It’s funny: People always laugh when they ask me what I do for a living. You know how it feels when you tell them that you work in the parking industry, and they laugh at you like they never heard of such a concept.
After the chuckling subsides, I usually ask them: Do you drive a car? Do you park your car? That’s when they start to look at me and realize the overwhelming impact that our industry has on their daily lives.
Once I get on a roll, look out. I can start to talk about how parking is usually your first and last experience when visiting a location, and how your experience with parking technology can leave a lasting impression and, sometimes, determine whether you would return to that same location.
It may sound silly, but it’s an exciting time to talk about parking technology.
Just as with your personal cellphones, so much innovation is being introduced within the parking industry that sometimes it’s hard to keep up with all the features available.
At one of the final 2017 PIE sessions, our interactive presentation will address on-street technology. Not only will we discuss the variety of technology features available to an agency, but we also will review many of the factors that should be considered when implementing hardware and integrated software solutions.
Please notice the use of the word “integrated.” This is a very important consideration whenever you are evaluating any type of parking technology. As enhancements are introduced and new product offerings evolve, you need to make sure you are selecting strategic technology partners that offer you the opportunity to integrate and merge your information with other systems.
Parking is no longer a silo division for any agency. Parking is a crucial aspect in the overall design of any intelligent transportation system. Parking technology can impact transit routes, traffic flows and overall congestion-mitigation issues.
It’s sometimes surprising to recognize that the simple selection of an on-street technology vendor can actually have such an impact on your entire transportation solution.
At our PIE presentation, we will cover an abundance of information, including but not limited to:
What about on-street parking sensors? Should I implement a meter reset option?
Multi-space meters (paystations) or single-space meters, which do I choose?
What rate model should I use?
How does the technology work with enforcement?
When should I deploy mobile payment?
How do I hold a vendor accountable?
If you are considering any on-street technology solutions, you should attend this session. We have worked with municipalities throughout the U.S. and will discuss industry best-practices and review lessons learned from a variety of procurements and implementations.
Importantly, this presentation will be technology agnostic. After you spend the previous days hearing from the vendors during the PIE exhibit hall hours, participate in this session to determine how you optimally move your parking program forward.
Julie Dixon is Founder, President and Principal Consultant of Dixon Resources Unlimited. Contact her at Julie@dixonresourcesunlimited.com.