Banks, Courtesy and Free Parking
December 1, 2009
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Here’s a take I hadn’t considered: What if banks wouldn’t lend on a development if the number of parking spaces didn’t meet the industry average
Here’s a take I hadn’t considered: What if banks wouldn’t lend on a development if the number of parking spaces didn’t meet the industry average
There are days when I feel like a mental patient of sorts. Whether I am suffering from memory loss, sleep deprivation, depression, temporary insanity or
JVH and I were at the Philippine parking conference in Manila recently, and he gave them a presentation on all things Shoup. After JVH came
Higher margins. By offering a monthly lease payment, most distributors see an increase in their profit margins. Why? Because many times the financial terms are
The internet and digital technology have made huge changes in the way the world operates. It’s an understatement to say instant communication and the speedy
In campus parking and transportation systems (PTS), it is not uncommon to have parking outweigh transportation in terms of the time and effort, attention, and
The boss finally got home, and after getting reacquainted, we talked about his adventures in Manila. One story caught my attention. The largest shopping center
What if everyone in your company worked relentlessly to be the best? The best salesperson, the best customer service professional, the best manager … the
In 2002, my team and I set out to identify the next industry that would benefit from technology to improve business and customer efficiency. We
When I first started working in the parking industry, part of my job was to check self-pay lots and issue citations to cars that did
In the current scope of garage cleaning, there are varying methods of enforcement and differing expectations of what a garage cleaning contractor, or owner, is
“The successful companies will be the ones that take an holistic view of their client’s operations. They will focus not just on parking cars, but
I recently went to Beirut for the first time in seven years. It’s interesting to see the city and how things are moving forward. The
Ahhh, consultants! The Boss says that this is the Parking Today Consultants issue and asked me to comment. What does an auditor – and a
Just when I thought I had experienced most of what the world of parking has to offer, my daughter started kindergarten earlier this fall. In
Re: Parking Today, September 2009 Issue “Point of View” and “Parking Operator Goes Down …” Editor, Parking Today: Your September 2009 issue was both interesting
Sponsored by the National Parking Association, a new exhibition at the National Building Museum, House of Cars: Innovation and the Parking Garage opened October 17.
We here at PT are speechless, but felt you deserved to judge this article for yourself. We have it on good authority that Matt was
With the recent financial crisis, many cities and institutions (universities, airports, hospitals, etc.) are looking for creative ways to generate revenue to pay off debt,
For some in this industry, the term “consultant” can have some negative connotations. That doesn’t have to be the case! During my career with the
On returning from a recent overseas trip, I came across an article in the (Sydney) magazine titled “I have a dream,” which explored four experts’
“There is no such thing as free parking,” says Sandra Smith, Supervisor of Bylaw Services for the municipality of Whistler, Canada. This profound statement is
Perhaps you’ve just been notified about a new downtown or campus development project that will eliminate a parking lot or increase parking demand. Or maybe
Parking is subsidized $3 billion by the Feds, according to DC.StreetsBlog.org. Did you get your check? I sure didn’t. The online article doesn’t mean the
An interview with Constance Volz, Managing Member of Premier Parking in Denver, became a primer for a Parking Operator. Here’s what she had to say:
“Conceal the cars,” said leaders of the University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC), Cleveland, in their initial direction to designers of the new patient parking
PT spoke with Marty Stein, President of the National Parking Association in his office in Washington DC. Cities need money, so they increase taxes on
Cities are whining because their revenue is down. Wow! Da ya think? Can you believe it? There is a recession, and suddenly cities are saying
It’s the end of summer, and in the UK, we are pretty much still in silly season. Yesterday’s Times had a man whose prize pumpkin
While cash-based parking meters are the standard in the industry, token-based systems can offer significant advantages. Among them are safety, ergonomics, and the opportunity to
I rarely have anything nice to say about valet parking. It’s not because I’m trying to lose my job as a columnist in this magazine.
