Parking & Mobility — March 2023

Destination and Event Parking and Mobility Management

26Free-Flow Parking

Technology’s Evolution to Event Parking

By Joe Leung

32Resident Move-In: A

Campus-Wide Affair

How NC State Orchestrates the Complex Process of Student Move-In

By Demar Bonnemere

40The Evolution of Event Parking

How a Mobility Sector Changes in the Face of Challenge and Opportunity

By

Ryan Kern, Kevin Uhlenhaker, and Taylor Chapman

48Parking Management in a Post-Pandemic World

Exploring shifts in the parking management strategies of universities and hospitals.

By Jeffrey Elsey, CAPP, PE, LEED AP, Jeremy Greenwald, AICP, TDM-CP, and Jeshua Pringle, CAPP, AICP

COLUMNS

By Robert Ferrin, CAPP

By Jennifer Tougas, Ph.D., CAPP

By Mark Frumar

By Ree Miskimon, CPSM

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Cliché? Absolutely. Accurate? Even more absolutely!

By Lesli L. Stone, CAPP

By Andrew LaMothe and Jason

When putting together this issue focused on destination and event parking and mobility, the clear theme that came through was the first impression When heading to a sporting event, a concert, a play, or moving into a college or university, we are focused on the excitement of what happens at our destination. We are not interested in the distractions of getting there; to accomplish this, parking needs to be a non-event. Unfortunately, if visitors get frustrated with the parking at your facility, THAT is what they remember. No matter how excellent the event ends up being, you often cannot overcome that negative first impression.

Parking is the literal front door that attendees come through to get to your event. Their entire experience can be influenced by the process of parking –and that can be to your benefit, or to your detriment.

The parking and mobility world continues to rise to this challenge. The pandemic caused a complete stop to events; this allowed organizations to take a step back and really assess what was needed to control the parking experience. How can we make it easier for our attendees to plan their visit? What steps can we take to make parking easy and stress-free, and allow visitors to focus on their destination and the event itself?

By

N. Morgan

This issue explores those questions and gives some proven solutions that our industry is implementing. From large stadiums to university campuses, and from an overview of the sector to specific solutions being implemented, this issue has something for everyone.

So, sit back, relax, and get ready for some valuable, thought-provoking content. As always, we appreciate you spending some time with us. Let us know what you think!

Melissa Rysak, editor rysak@parking-mobility.org

PUBLISHER

Shawn Conrad, CAE conrad@parking-mobility.org

EDITOR

Melissa Rysak, CPSM rysak@parking-mobility.org

TECHNICAL EDITOR

Rachel Yoka, CAPP, LEED AP BD+C yoka@parking-mobility.org

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First & Last Impressions

By Robert Ferrin, CAPP

BEEN IN THE PARKING BUSINESS for any length of time you have undoubtedly heard the comment, “Parking is the first and last impression a customer has at [insert event, facility, or location name here].” And nothing could be closer to the truth.

My wife and I recently attended the theater and saw this play out firsthand. As we walked to the theater from our usual on-street parking spot a few blocks from the venue, we passed a lengthy line of event goers waiting impatiently to pay for parking at the pay station. Walk another block and we see a vehicle queue line about two blocks long waiting to get into the theatre adjacent parking garage. Waiting in the security line, in the frigid cold mind you, we overhear a group of folks complaining about how long it took to find a parking space. “Why is parking so challenging around here?” one individual said. All these observations are negative first impressions by theatre goers before they even step foot in the venue. Side note: my wife knows me all too well—she stopped me from interjecting with some good parking 101 knowledge to let the group know there is an app for that… but I digress.

Whether it’s the theater, a community festival, or sports event, the difference between the attendee having a great time or terrible time often comes down to one thing: did they have a negative parking experience? As you read this month’s issue, you’ll learn more about how your colleagues are tackling the complex web of event logistics with a wide range of parking and transportation management strategies aimed to improve the customer experience and leave a positive impression amongst event goers. It’s exciting to see how technology solutions coupled with coordinated communications and early planning can keep the lines and lanes moving on our campuses, facilities, and venues. Now if only they can figure out those concession stand lines! See you at the theater! ◆

ROBERT FERRIN, CAPP , is a Senior Project Manager with Kimley-Horn and a member of the IPMI Board of Directors. He can be reached at robert. ferrin@kimley-horn.com

IF YOU’VE

What Would Chester Do?

By Jennifer Tougas, Ph.D., CAPP

I’D LIKE TO START BY TELLING A STORY ABOUT Chester McNulty. Chester was a long-time employee at Western Kentucky University (WKU), and he spent the last spell of his campus career running our event parking operations. He was a bit of a salty dog, proud of his Puerto Rican heritage and occasionally showing up to work with a day-old beard. Despite my best efforts, he always wound up in the trenches with a signature Hilltopper red towel stuffed in his back pocket, and if it was a special occasion, wearing his red corduroy jacket.

Chester understood as much as anyone how important his operations were to the success of an event. He was direct with his staff at times because he had high expectations—he wanted thing done right and on his timeline. He had little patience for lollygagging. If an event went well, he had a grin on his face from ear to ear. Of course, if things went badly, he heard it firsthand from patrons, and then his staff heard about it.

Chester retired at the end of August 2022 after our first home football game. Love surrounded him during the retirement reception, as people thanked him for his years of work and for being the “go to guy” people could depend on. Even the former president stopped by to congratulate him! That’s just one example of the impact he had on campus.

It’s not hard to see that he is sorely missed. As we struggle to backfill his position, we’re stretching our resources to continue to cover his responsibilities. Following a recent men’s basketball game, I received an e-mail from a fellow employee, “Something has definitely changed this year…it’s not been a good change….” Ouch.

In our industry, we know full well that events begin and end in the parking lot. As such, event parking operations can either support or sabotage an event. When done well, event operations whisk patrons to their ultimate destination with little effort or delay and the experience entices them to return again and again. When done poorly, attending an event can be tedious and frustrating and even if the event itself was enjoyable, the parking experience or ensuing traffic jams can taint the experience to the point that patrons are loathe to return. Parking matters, especially when it comes to event operations.

Every opportunity I have, I preach to my campus, “Every campus event is a recruiting opportunity.” This is usually when I’m pleading for departments to include us in the planning process for their events. We all know nothing sets the tone for

a campus visit quite like a nice yellow envelope enclosing a parking fine because someone didn’t think about making parking accommodations for their guests!

Our front-line employees contribute to the event experience, so the message is the same for our staff. “You are an ambassador to campus. Your interaction with our guests will establish how they feel about WKU.” Their appearance, campus knowledge, event knowledge, attitude, and ability to help all contribute to the guest experience.

Event operations are complex logistical challenges usually involving limited parking and transportation resources with an equally tight budget. Planners are juggling the needs of event operations staff, catering, concessions, security, venue staff, VIP’s and donors, talent and their entourage, participants and spectators, among others. Successful events are characterized by quality advanced planning, stakeholder involvement, appropriate use of technology, staff training and extensive, accurate and timely internal and external communications.

In the following pages, you’ll dive into many aspects of event operations. You’ll be able to explore:

■ Evolution of Event Parking.

■ Campus Resident Move-In.

■ Stadium Event Parking.

■ Digitizing Event Parking on College Campuses.

Hopefully, you’ll see something new that you’ll be able to bring to your operation. As for me, I’m going to keep asking, “what would Chester do?” ◆

JENNIFER I. TOUGAS, PH.D., CAPP , is the of AVP Business Services for Western Kentucky University, and a member of IPMI’s Board of Directors. She can be reached at Jennifer.tougas@wku.edu

Game Changer Digitized Event Parking on Campus

By Mark Frumar

FOR DECADES, event parking has been a logistical nightmare for universities. As student enrollments and campuses grow, so do the challenges—especially for event parking. There is no denying the hours, months, and years of planning and strategizing over the logistics of event parking on campuses. However, there comes a time (thanks to the push of a global pandemic and the parking industry evolving in leaps and bounds) when Parking and Transportation departments turn their focus towards future technologies that are quite literally ‘changing the game’ of the traditional parking experience.

