on my comment

Not in Front Of My House…No parking there, except for me and the folks I want to park there and for heavens sake they can

City of Sarasota, FL, has decided to raise the prices at its local civic center theater by charging a "parking fee" on each ticket. They

I have been railing about the problems of putting market based on street pricing in effect, particularly in communities around colleges and universities where residential

Here’s proof positive that thieves are not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier. In Massachusetts a man goes into a number of stores at a

In Raleigh, NC, shopping mall managers have noticed that during the holidays their lots begin to fill and people would like some help. One mall

Don Shoup and I have been talking for years about how zoning parking requirements destroy downtown development. Well, even though we should believe Dr. Shoup

A local TV station reported in Albany, NY, that "Police issue tickets in handicapped parking sting" HUH – I saw the movie and a "sting"

The head of parking enforcement in Rome, Italy has been fired after he was caught parking in a no parking spot using a permit that

I have been beating this horse for a few months now, but no one seems to be listening. Here’s the problem. There are a lot

The Problem as quoted to the local Toronto radio Station: "It feels like a madhouse only because people always look for that closet spot to

From now until January its a season of lists. Shopping lists, Christmas lists, lists of new year’s resolutions, grocery lists all surround us and keep

Manny Resores from the UK sent me a link concerning the problems of Central Parking (and other companies) in San Francisco. Watch it here. Its

You know, the movie reviewer and Chicago Sun Times Columnist. He’s the one that’s holding down the fort for the ailing Roger Ebert on the

The experts are predicting that increased gas costs are going to crush the Christmas Holiday spending. Of course if the main stream media keeps reporting

I have always wondered at the efficacy of providing "free" parking during the holidays. It seems to me if there ever was a time to

I got a Blackberry about a month ago.  I had fought the urge for years but my wife prevailed and I purchased a Blackberry Curve. 

I read that New Zealand is collecting tons of money due to a new scheme that uses electronic funds transfers (CC, Pay by Cell, etc)

Murfreesboro and Rutherford County (TN) governments are going to crack down on employees who park on local streets and then move their cars every two

Its begun. The main stream media is in panic mode over holiday travel issues. One of the biggest, parking at the airport. Headlines are screaming

Of course it isn’t "free."  Someone is paying the valets, the valet company, the insurance, and paying for the parking space where the cars are

Dallas is having a problem. The Homeless are camping out in public and private parking lots around the city. What to do? The police are

The Peter Paul and Mary song of the sixties was prophetic for Fresno this past week. Here’s the story. The City had meters in the

I got word this AM that Kim Jackson, Executive Director of the International Parking Institute, has tendered her resignation. She has taken a position as

This is rich. A NY dentist lost it when a driver blocked his access to a parking lot. Unfortunately this was in front of a

I got a call yesterday from a businessman in a major city in the US. He told me that he owned an off airport operation

The City of San Francisco is "going out" to bid for revenue control equipment for the 19 city owned garages located throughout the "city by

Here’s the news release: HARTFORD LAZ Parking is pleased to announce that VINCI Park has purchased a 50% partnership interest in LAZ Parking. VINCI Park,

A Texas community has banned private sex parties in private homes. Why — Morality? Nope — The traffic and parking congestion they cause. Read it

In November we ran an interview with parking legends Ray Liesegang and Herb Citrin. I received this comment from a local senior parking manager who

The value of parking garages, particularly in downtown cores, seems to be skyrocketing. 201 Madison in Chicago’s loop, is on the block for upwards of

The UK parking enforcement gurus are simply off the mark. Read this article. It seems that they are giving tickets to folks who are loading

Dale Frasier and his Calgary Parking Authority have the right idea — Today they launched a new program titled "Size does matter." Unlike many other

Here’s a good idea: We all carry (I hope) our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves,

The problems with parking at Boise State are legend. folks come very early and park in the neighborhoods and cause havoc with locals land owners.