It was a beautiful evening at the Hollywood Bowl. We were celebrating Paulo’s engagement to Grace. Shirley and I were two proud parents. The wine
When is customer service “over the top,” and when should we break the law to prove a point? The boss was traveling the last couple
Editor’s note: Cindy Campbell has been getting a lot of ink lately and rightly so. She is the incoming Chair of the International Parking Institute,
parking operator in Los Angeles has been convicted on nearly 300 criminal counts of tax evasion (not paying taxes on his parking operation’s income) and
America’s energy future – a hot-button topic during last year’s presidential election and one still fiercely debated at present – will take front and center
Last year, the town of Sewickley, PA, collected $92,000 during a two month or so period in May/June. This year, they stopped charging for Saturdays
Officials in the Texas A&M University Transportation Services Department took the bull by the horns when they were faced with justifying a rate increase for
Ask any parking operator about the key to operational control and they will tell you it is proper parking enforcement. Enforcement at some level is
Building garages on college campuses seems to be where the parking facility construction money is going these days. Parking garages are popping up on campuses
If you don’t have a “critical mass,” you will fail. Nuclear fission? No, it’s John Zimmer discussing Zimride, an online network for ridesharing he co-founded,
“If a guest spends $300 or $400 a night for a room, then parking is expected to be outstanding,” said Tim Leonoudakis, President of San
Ah, the famous management agreement. We can’t live with it; we can’t live without it. This is the document that sets out the rules between
Anytime a card is used as a credential for transferring money, or as an electronic purse, or as a debit/credit card, you are running a
Having lived a fairly commonplace, average-Josephine kind of life, I am easily shocked. I grew up in a small town, attended a religious college, married
It’s that time of year again, what journalists call the silly season, when people take off on vacation and “real” news stops. In the UK,
One of the biggest concerns in any industry is public appearance and perception. Garage operators, in an effort to save some money, or through neglect,
Most people in the parking industry have heard about automated license plate recognition (ALPR) to some degree, and they have seen the installations typically within
The IPI show in Denver was grand. If this is what new Executive Director Shawn Conrad and his crew have in store, the IPI is
The International Parking Institute hosted its annual Conference & Expo on May 17-20 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The IPI said that more
The Parkare Group, headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, has begun to focus on the U.S. parking equipment market. Launching its effort this year at the IPI
The fellow at the party told us that valet parking was for rich folks who drove Beemers and Mercedes. The regular guy should park his
I’ve been writing this column for quite awhile now, and I think it’s time I made a confession. Or maybe a few confessions. I’ll just
There is only one story here … and it has nothing to do with parking. Apologies for going off the subject, but this needs telling.
It is a rare Earth moment when a parking ticket is validated. This activity is most commonly found in the U.S. parking industry. As we
Private investigator Paul Manning found a dead woman woman in the trunk of a car blocking his in the stack parking lot at the Hollywood
PT asked parking dealer/installers two questions: 1. What are the two most important things you consider when specifying a system for your customer? 2. When
Parkex; Europe’s largest dedicated parking exhibition, took place April 21-23 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, UK. Total attendance at the combined Parkex, Traffex
The parking industry is seeing a minor reduction in demand for parking and equipment, although most companies have done well through the past year. The
The world-famous Getty Museum in Los Angeles is free. No cost, zip, nada. If you drive, however, you have to pay to park. It was
Editor, Parking Today: I greatly appreciate Parking Today’s efforts to promote market-rate parking. However, I disagree with your objections to using parking fees to fund
Private investigator Paul Manning found a dead woman in the trunk of a car blocking his in the stack parking lot at the Hollywood Bowl.