Seven Game Changing Event Parking Insights

1. Arrival Experience

The arrival experience is the first impression that attendees have of the event itself, with the experience beginning before the attendee even leaves their home, and continuing until they finally get to their seat.

Although multiple departments plan and collaborate prior to an event—parking planning, event operators, facilities management, police and safety, transport, ticketing and more— in many cases the overall arrival experience for the customers can often be an afterthought. While event and transportation departments always manage to make it work, this problem is not limited to campuses. Even professional sports stadiums raise this as being their greatest area for improvement.

2. Communication with the Attendees

One of the most common grievances from frustrated event attendees is a lack of communication. People can be forgiving to a point when their arrival is slowed down, as long as they understand why and are kept informed. This communication can begin well before they arrive at the campus. Attendees want to understand how they are getting there, the best entry to take, the best time to depart, and what they can expect once they get to campus. To date, the correct tools to act as this communication medium have either not existed or not been used properly. Parking and mobility digitization is here to solve this. By putting the information in the hands of the attendees well before the event, they can now make informed decisions about their arrival, ensuring they make it to their seat on time.

3. Operators Managing Parking from Single Source of Information

On the day of the event, parking conditions and occupancy can change quickly, and parking operators need to provide guidance based on real-time availability. To achieve this, all operators (including administrators, police and public safety) require a single system unifying data from multiple sources, including ticketing, digital signage, utilization tracking, police, parking, and more. Via the digitization of parking and unification of live parking data into a single interface, operators can access up-tothe-minute guidance information in their hands, ensuring that drivers are being guided only to their preferred/open parking location for their entitlements. This, in turn, helps to reduce congestion and improves the arrival experience by getting them to their parking space as quickly and easily as possible.

4. Integrations with Event Systems

Key to this process is consistency across all forms of guidance— whether it be operators providing advice, digital signage guiding drivers to available parking lots, or mobile parking guidance delivered to the phone. To ensure consistency, there must be a single system that acts as the hub, unifying the existing data from all event-related systems and pushing the information to each of the guidance methods. This capability already exists, and smart event administrators are taking steps to digitize their operations to achieve this goal of consistency in guidance and adjusting their event planning with the parking utilization data collected during each event.

5. Route Guidance & Live-Site Information

A common issue raised by event planners is that of route guidance on entry and directions to parking. While most

campuses have multiple points of entry, without guidance on the smoothest point to enter for specific parking locations, drivers tend to clog popular entry points leading to campuses needing to open parking up to six hours ahead of the event. In this case, destination guidance solutions such as Google Maps can serve as a hindrance rather than a benefit, as they guide drivers to the campus but don’t advise them on how best to enter based on the real-time parking conditions. Road closures must also be considered in how they will affect the movement of traffic.

By having preset route guidance to the ideal entrance for the attendee, the arrival time can be minimized, and overall congestion can be drastically reduced. Up-to-the-minute information is vital and via integrations with live data feeds from utilization tracking solutions, triggers can also be set to alter the guidance based on the live conditions such as when lots hit capacity. Once a lot hits capacity, drivers can be guided to the next best available place to park and the ideal point of entry, ensuring they don’t clog traffic re-routing for parking on arrival.

6. Purchasing Parking and Tailgating

Options to purchase parking also have a direct effect on the flow of traffic on event day. While smaller events can be managed by incorporating nearby lots and entry points, large events can be an entirely different hurdle. Not only do administrators need to provide parking reservation options ahead of time, but they must also cater for a huge influx of attendees driving to the campus with a plan to find and purchase parking on arrival. We must not forget the donors and season ticket holders that want to select specific spaces near the stadium. By digitizing the parking options down to the level of individual bays, as well as

providing the administrators the ability to set event-specific parking templates, administrators can publish the parking set up and inform the attendees of their specific options via a visual dashboard, at the time of purchasing their tickets.

Tailgating is one of college and professional sports favorite pastimes. Using digital parking reservations, those looking to tailgate can select the exact space they want by viewing the available options and cost for each. They can be guided to the precise location on the day of the game, and provided easy directions for friends to meet up at their spot. Administrators can incorporate a tiered pricing model for the preferred locations, or leverage dynamic pricing based on demand for the event.

7.

Encourage Alternative Transport Options

That said, optimizing the arrival experience should not exclusively be dedicated to improving parking access alone. Administrators should be focused on communicating all options to access the campus, helping attendees make informed transport decisions ahead of the event. An ideal plan incorporates parking, public transportation, rideshare, bus shuttles, and even micromobility in the last mile where possible. By presenting all these options within a single interface, the arrival experience can be personalized to the user seeking information on the best way to access the event.

Game Changer (noun) = “an event, idea, or procedure that effects a significant shift in the current manner of doing or thinking about something.”

MARK FRUMAR is President of North America at Modii (Formerly Spot Parking). He can be reached at mark@ modii.co

Inclusion And Access Infrastructure Disparity In Underserved Neighborhoods

By Ree Miskimon, CPSM

EVERY DAY IS THE SAME FOR THIS LIBRARIAN. She leaves her home for work, walking with trepidation to her bus stop across a busy four-lane intersection with ill-timed traffic lights and impatient drivers. The walk home from her bus stop is the same, except it’s darker outside. It’s scary for her and others like her who cross this busy road. Safety at this intersection, and many like it across America, is not a priority until there is an injury or a fatality.

I want to understand why it has to come down to an injury or casualty before a city steps in to make streets safe for all commuters, vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. And what I really want to know is why is

it that cities with the highest pedestrian and bicycle crash rates are in mostly underserved brown and black communities.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) is a critical issue that affects all aspects of society, including infrastructure and transportation. One area of concern is the disparity in road conditions in brown and black neighborhoods and more affluent areas.

Studies have shown that road conditions in lowincome and minority neighborhoods are often worse than those in more affluent areas. Potholes, cracks, and other damage to the roadway can create hazardous conditions for drivers and pedestrians and can lead to vehicle damage and accidents.

This disparity is often the result of systemic racism and inequality in the allocation of resources for infrastructure maintenance and repair. Underserved neighborhoods notoriously receive fewer resources for road maintenance, leading to a higher prevalence of poor road conditions. The consequences of this disparity go beyond just inconvenience and vehicle damage. Poor road conditions can also create barriers to job access, education, and other necessities, and can contribute to the cycle of poverty in these communities.

As a professional services marketer in the built environment, I work with people who make a difference in the lives of people within the communities they work and live. My colleagues are engineers, construction inspectors, construction managers, facilities managers, and owners’ representatives. Like many in the design community, we work to make our communities better, make them easier to navigate, make their roads wider to accommodate bicycles, and beautify neighborhoods.

But this can only happen if there are financial resources allocated to do the work.

It is important for governments and community organizations to prioritize equity in infrastructure and transportation investments to ensure that all neighborhoods have safe and well-maintained roads. This can be achieved through targeted funding and resources for road maintenance and repair in underserved neighborhoods, as well as increased community engagement and input in infrastructure decision-making.

What became of the librarian? In 2014, she was walking her normal route across the busy intersection when she was struck by a car. She survived her injuries and the local DOT immediately put in place temporary barriers to expand sidewalks. By 2020, the intersection received a complete redesign, known as a “road diet” with the primary goal of improving safety in the high-risk corridor that serves as a major commuter thruway going through residential neighborhoods. The project involved safety, traffic, roadway, and landscape improvements including the installation of underground electrical conduits for traffic signals and lights, as well as storm sewer utilities.

The newly completed project has reduced vehicle lanes, added bike lanes, added crosswalks, new pavement markings, installed new higher quality street lighting, and more, all with a focus on improving

corridor safety and providing a beautiful streetscape for the residents.

This is just one project of many that require funding before another injury occurs. Investing in the infrastructure of underserved neighborhoods not only benefits the residents of these communities but also contributes to the overall health and prosperity of the region. By addressing the disparity in road conditions, we can work towards a more equitable and inclusive society for all.

REE MISKIMON , CPSM, is the Director of BD & Marketing, Cube Root Corporation. She can be reached at rmiskimon@cuberootinc.com

See the Show, Save the Planet

By Lesli L. Stone, CAPP

AFTER MONTHS OF RESTRICTIONS, fans have returned en masse to celebrate and enjoy the in-person special events they love. From concerts to Comicon and fun runs to football, 2022 saw people turn out in record numbers, and 2023 shows no signs of slowing down. But while most people are thinking of tickets, I am ready to talk about transit and why park and ride (P&R) lots are an excellent choice for people and the planet.