Ft. Wayne, IN, has a problem. They have 11,500 unpaid tickets totaling more than a third of a million dollars. What to do? What to

Peter Guest, our columnist of all things Non North American, was a bit defensive this month as he had a medical issue and compared his

I reader reacted to my comments about Portland and their on street equipment here. Basically he said I was biased toward vendors because they paid my

I just love it when a politician takes Claude Rains’ line from Casablanca, you know — "I’m shocked SHOCKED to find gambling at Rick’s" —

Dale Fraser and his Calgary Parking Authority have a bit of a problem. The public is complaining about the new pay and display system that

Yuppie parents in New York City are up in arms because the cops are ticketing their cars that are double parked in front of a

The auditors in Portland have noted that some of the Pay and Display machines currently installed don’t work quite right. Software Issues, they say. I

Consistency is important…Check out the parking issues in Fresno (CA). They charge for parking up to 6 PM, free parking after that hallow hour, except

I have been seeing bill boards all over town hawking the latest horror thriller — P2, A new level of fear.  Naturally its all about

I’m obviously back at the computer, and feeling almost fit.  Get a bit tired but less each day. I pronounced myself almost healed. Thanks for

I got into a hassle when I was in New York listening to a urban consultant talk about downtown cores, parking and the "fact" that

I got a piece forwarded to me the other day from the Miami Herald. It seems that a traditional activity of many parking operators has

The local press is having a field day in Philadelphia.  Seems the Parking Authority is bloated, full of patronage, and paying six figure salaries to

The City of Westminster (London) is celebrating the fact that they have had over half a million pay by cell phone transactions in 2000 parking

Four years ago fires surrounded this Southern California Community and this week they came again. The city was spared, as were most of the homes

OK, maybe its a Hindu Temple but the idea is the same.  The Temples in Parsippany, NJ, are up in arms because the local council

Here we go again. The City of Berkeley, Ca has a problem. It has a lot of parking but folks are cruising around looking for

Back to school and back to the trenches, students vs homeowners and you know who will win.  Homeowners want students to park elsewhere, anywhere. Students

Communications are coming in from all over and my friends are outdoing each other with their humor. A couple of examples. One began his missif

PIerre Koudelka has been named the Midwest Regional Manager for Skidata. Pierre worked with Tom at Federal APD and Tom Succeeded Pierre in his position

I’m sending my representatives to the NPA opening today but in the mean time wish Marty Stein and his Crew all the best.  Its being

About my past few weeks of light blogging and the absence for the past two. Here’s the story. I had heart surgery last Tuesday morning

I had to be in Charlottetown, PEI, over the weekend and then I had to come down to New Mexico. I flew overnight from LA

I’m in Santa Fe.  The Southwest Parking Association was nice enough to invite me to speak before their group in Albuquerque.  I decided that since

I need a little help here — Scottsdale, AZ, and, I assume, other cities, regulate temporary on street valet operations. If a business or an

I guess we get stories like this here in the US, there have to be boneheaded cops everywhere, but this is rather "over the top."

Haven’t the city dads got the idea. Electric Cars became obsolete in the year 1910. GM and Honda tried to sell them in the 1990

From time to time I get a call to meet with someone new to our industry so they can "pick my brain."  That has to

The biggest problem that this neighborhood in Chesterfield, MO, has is that the local church wants to have more parking. To get it, it will

Ah, yes — home of the Navy Officer Corps, and some parking regulation, almost enlightened. As I see it, the city is raising the monthly

I get bored reading about parking taxes so I may not have the story just right, but it seems that Pittsburgh is lowering its tax

Everyone complains constantly about flying today so I think a bit of defense of our air travel industry may be in order. First of all,

It just gets weirder and weirder. I caught a cab the other day and told the guy I wanted to go to the Marriott in

I’m in New York attending the International Downtown Association’s annual convention. There are 1000 movers and shakers from business development districts, downtown associations, and city

I have been attending the International Downtown Association Conference in New York and listening to the buzz about parking. In discussion after discussion the focus

I have been playing with a new feature on Parking Today’s web site, the ability to add "industry notes" at will. I love it. Now

I went down to Hollywood yesterday to take a cover shot for October’s PT. It will be great, of course. What I found was Hollywood