Advanced Parking Concepts (APC), a New Jersey-based valet parking service company and member of the National Valet Parking Association (NVPA), held its inaugural “Valet Olympics”
(As you read this column, you might want to have some Tylenol close at hand. It’s a real headache maker. Editor.) A day. What exactly
The city of Los Angeles is considering “going out” for a public-private partnership on its parking. However, there is a minor problem. Laws in California
I recently read a news article about two men arrested for using a parking lot as a toilet. They punctuated their performance by flashing two
I live near Aldershot, UK, the HQ of the British Army. Over the 40 years of our civil war, security was tight and, most important,
*Electronify: conversion of a device to being electronically based. Typically, this is the conversion of a mechanical device; for example, a mechanical watch to a
As environmental regulations strengthen and financial incentives materialize, investment in renewable energy continues to grow. Advances in solar energy have transformed the way we look
Editor, Parking Today: Re: “Temperature can affect upper floors of precast garages” (March 2009) The aspect of camber increasing in the top level of parking
The International Parking Institute (IPI) launches its annual conference and exposition May 17 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The theme for the largest
Three words kept coming back into Tony Paalz’s conversation when he talked about his new position as President and CEO at Park “n Fly: brand,
The United States is undergoing a fundamental change in the way it finances, delivers and operates major transportation infrastructure projects. In order to address the
Wondering what to plan for vacation this year? Why not combine business with pleasure and attend one of the 10 major parking events being held
Nano Nano … No, I’m not channeling “Mork.” It’s the new $2,200 car going on sale in India. PT’s Ops Director Andy mentioned this critter
I have been auditing garages for donkey’s years, and frankly I thought I had seen everything. But this garage in the Midwest took the cake.
Downsizing is a reality. People lose their jobs. And those who don’t are left behind to do the same amount of work, yet with less
A Chicago Sun-Times columnist was recently railing on the privatization of parking meters in Chicago. She alluded to the city’s lousy snow removal in 1979
Dr Shoup: I was doing some math on our parking spaces here in Portland and comparing it with off-street rates. At our current on-street rates
The National Valet Parking Association (NVPA) will stage a Valet Olympics as part of its annual conference to be held Nov. 3-6 in Phoenix. American
Parking is one of those important but mundane things that most of us would say are not important at all in the grand scheme of
“Management Insights for Difficult Times” – Dr. Ronald Hill An industry welcome breakfast on Sunday, May 17, with keynote speaker Dr. Ronald Hill, promises to
Whitebeam is a type of tree, and a new sub-species was recently found in Devon, UK. The official registered name of this tree is “Sorbus
Private investigator Paul Manning found a dead woman woman in the trunk of a car blocking his in the stack parking lot at the Hollywood
Editor, Parking Today: I really don’t know where some business-minded people get their smarts. Here in Florence, AL, our meter rates are a steal. We
In 1998, the Wayne County Airport Authority embarked on a $1.2 billion terminal expansion project at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The project included a new terminal
Airport operators are increasingly focusing on architectural and aesthetic opportunities as they seek to modernize existing locations and design new ones. Abilene is a little
With the economy contracting, the nation’s airports are feeling the squeeze. Many airlines reacted rapidly: cutting capacity, eliminating routes and services, reducing staff, merging and
During the past 35 years, I’ve observed talent-management practices in up markets and down markets, and the two conclusions I’ve reached and discuss in this
Airports are unique and challenging environments with heavy traffic, intense security requirements, complicated scheduling factors and thousands of customers under high pressure. Officials at King
What paid parking facility averages 17,000 transient tickets and 1,250 monthly customers every day Monday through Thursday, and 20,000 transient tickets and 1,000 monthly customers
I was in a bit of a kerfuffle last month over an article that never appeared in Parking Today. The details aren’t important. Suffice it
Private investigator Paul Manning found a dead woman in the trunk of a car blocking his in the stack parking lot at the Hollywood Bowl.
Two of my nieces recently flew in to see me – arriving at LAX. Because they are underage, I was required to obtain a boarding
Parking enforcement officers know they have a tough job. Nobody likes getting tickets, and unless they have a condition that should be addressed by a
I asked while she stared at me blankly, processing the six parking tickets I had received in the last two weeks, and replied, “I don’t
Diagonal parking isn’t very common here; it’s used more widely in Europe, and many advocate it as the easiest to use. The attached photo taken
Afriend who lives in East Toronto is testing a new pay-as-you-go parking and insurance meter. He came to visit me last week downtown at College
Precast concrete double-tees and joists are a common feature on many parking decks. While the use of these materials is proven for parking deck construction,
Parking garages provide a perfunctory purpose in today’s corporate environment. The requirement is simple. We have people, we have cars; and we need to put