P&R Lots: Making Sense and Cents

Let’s consider a college football game. Imagine that it’s just you and 125,000 or so of your closest friends converging on the university campus of your choice.

If you choose to park and walk, you will likely search for available parking. Donald Shoup, the undisputed heavyweight champ of parking, has demonstrated in various studies that 30% of urban congestion results from cruising for parking. In addition to compounding traffic volume, searching for parking is time-consuming, increases vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and expends fuel or battery charge.

However, if you decide to park at a P&R lot, you arrive at an advertised location, and lot attendants will likely direct you to available spaces. In this case, both VMT and time to park subsequently decrease. Once parked, you can board your bus and head to the venue with plenty of time to spare to purchase a snack and a fancy new foam finger.

The transit buses typically used in these applications can hold 36 to 60 people and may have a dedicated

route to the venue. In addition to being convenient and reducing vehicle count, modern transit vehicles are designed and manufactured to be kinder to the planet. Since 2010, the EPA has required selective catalytic reduction in diesel engines, significantly decreasing NOx and particulate matter produced by these vehicles. In addition, many transit agencies are gradually phasing out diesel-powered buses as part of their state or institutional “green” initiatives. As such, these organizations will replace retiring diesel vehicles with hybrid-electric or fully-electric units, reducing their carbon footprint even further.

P&R Lots: Indirect Benefits

Using P&R lots is a simple idea that generates positive expected results. However, there are some additional indirect benefits.

Consider the movement of people to and from a high-attendance event similar to our football game listed above. Before the event, attendees flow in gradually over a more extended period of time but tend

to come out as a large group after the event concludes. When operated at appropriate headways, post-event transportation to the P&R lot has a throttling effect which can ease the flow of cars into arterial traffic, reducing congestion and gridlock and associated emissions.

Increased safety and security are an added benefit of utilizing a P&R lot. Attendees ride a bus from the venue to the parking lot and are not walking through potentially unknown areas to return to their cars. In addition, designated P&R lots are often monitored throughout an event and may provide more security than the alternatives. Bus operators also have direct communication with a dispatcher and, in some cases, law enforcement and can report suspicious activity in real-time.

Finally, P&R lots generally isolate litter to the primary venue, as the transit agency may prohibit open containers and food on board the bus. Trash receptacles placed at or near the loading zone assist with this issue.

ELSAG® LICENSE PLATE READER PARKING MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

Final Comments

It is great to see life returning to normal and people enjoying the activities they love. So, I hope that the next opportunity you get to see your favorite band or team in person, you consider using a P&R lot and transit. It’s safe, it’s easy, and the planet will thank you for it. ◆

LESLI L. STONE, CAPP , is Performance Assurance

Director—East Region for First Transit. She can be reached at Leslie.Stone@firstgroup.com

DATA RESOURCES

Shoup, D. (2019). High cost of Free Parking. ROUTLEDGE. Fischer, B. (2022, November 14). https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/ Issues/2022/11/14/Upfront/Nfl-attendance.aspx Sports Business Journal

Dalugdug, M. (2022, September 7). Live concert interest in the US nearing pre-covid levels, new study shows. Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved January 17, 2023, from https:// www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/ live-concert-interest-in-the-us-nearing-pre-covid-levels-new-study-shows/

LPR Automation for increased revenues

Save time and money with ELSAG® LPR technologies. Our ELSAG MPH900 cameras mount to a variety of vehicles to aid time-limit and permit enforcement, as well as scofflaw detection. Our ELSAG VPH900 uses select IP cameras to validate lot and garage permits, record entry and exit times, determine time parked, and much more.

Dynamic Pricing 2.0

Making True Real-Time Parking Pricing a Reality

By Andrew LaMothe and Jason Sutton, CAPP

THE ABILITY TO DETERMINE HOW TO PRICE PARKING accurately and effectively has evolved significantly in recent years. However, most would agree that parking is still largely underpriced, and spaces undervalued. Why? Because rates and rules for parking are often determined by data gathered either empirically or by viewing historical trends to make choices for future rates. The inherent problem with either approach to rate policy is that data compilation is broad, does not necessarily lead to action, and will not keep pace with the growing complexities of the curb. Furthermore, they do not reflect an accurate, real-time demand of the curb that changes dynamically by the day or even down to the hour.

Can the parking industry apply true dynamic pricing?

It’s understood that the concept of dynamic pricing for parking is not new. It’s also understood that where it has been implemented, the results have been generally positive. For example, Washington, DC’s Chinatown pilot project reduced the time motorists spent searching for a parking spot by seven minutes per trip. San Francisco’s pilot reduced driver “cruising” by 50% and decreased double parking by 22%. The City of Seattle’s pilot resulted in increased meter pricing in four districts, but price reductions in 11 districts. And in New York, 61% of drivers in the Greenwich Village pilot found parking became easier or remained the same as pre-pilot. (parkDC: Penn Quarter/Chinatown Parking Pricing Pilot January 2019; Donald Shoup, The High Cost of Free Parking).

However, perhaps we should take a step back, reexamine the strategy, and ask, “Can improvements to this strategy lead to dramatic, measurable, and

positive results?” The answer is a resounding yes when combining existing strategies with new technologies that have entered the market recently. These technologies offer the ability to make true dynamic pricing a reality while simultaneously managing the curb. Hence, Dynamic Pricing 2.0. But first, let’s define dynamic pricing for those that may not be familiar.

Dynamic pricing can be defined as “a pricing strategy that ignores fixed pricing and applies variable pricing.” In other words, it is a strategy in which the price of a particular product tends to change in response to demand and supply. Powered by intelligent software, this strategy is embraced by hotels, airlines, and utilities because it allows their rate engines to price their products according to supply and demand, in real-time. Can the parking industry apply the same software driven strategy to its parking spaces? Yes!

In fact, the parking industry is ripe for Dynamic Pricing 2.0, and as mentioned previously, already has the technology to make this a reality. The evolution

of dynamic pricing from 1.0 to 2.0 hinges on the use of a rate engine that ingests occupancy and payment data (via API or CDS) as its primary inputs that inform business rules to calculate and share real-time pricing (via API or CDS) as output to the market. In addition to the dynamic parking rates this model provides, organizations can also look forward to dynamic wayfinding that encompass the parking eco-system (garages, lots, on-street), as well as EV spaces and loading zones. Moreover, a natural outflow of this model includes the automation and consolidation of operational processes such as enterprise statistical analysis and reporting (occupancy/utilization/payments), driver guidance, compliance and enforcement, and others. Lastly, this model is inclusive of the Curb Data Specification (CDS) developed by the Open Mobility Foundation and its membership. In short, CDS allows cities to digitally represent their curb space, communicate with curb users in different ways, and use metrics to improve those curbs.

Benefits

The benefits of traditional dynamic pricing and curb management are well documented via various research organizations such as the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Urban Freight Labs, and others. From their collective research, benefits include:

■ Congestion improvements: less double parking improves traffic flow.

■ Climate improvements: reduced emissions from less circling.

■ Business improvements: less searching means more shopping.

■ Overall improvement in the quality of life.

Keep in mind that while attractive, these benefits were gained and exist with status quo strategies and technology. The adoption of Dynamic Pricing 2.0 amplifies the effectiveness of the existing strategy because it considers all aspects of the parking ecosystem and responds accordingly. As a result, the previously identified research-based benefits can now reach

peak potential as the upgraded strategy is combined with focused technology and scaled across the parking ecosystem.

Challenges and Solutions

Currently, there is a political tailwind due to the Biden Administration’s SMART Grant for “projects focused on advanced smart community technologies and systems in order to improve transportation efficiency and safety.” However, parking and transportation professionals will still need to contend with the usual suspects of procedure and perspective on the road to the adoption and implementation of Dynamic Pricing 2.0. Regarding procedure, the issue of how to communicate rates for on- and off-street spaces to the driving public is a core challenge to be overcome before Dynamic Pricing 2.0 can be implemented. Fortunately, through digital messaging signs (DMS) changes to rates, rules, and curb uses can be reflected in real time through the CDS coming from the rate engine. In essence creating a “flex curb” with embedded dynamic pricing.

Regarding perspective, the core challenge revolves around how Dynamic Pricing 2.0 is viewed through the eye of a public wary of a new “money grab.” However, precedent shows us that through the methodical education of stakeholders, perspective moves from money to the aforementioned benefits. Now through these technologies and a comprehensive approach, we can deliver elevated benefits that directly contribute to the quality of life that we desire for our fellow citizens. ◆

ANDREW LAMOTHE is Vice President of North American Sales & Global Marketing for Cleverciti and is a member of IPMI’s Conference Program Task Force and Technology Committee. He can be reached at andrew.lamothe@cleverciti.com

JASON SUTTON, CAPP , is Vice President of Channel Partnerships with Passport. He can be reached at Jason.Sutton@passportinc.com

Dynamic pricing can be defined as “a pricing strategy that ignores fixed pricing and applies variable pricing.” In other words, it is a strategy in which the price of a particular product tends to change in response to demand and supply.

Culture: The Key Element to a Successful Parking Company

By Mimi Darling

THINK BACK TO BEFORE YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER in parking. When trying to identify your first parking encounter, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Was it a parking garage you parked in? A pay station where you paid? Or even a valet attendant that opened your door? All memorable things, but did you ever honestly consider having a career in the parking industry growing up? For most people, the answer to that question is no. For many individuals, the beginning of their parking career was something they fell into. If they continued to work in the industry, it is likely because they enjoyed what they do, and who they do it for. They were drawn to the culture.

Companies that keep culture at the forefront of their core values and make daily strides to maintain and promote an inclusive workplace will foster a work environment that allows employees to feel supported and valued. A positive work culture can promote loyalty amongst employees, which has a direct impact on employee retention. Companies that are comprised of long-term tenured employees have proven time and time again that they have cracked the code on culture. And isn’t employee retention something that every employer wants?

But what is culture? And how do we continue to cultivate it?

At its core, company culture is how we do what we do in the workplace. Culture is a collective sum of an organization’s formal and informal systems and values. It drives how we treat our employees, our customers,

and ultimately sets the tone for how we are perceived in the community. Within any organization, the culture is derived from executive leadership. When cultivating and beginning the implementation of that culture, it is the role of all company officers, including those in senior management, facility management, and supervisory roles to ensure that the integrity of that culture is regularly maintained. It is equally important that the company officers reinforce the core values of the company culture when managing their internal teams. Maintaining a united front when instituting change is critical to improving workplace culture and communicating respective changes to employees. That said, an unwavering message can demonstrate that an organization is ready to adopt real change.

So, how can companies improve overall work culture?

■ Lead by example: This is a key component of fostering a positive and inclusive employee culture. Leaders within an organization can demonstrate their ability to lead by example by adopting the “no job is too small” perspective. This perspective evens the playing field within group and team dynamics, and makes employees feel that leaders within the organization are willing to do the same work that they do. Leading by example stems directly from the executive office and paves the way for how employees conduct themselves at work daily.

■ Build trust and be transparent: The foundation of company culture should be built on trust and transparency. Employees value companies that

regularly solicit their feedback and keep them in the loop as it relates to pertinent organizational changes. A company that adopts an open-door policy and values two-way communication is much more likely to cultivate a culture that is built on mutual trust.

■ Empower your leaders: Leaders should be empowered to act as the company’s agents of change. To improve culture, managers should not only “buy in” to the culture, but they should demonstrate that they are the examples of it.

■ Make collaboration a workplace standard: Ultimately, organizations that make a concerted effort to promote internal collaboration are more likely to succeed at building and maintaining stronger teams.

Culture is a key part of what makes an organization unique. It has a direct correlation to why most of us get up each day and

do what we do. Company culture may not be expressly written but can be seen when observing the actions and behaviors of its employees. Building a positive work culture sets the foundation for an organization and creates valuable standards for how they should treat their employees. Culture also impacts how organizations are perceived by clients and customers. It is the one retention tool that is priceless; it creates loyalty, maintains job satisfaction, and ultimately boosts employee morale. A work culture is not just what defines a company, but it also encompasses everything the company stands for.

MIMI DARLING is the Director of Human Resources for Parking Concepts, Inc. She can be reached at MDarling@ parkingconcepts.com

A Transformation of a Parking Institution The Power of Investing in the People

By John N. Morgan

THE ALLENTOWN PARKING AUTHORITY (APA) was established in 1984, and for 38 years it conducted its operation with no human resources department. In 2021, I decided that the growth and stability of the organization justified the need for a human resources department. Simple right? Wrong! It takes a lot of time and consideration to determine how such a department should be structured and staffed. The first step was to recruit a professional who would reflect the organization’s culture.

Luckily, I remembered Christina Nolden, a paralegal with an Allentown law firm. She made a positive impression on me, so much so that she immediately came to mind as I considered this position. I contacted her on LinkedIn and asked where she was working. After a conversation on the phone, I asked her if she would consider a career change to work in human resources. With no doubt in her mind, she immediately jumped at the opportunity to make a change. With her legal background of more than 20 years, I was certain she could be an asset for our growing organization.

Initially, Christina met with the me and the Deputy Directors to gain an understanding of what was expected of her and the new department. The APA had been rebuilt from the top down, and now had a totally updated structure and a new set of people, along with a real business focus. She understood that she would be totally challenged to familiarize herself with the various people, processes, procedures, and parking systems. She would need to immerse herself in the parking industry, which she had very little if any exposure to. Christina would now be a part of the APA management team with an important purpose and position in the parking industry.

Christina quickly learned that this would not be an easy job. Within the first 90 days, we had to terminate two managers, and she lost her assistant to a promotion within the organization so she had to recruit and hire a new one. She quickly realized the need to prioritize the people ahead of the processes of the organization, and that it was imperative it was to communicate with the managers and work closely with me to incorporate the values of this organization. There would be a long road ahead of her, but she was up to the challenge.

While people are the most important part of any business, in

the parking business it’s all about the people. The hardest part of our job is recruiting good, qualified people who fill openings that often turn over, and creating an ever-expanding work force.

We were fortunate that two major vacancies, the customer service manager position and facilities manager position, were filled by promotions from within the organization. But when COVID hit, the events at the PPL Center arena in downtown Allentown came to a halt and our event staff were completely depleted. Once COVID restrictions were lifted, the PPL Center slowly began to schedule events and the new hockey season started. Great news for parking! But we were left with no event manager or staff to run the decks and lots during the events. The people in the organization pulled together as a team and I was lucky to have the ability to offer overtime to employees currently employed, along with a supervisor who managed the few events that were scheduled. Still, we needed to hire an event manager and re-staff quickly!

While working diligently on recruiting an events department, Christina traveled to her first parking industry expo. Well, that was certainly eye opening. She now understood how wrong people were when they said, “It’s only parking.” No way! There is so much involved in parking operations, and Christina learned first-hand how human resources plays a huge part. Upon her return we interviewed and hired an event manager, along with staff. Now maybe she could breathe…

Although Christina learned a lot about parking equipment and services from an industry conference, it was time for her to experience her very first Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) conference. At first, she was overwhelmed, but she managed to take a step back and remembered some advice I gave, “If you come away with just one thing that you

can use on your day-to-day operation to improve your bottom line, then it was worth the expense.” Well, she came back with that one thing, and it has improved our ability to fill our vacant positions as well as our head count for growth.

Our city’s government had an expectation of a 24-hour, sevenday-a-week response on parking enforcement complaint calls and service. APA needed to expand hours of operation to meet these needs, which called for the budgeting for 10 new parking enforcement officers. In addition to those positions, we needed more event staff as well as additional facility maintenance technicians. Upon her return from the SHRM conference, Christina reported that she discovered a software that would help us with our recruiting efforts. Although there is a cost to it, the “squeeze was worth the juice” on the Applicant PRO that she learned about. This application filters dozens of hiring sites (like Indeed) to our requested needs. It has proven to be a very powerful tool. The organization could not interview the many applicants fast enough!

In closing, as with any organization, you can invest in equipment, material, in brick and mortar, but it all comes down to people. The people that become your employees, the employees that become your work family. I believe if you treat your employees well, they will be happy to come to work and put forth a good effort every day. Many questioned me if the cost of creating a human resources department would be too expensive. In the short time that Christina has been with APA as the Human Resources Manager, we more than doubled our work force. I am convinced that it cost far more not to have a well-functioning, professional human resources department. With Christina’s department’s efforts, this parking organization was able to exceed its revenue numbers and continues to grow with quality people. ◆

Get your visitors in and out with less hassle. Walker’s comprehensive, cutting-edge planning and mobility consulting helps event venues, hospitals, and universities make the most of their parking and transportation assets. We want your visitors to remember the reason they came, not the travel experience.

• Parking planning, operations, and technology (including supply/demand and financial studies)

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JOHN N. MORGAN is the Executive Director of the Allentown Parking Authority. He can be reached at morgan@allentownparking.com

Green Street Parking Garage

THE NEWARK PARKING AUTHORITY worked with prime design firm THA Consulting, Inc. to develop a new 515-space mixed-use parking facility to support a variety of users in downtown Newark, New Jersey. The new Green Street parking facility supports the parking needs of the Newark Parking Authority, Newark Finance Department, adjacent Newark Municipal Court Office, events at the nearby Prudential Center, and public parking for the city.

The garage is wrapped by approximately 45,000 square feet of mixed-use space that supports a variety of office and community space. It includes several aesthetic design features to complement the look of the surrounding buildings, while creating an attractive and modern new feel within the downtown

FIRM: THA Consulting, Inc.

LOCATION: Newark, NJ

OWNER: Newark Parking Authority

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS:

● Contractor: Gilbane Building Company

STAFF:

● Todd Helmer, PE, SE Helmer

area. The design team incorporated several enhanced architectural features on the façade of the facility, as well as in the public spaces and the mixed-use elements. The goal of the project was to create an inviting and comfortable experience while supporting the needs of a wide range of visitors.

The parking facility includes several sustainable design elements, as well as plans to support additional green efforts in the future. This included components in the planning of the facility such as proximity to mass transit and implementing

“The Green Street Garage project is so much more than just parking! The mixed-use facility is in the heart of the City’s Government district and serves as the new home of the Newark Parking Authority, the City of Newark’s Finance Department, and Municipal Court Offices, and provides much needed parking for the district and Prudential Center events. The Newark Parking Authority and THA Consulting worked collaboratively and successfully on the project from initial conception through operational start up! The project’s design provides an attractive, welcoming, and safe environment that has greatly contributed to the continued

—Anthony Mack, Executive Director, Newark Parking

shared-use strategies, but also various design and technology enhancements to reduce the environmental impact of the garage. Further, given the nature of the garage supporting a municipal court building, the design team included several enhanced safety elements to protect both the public and the workers in the development. While a pedestrian bridge connects the liner building with the court building, the garage connects only through a secured door, limiting access between the garage and the court building to authorized personnel.

The parking facility is wrapped by a three-story liner building to the north. The first floor of the liner building is set up for future retail use such as a café. The second and third floor of the liner building incorporate expanded, secure space for the municipal court building. The northwest corner of the structure includes a pedestrian bridge between the liner

building and the municipal court building, providing secured access between the two buildings. The pedestrian bridge only connects to the liner building, and not the garage, ensuring that access to the municipal court building is cut off from the parking garage, yet office workers in the liner building can easily move between the two secure buildings. Several aesthetic elements provide an attractive experience for office employees, while also providing necessary security. The windows in the customer service area of the parking authority space are bulletproof for added security.

The ground level of the garage includes the infrastructure for three, dual-point electric vehicle charging stations to be installed later to charge up to six vehicles. Further, the proximity to public transit allows the facility to support the parking needs of patrons intending to utilize any of the transit options available at Newark’s Penn Station. ◆

Authority

Getting to Know CPTA

By Josh Stone, CAPP

ORIGINALLY FORMED IN 1991, the Campus Parking and Transportation Association (formerly the Midwest Campus Parking Association) is committed to enhancing the professional image of parking and serves as a unifying force in promoting state and local legislation through fostering partnerships with individuals. With a mission to promote and represent the parking industry on the campuses of colleges and universities, CPTA includes members from around the world.

CPTA hosts an annual conference at a partnering college or university each fall, where more than 130 parking professionals and vendors gather from across the country for a multi-day experience. Attendees engage in roundtable discussions and presentations on sustainable transportation, parking finances, campus master planning, and more. The next CPTA conference will be held in October 2023 at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. If you are interested in attending this rewarding event, visit www.cptaonline.org for additional registration details and updates.

In addition to CPTA’s annual conference, members enjoy connecting online through monthly lunch-and-learns,

where current trends, news, and ideas are shared, and groups collaborate on issues impacting their respective organizations.

CPTA is currently accepting new members. If you are a parking professional or organization interested in joining CPTA, visit www.cptaonline.org ◆

Campus Parking & Transportation Association

JOSH STONE, CAPP , is the Executive Director of Parking & Transportation Services at Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Vice President of CPTA. He can be reached at jlstone@vcu.edu

2022 CPTA conference, hosted by Texas A&M University in College Station, TX

ASK THE EXPERTS

What are the latest challenges in event and venue parking, and what innovations are being implemented to solve these challenges?

Brett Munkel, CAPP Vice President, Healthcare and University Services SP+

While staffing and coordination of TNC’s continue as challenges, the practical application of technology is a topic that’s arising more frequently. Technology solutions need to work with existing venue systems, not slow down ingress or egress, provide usable analytics and be dynamic enough to fit the specific needs of each venue. The space continues to evolve, and good, better, and best solutions are becoming ever more clear.”

Julie Dixon President

Dixon Resources Unlimited

Spillover parking impacts! Drivers are trying to avoid the special event parking fees and find a nearby location. Parking resources are usually allocated for the event so the nearby neighborhoods are feeling the pain.”

Erik M.

Nelson, PCP

Director of Operations and Technology Consulting Walker Consultants

As with events themselves, event parking is moving toward a more digital experience for the end-user. One of the latest challenges is integration. Getting the ticketing supplier, venue owner, and parking tech supplier all communicating can be a difficult question where the answer is often “who’s going to pay for all this?” The event industry and the parking industry can hopefully come together to solve this riddle in a way that is beneficial for attendees, as well as owners and service providers.”

Larry J. Cohen, CAPP Executive Director Lancaster Parking Authority

For event and venue parking, the number one priority is getting customers IN and OUT as quickly and seamlessly as possible based on the sheer volume alone. Innovations via prepayments by phone apps, license plate recognition (LPR) camera systems, and gateless options have gone a long way in expediting quick transaction times by moving past the archaic one-on-one cashier/customer transactions at entry or exits.”

Angel Diaz Jr. Director of Operations Miami Parking Authority

One of the biggest challenges in large event venues today is the traffic build-up caused by traditional methods of payment. Most venues have parking attendants taking payments and or scanning passes at the entrances. This is what causes the traffic to result in an unpleasant parking experience. The overall user experience can improve using technology. If we allow the guests to drive directly into the garage or lot and pay using a mobile app or pay station after they park, it will relieve the traffic at ingress. All prepaid vehicles will be registered by license plate ahead of time. This solution can be enforced with a hybrid of fixed and mobile LPR units, and violators can receive a citation onsite or by mail. Now there are a lot of moving parts and integrations involved for this to work, but it was done here in Miami for the Marlins Baseball Park.”

Dani Crain Director of Implementation, Parking & Mobility Oak View Group

Technology. Parking technology is heavily underutilized in the venue and live events world. Depending on the specific needs and challenges of each venue, implementing simple parking tech solutions such as online presales, easy onsite payment solutions, LPR and even EV technologies will help us cater to our customers. In alignment with utilizing these solutions, maximizing marketing tools such as social media platforms and Know Before You Go (KBYG) resources to better accommodate our event-goers – so they are spending less time in our parking facilities and more time in our venues.”

Free-Flow Parking

Technology’s Evolution to Event Parking

BY JOE LEUNG

PARKING IS THE FIRST STEP and the last step in the journey of a guest attending a concert, show, game, fair, or convention. Parking can either be a positive experience and go largely unnoticed, or it can detract from the amazing experience awaiting a guest inside a venue.

OVG360, a division of global sports and entertainment company Oak View Group, is a fullservice venue management and hospitality company focused on being a positive disruption in the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of venues, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 430 client-partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators.

Last year, OVG360 launched its Parking & Mobility

division—the first of its kind in the sports and live entertainment industry—which is wholly dedicated to parking efficiencies. The division helps venues drive revenue, improve the guest experience, maximize operational efficiency, and reduce expenses, implement the right technology, and optimize overall mobility.

A critical part of OVG360’s work with venues is evaluating new technologies and operating methodologies to determine if they can be successfully implemented at a venue. Any new technology applied to how parking is sold, traffic is moved, payment is accepted, inventory is managed, or any other component of event parking is handled, ultimately must positively impact the guest experience.

Acrisure Arena Palm Desert, CA

The Evolution of Event Parking

Many parking industry veterans will remember that, at one point in time, two-part tickets and an apron was the pinnacle of event parking operations. Heavily reliant on labor, slow transaction times, and requiring layered revenue controls, we all accepted that it was just how it was done at the time due to limitations on technology.

Fortunately, event parking has evolved beyond twopart tickets as new technology enables operators to make positive, productive changes at their venues. Often, these technologies are incrementally applied to what is now the default event parking model, which places attendants at the entries to validate prepaid passes and process payments. While technology has allowed the default model to incrementally improve over time, until recently it has not allowed for a significant shift in the overall operating methodologies.

That is finally changing with the introduction and expansion of “free flow” event parking.

“Free Flow” Parking Operations

The focus of event parking traffic planning typically revolves around post-event egress and how to get cars out as quickly as possible. I’d argue that event ingress should receive the same level of time, effort, and strategy.

After all, as parking operators our goal should be to get guests into the venue to begin enjoying their event—and buying food, beverages and merchandise—as quickly as possible. In fact, based on a 2018 study completed by ParkWhiz, guests who prepay for parking spend 35% more in-venue than guests who do not prepay.

The free flow operating model eliminates the need for guests to queue or to stop and interact with an attendant before entering their parking location, greatly improving the speed of guest entry into the venue. And while parking industry professionals will recognize that free flow parking has been around for years in municipalities, surface lots, universities and other operations, the concept is relatively new to the event world.

Inspired by the success of the Free Flow Parking Program at loanDepot Park (a 2022 IPMI Award of Excellence Winning project), OVG360 began evaluating the model for our venues to determine the potential improvements to our operations, starting with our newest arena.

Large Venue Adoption of Free Flow

In December 2022, Oak View Group (OVG) opened the more than 11,000-seat Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California, a premier venue poised to host the biggest artists and acts on the planet. Designed specifically for concerts, shows and hockey—as the new home for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL Seattle Kraken—the venue provides top-tier hospitality, artist amenities, and all the benefits of a modern music and sports venue.

During our planning process, we identified a number of obstacles related to parking, many of which are common for venues everywhere. The obstacles included limited roadway infrastructure, no in-lot queuing capability, community concern for traffic impacts, and market demographics. It quickly became evident that traditional event parking with attendants at the entries validating prepaid passes and processing payments was not a viable option.

To counter these obstacles, the Parking & Mobility team opted to introduce free flow parking to the great Palm Springs area.

Partnering with Flash Parking for technology and Ace Parking for operations, Acrisure Arena’s free flow parking process was designed for easy adoption by guests. The guest experience is as follows:

● Parking is pre-sold to the guest, who then enters their license plate as their credential. To encourage pre-

FREE-FLOW PARKING

Free Flow Parking Program at loanDepot Park

sales, license plate entry is not required at the time of purchase; however, the guest receives reminders immediately after the purchase, as well as 24 hours before and one hour before the parking start time.

● Guests who have not prepaid are able to pay by scanning QRcode signage posted in the lots, entering their license plate and completing payment. Guest checkout avoids forcing guests to download an app and allows them to transact quickly and be on their way.

● Ambassadors in the lots have handheld units to process payments for guests who may not have a smart phone or are otherwise unable to pay using the signage.

● During the event, vehicle-based License Plate Recognition (LPR) cameras perform compliance duties, identifying guest who have not paid and issuing a payment reminder notice to the vehicle. Acrisure Arena’s program eliminated the need for queuing and placed a higher level of focus on getting our guests into the lot, parked, and on their way to enjoy their event.

Keys to Success

After 50 days and dozens of events, Acrisure Arena’s free flow parking has proven to be a game-changer. Guests can easily enter, park, and begin enjoying the event, which has enhanced the overall guest experience—and resulted in greater overall event profitability.

So what elements are needed to make free flow successful?

Pre-sell, pre-sell, pre-sell!

The venue marketing team must be hyper-focused on pre-selling. Joyce Szudzik, Acrisure Arena’s Marketing VP, and her team have

given a masterclass in integrating parking into every potential sales channel, as well as creating engaging content for guests. The arena is currently pre-selling at a rate of 80%, an accomplishment when compared to the industry average of 40 to 45%.

In addition to improving ingress, pre-selling can benefit venues in various other ways. As mentioned earlier, a guest who prepurchases parking spends an average of 35% more in venue than guests who don’t. Guest Net Promoter Scores (NPS) also increase by four points if a guest pre-purchases parking.

Traffic Directors

Parking attendants and guests usually see interaction as an example of a high level of customer service. In a traditional event parking model, one where an attendant greets the guest during the transaction, this might be the case. However, in a free flow model, guest interactions while the guest is still in their car has the opposite effect on the overall customer experience.

Traffic directors should be placed where they are still visible to entering traffic but far enough away that they could wave guests forward toward available parking without the guests attempting to interact with them. Once the guest is out of their vehicle, ambassadors can be there to assist with any questions.

Bottom Line Impact

There are several financial benefits of the free flow model. The most significant is labor savings due to not staffing cashiers at each entrance to validate passes or process payments. Acrisure Arena’s program allowed for a $190K reduction in payroll by not implementing a traditional event program and removing the need for cashiers.

Free-Flow Parking at Acrisure Arena Event

Pricing strategies, such as pricing drive-up rates higher than pre-paid rates and adding fees to the guest portion of the transaction, can not only increase parking revenue per caps, but can also drive pre-paid adoption.

Compliance

When evaluating free flow, guest compliance rates are typically the bulk of the conversation. The best way to mitigate potential compliance issues is to focus on preselling. With an 80 percent pre-sell rate, you only need to ensure compliance on the 20 percent of guests who are paying on-site. Ambassadors who greet guests as they exit their vehicles, coupled with signage placed in lots with payment reminders, also improve compliance rates. While it varies by event type, the overall noncompliance rates at Acrisure Arena have been in the low single digits each event.

Sustainability

At first glance, parking and sustainability appear to be mortal enemies, destined to be at odds. However, the reality is that well-designed parking programs can have substantial positive impacts on environmental concerns. For instance, assuming the free flow model reduces the amount of time in queue/idling by 10 minutes, with 2,000 cars per event and 127 events per year, this equates to 167K lbs. of CO2 avoided annually. Parking and sustainability can be friends!

Disruption in Parking

I encourage parking and mobility experts to experiment with innovative and unexpected strategies, processes and technologies, such as free flow, with the goal of moving the industry forward. At OVG, we are exploring the free flow model with other arenas, convention centers and stadiums to provide a higher level of guest experience that improve NPS, positive net income benefits that improve the bottom line, and sustainability practices that improve the environment. While this model might not work for every venue, the potential benefits to venues and guests earn it a seat at the planning table.

OVG has purposefully assembled subject matter experts in parking, sustainability, security, private events and other disciplines. We understand what it takes to operate a venue—because OVG owns and operates venues. Whether a brand-new arena or one that has been operating for decades, it is important to be bold and daring in our approach as parking professionals because it is ultimately founded in expertise, research and experience. ◆

JOE LEUNG is Vice President of OVG360 Parking & Mobility. He can be reached at JLeung@oakviewgroup.com

Acrisure Arena Event

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RESIDENT

MOVE-IN:

A Campus-Wide Affair

By Demar Bonnemere

MOVE-IN CAN SET THE TONE for how a student’s year will go and validate that they have made the right choice. This is the student’s last introduction to the campus. Here at North Carolina State University (NC State), we take this responsibility seriously. We have a process in place where several departments work in tandem to make sure that move-in goes smoothly, and to ensure that the students and families have a positive experience.

O ver four days in August, about 9,500 students and their families will descend on the NC State campus. They contend with navigating campus and finding their way around despite the weather—North Carolina in August can be extremely hot and unpredictable when it comes to rain.

(Above) Transportation employee directs family through central campus move-in.

Sign directing incoming students where to check-in during move-in.

Traffic & Staffing Plans Create Order

After the students have been accepted, gone through orientation, and received their housing assignments, they need to get to campus. Part of the planning process involves determining the most efficient routes to the students’ respective residence halls and parking areas. The NC State campus consists of several two-lane roads, so a proper traffic plan must be in place to keep vehicles moving and prevent backups. Keith Piper, NC State Event Parking Coordinator, has been with the university for one year, but before that, he worked for the third-party parking company that staffed the traffic control officers and parking attendants dispersed around campus during move-in. “I did not realize how much collaboration really goes into move-in, and how many different pieces, departments, and people, in general, are working move-in making sure it goes smoothly,” Piper said.

Piper puts together a staffing plan utilizing a thirdparty parking company, in addition to the NC State Transportation Enforcement Officers and department staff, to help direct traffic and monitor the parking lots. This enables families to get to the appropriate lot to unload their belongings. “One of the biggest challenges was coming up with a parking plan, and a detailed list of responsibilities for each of the different parking staff and team members in the field,” Piper said. “Previously, it was just a short meeting the day of move-in, but this year I went out and created a different parking cheat sheet for team members who are out in the field.” To complement the information provided to staff, a website was created and sent to the students and their families containing downloadable directions to the unloading areas and long-term parking for their residence halls.

Once they are on campus, there are staff members at specific intersections to help guide them to the

Incoming students waiting to move their belongings into their room after unloading their vehicle.

appropriate location. Vehicle windshields are marked with their building name so that as they are arriving, staff can continue to direct them without having to stop them. At the long-term parking area, 12-foot banners are located at the entrance to the lot as a visual directional cue. All of these steps were taken to keep vehicles moving.

Appointments Create Ease at Drop-Off

While COVID has forced the university to rethink some aspects of the move-in weekend, the main parts of the process have lasted the test of time. Kathleen Ruppe, Director of Housing Operations, has been at NC State for 19 years and serves as Chair of the Move-In Committee for the university. She has been very happy with the move-in. “I will say that move-in at NC State has always gone well. Since the start of my tenure, it’s never been a big mess or problem,” Ruppe said. “I think it’s gotten stronger in more recent years, but it’s always been a successful process.”

One change instituted in response to COVID regulations and then kept as it benefited the process was the shift to move-in appointments. Before COVID, a schedule was set for an open move-in, now students are given appointment times which regulate and spreads out the traffic. “The biggest change now is that we have appointments. We didn’t do that previously and the pandemic brought about that need—we liked the results,” Ruppe said. “We are keeping with it, as it staggers the arrival times. In the past, they could arrive at any time, and you’d get a big onslaught of people all at once and then it would die down, then another big onslaught.”

Changing to appointments allowed for fewer ebbs and flows and a more consistent arrival status. It was easier to have the right number of staff on hand and to make sure bins and carts were available, so the families aren’t standing around too long waiting to move into rooms. Switching to appointments also allowed us to track the trends for future improvements. “The people like the appointments,” Ruppe said. “A lot of good feedback, not just internally, but from the families who like it compared to years past or other campuses.”

Right Sizing the Staff Schedule

Scott Wallace is the Assistant Director for Housing Facilities and has been at NC State for 14 years. He works closely with Ruppe to create a staffing schedule

for the move-in weekend. With all the activity during the weekend, having enough staff, especially in those key, high-traffic areas, is critical to making sure that the process runs smoothly and efficiently. The number of staff needed to run an operation of this size is in the hundreds per day. For the buildings that do not have convenient parking, drop-and-go locations were

Incoming students make their way about Centennial Campus as they move in for the fall Semester.

“I will say that move-in at NC State has always gone well. Since the start of my tenure, it’s never been a big mess or problem,” Ruppe said. “I think it’s gotten stronger in more recent years, but it’s always been a successful process.”

—Kathleen Ruppe, Director of Housing Operations

created, and staff were needed for those areas to be cart runners, unload area management, and watch belongings while vehicles are moved to long-term parking.

“Giving folks time slots for move-in, we were able to set the expectations with students and parents to manage these drop-and-go locations. Vehicles pull up, offloading their move-in items, and then park so the next round of vehicles can come and do the same,” Wallace said. “It’s just setting the expectation and managing the drop-off and move process to stay fast and organized. Once they drop off and park their vehicle, they can take as long as they want to unpack in the rooms.”

Luggage Train

Wallace also works closely with the General Shop, Transportation and Grounds on the coordination of the “luggage train.” The luggage train runs from the Coliseum Parking Deck to the area called the TriTowers. These residence halls are located in an area that has no parking, and can be challenging to access with large amounts of belongings. This operation is overseen

by

Sarah Ketchem, a 16-year NC State veteran and the Director of Grounds and Building Services within the Facilities department.

Ketchem puts a call out to her staff for volunteers to assist with the luggage train; even though the staff is being paid to assist with student move-in, the luggage train is a volunteer opportunity as they want staff who are excited to welcome the students and their families and make it a fun experience. The volunteers are trained every year to ensure an understanding of procedures and protocols. “We do runs ahead of time to make sure safety is considered,” said Ketchem. “We have established the routes that work the best, and our team works together to test-run these routes: where they’ll

Chancellor Woodson digs right in and grabs some bags during move-in.

“I don’t know why I assumed a massive university would be a mess; yesterday was easy, stress-free (my God taking luggage in moving car/trains—genius). We were all done in three hours—it was MAGNIFICENT!”

RESIDENT MOVE IN — A CAMPUS WIDE AFFAIR

pick up student’s luggage from a parking deck, transport it to their residence hall and drop it off, and then additional staff from our team will help them move their belongings into their residence halls,” she said.

When transporting the luggage, Ketchem and her team noticed that it was not always just luggage that needed a little extra help to get to the residence halls. Some of the families had members who couldn’t make the walk for various reasons. One of these employees knew they could help. “We had the trailers that were moving the belongings, but we could not put people in or on them,” Ketchem added. “On his own, this employee decided to get a golf cart and create a shuttle that transported anybody that was not able to make the walk. Just on the fly, he made that happen. It was such a good example of customer service, and added a real value to the program.” The facilities staff has proved themselves to be rock stars with their efforts with the luggage train.

Emergency Management Oversight

Working in the background is Emergency Management and Mission Continuity. Todd Becker, Emergency Manager, has been with NC State for 19 years.

Between 2018 and 2019, his office started activating the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during move-in. The center monitors all events taking place both related and unrelated to move-in activities and can communicate issues that could impact move-in. Weather conditions are an important factor in North Carolina, and between the meteorology department and individuals with weather-related apps on their phones, there can be confusing messaging being distributed. The National Weather Service has an office on Centennial Campus, and they are used as a resource for severe weather. Their information filters through the EOC, who then serves as one voice communicating to all of the campus with a clear and concise message.

The EOC also allows the campus to better coordinate emergency services for fire and life safety. “Every year we have parents and grandparents helping kids move in, and we get a lot of heat stress-related issues,” Becker said. “One thing that opening the EOC has done is help better coordinate emergency services, whether fire and life safety or health-related. We’re able to get people to those locations quickly, we’re better able to stage resources by having the information come in directly

to the EOC,” he added. Having the right partners in the EOC is crucial for effective service. Becker and his team constantly evaluate the makeup of the EOC. For example, they ensure that someone from Facilities and Information Technology is available as building and network issue always pops up at move-in. Having a representative from those departments, among many others, reduces the response times.

The EOC also helps to monitor the traffic on and around campus. Over the last few years, several large off-campus apartment complexes have been built next to campus and those students often move in around the same time as on-campus students. This can have a huge impact on traffic, not just on campus, but within the City of Raleigh. The EOC will reach out to the City of Raleigh for off-campus traffic support and will also work with Student Affairs and Transportation to come up with a plan that does not negatively impact on-campus movein but still allows the off-campus residents to get to their building as efficiently as possible.

Feedback

The feedback received from parents is proof that movein weekend is effective.

“I don’t know why I assumed a massive university would be a mess; yesterday was easy, stress-free (my God taking luggage in moving car/trains—genius). We were all done in three hours—it was MAGNIFICENT!”

“We just wanted to say thank you for a great move-in process at Sullivan Hall today for our first-year student. The whole process was so well-organized, everyone was friendly, and the room was clean! We are truly grateful to everyone that made this experience positive. GO PACK!”

“I just wanted to reach out and say WOOHOO and KUDOS!! The move-in process Thursday was amazing! I really was anticipating it being horrible. Everyone was so helpful and friendly. Thank you for your planning and hard work. It was greatly appreciated, and I didn’t want it to go unnoticed. Thank you, NC State!”

When you receive feedback like this, it’s a pleasant reminder about why we do what we do. ◆

DEMAR BONNEMERE is a Communications Manager for North Carolina State University’s Transportation Department. He can be reached at Demar_Bonnemere@ncsu.edu

The Evolution of Event Parking

How a Mobility Sector Changes in the Face of Challenge and Opportunity

By Ryan Kern, Kevin Uhlenhaker, and Taylor Chapman

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, we’ve seen a massive amount of growth—both quantitatively and qualitatively—in the event parking space. Between 2020 and 2022, we saw the number of event parkers grow by over 456%. Much of this growth can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic; both from the desire to get out of the house more often as well as the digital habits consumers formed during the pandemic. When consumers were staying at home and ordering in, those habits became deeply ingrained and integrated themselves into the event parking experience in its resurgence.

We are now seeing people not only return to events in astonishing numbers, but return with an increased interest in pre-planning, reserving spaces in advance, and interacting with digital tools in congruence with the event parking experience. While people crave the return to quality experiences with other humans, they don’t want to have to interact with them to complete basic transactions in everyday life. We can see this trend in how many restaurants have kept QR codes at tables for ordering and payment so diners can order at their leisure.

The confidence provided by these digital tools and a newfound awareness of their benefits has made people more comfortable driving themselves to events rather than using public transportation or rideshare apps like in past years. The trust that they’ll be able to park— and leave—quickly and with ease has reduced many of those barriers to driving to pre-pandemic events.

As consumer behavior evolves, parking asset owners and operators are being prompted—or forced in some cases—to evolve alongside them by digitalizing

antiquated solutions and introducing more intuitive, high-tech ways to find and pay for parking.

As everything from ticketing to stadium menus goes digital, parking isn’t getting left behind. And in some cases, it’s leading the evolution of the event experience.

The Evolution of Solutions

The way event parking has changed is a unique progression. We didn’t go from the horse buggy to the Tesla overnight—we started with cash. Event parking began with (and in some operations still utilizes) the model of “you give me cash, I let you park.” Depending on the situation, you might hand cash to someone on your way in to park at the event and follow the flaggers to your spot (and they just might give you a “receipt” to put on your dashboard), or you might hand the valet your keys and pay cash at the end, or park in a lot away from the event location with a guy is sitting in a folding chair collecting $10. Next, we started getting attendants in a box with a cash machine, and they had credit card readers too. Then—and this was only within the last 10 years—we moved away from the attendant to a kiosk that takes cash or card and has a printer. You

either pull a ticket and the gate goes up or you get this piece of paper to stick on your windshield, so you don’t get towed.

In 2020, when COVID-19 completely halted the event space, many of the inefficiencies in the industry were exposed. It became clear that even the seemingly advanced systems at the time didn’t react to falling occupancy, were far too reliant on touching shared screens, and were difficult to adapt to new uses like outdoor dining or pop-up COVID-19 testing.

At the same time, the restaurant and retail industries were experiencing the renaissance of the QR code and curbside pickup. Consumers quickly picked up the skills to interact with apps, reserve a grocery order in advance, pull into a space and type in the spot number on their app. Out of necessity, that digital experience became second nature.

When people started returning to parking garages and lots, event parking had to catch up. Those who had anticipated the change early, either during or even before the pandemic, had a huge competitive advantage. Consumers would choose touchless, mobile-first experiences over antiquated ones time and time again. In fact, from 2021 to 2022, there was a 433% increase in QR code scanning globally

Quickly, the rest of the industry fell into step and the parking ended up where we are today, with high rates of digital reservations, utilizing QR-coded entry, and a greater reliance on enforcement.

With events, the return to normalcy was not gradual but all at once. After many months of almost zero inperson events, everyone was ready to come back. Event parking had to get back up on its feet—and quickly. That meant a heavy reliance on digital solutions and signage over physical kiosks and gates.

While this new style of future-forward event parking is the natural next step in the evolution, it had to happen a bit more hurriedly than in past phases. With that rapid growth, it’s no surprise there have been a few growing pains.

On Adoption and the Bottom Line

Parking is people’s first and last impression when they attend an event. As more and more attendees choose to drive themselves, venues are increasingly focused on that part of the event experience.

Feeling confident in those planning stages of going to an event is key to driving high ticket sales and repeat customers. Once an event goer has experienced a positive parking experience (leaving a 4 or 5-star review) with simple reservation, prepayment, navigation, ingress, and egress, they are 40% more likely to make a reservation for a second parking session when compared to parkers who had a bad experience (left a 1- or 2-star review).

With customer experience as a top priority among our customers, one of the models that had gained a lot of traction over the last year—so much so that our clients are calling and asking for it regularly now—is free flow parking. With free flow parking, everyone enters and parks without pulling a ticket or entering through a gate—it’s just wide open. Then, after parking, they have a set amount of time to pay digitally. Once that grace period to pay digitally is over, attendants on foot or in vehicles equipped with mobile license plate recognition (LPR) use an enforcement system to identify which vehicles have paid and issue notices to those vehicles that have not paid.

Of course, to make this work there is a learning curve—and the size of that curve depends on the audience and how familiar they are with digital payments and paying for parking on a mobile phone.

In short: free flow isn’t designed to work everywhere.

That’s why the event parking category has grown so immensely over the last few years—there’s no onesize-fits-all solution. As technology becomes even more deeply embedded in this once-antiquated industry, the gap of who’s in and who’s out is growing. When businesses do make that leap to close the digital divide, they find that their consumer audience is largely ripe for the adoption of a digitally enhanced system, but that some groups still lag.

Our event clients are realizing that and they’re starting to leap into action but sometimes there’s a sharper curve than other times. For instance, if you have visitors who are attending every game of the season, they’re going to figure out how this new parking system works on the first visit, and then it should be smooth sailing from there. But, if you have new eventgoers every weekend, it may be a bigger lift to make a smooth transition.

To make sure that new technology implementations in the event space make a positive impact on the bottom line, it’s key that venues and parking operators eliminate struggles with the learning curve. They can help customers understand how to interact with new technology by having a resource to ask questions and make sure they’ve done what they need to avoid a notice.

Online support solutions and other in-person or digital resources can be huge to make the switch seamless. According to Forbes, 84% of consumers are more likely to support businesses that offer self-service options like chatbots and FAQs.

Having these convenient support options are key to ensuring you’re not one of the businesses that spend a combined $4.7 trillion in expenses each year from not meeting consumer expectations.

On-Demand

Demand generation is one of the elements of the event parking process that has changed the most in this evolving landscape. Now that event goers have become accustomed to buying tickets and choosing seats online, it only feels natural to do the same with parking. In fact, some parking technology providers have managed to integrate that parking reservation into the ticketing experience via partners like Ticketmaster.

The way people find out about parking on-site—or physically find it once they arrive—dictates a lot about how they will be willing to and how they may prefer to interact with digital tools on-site. The consumer who reserves parking in advance is often more tech-savvy, while the one who finds a place to park via a street sign labeled “P” may be more resistant to adopting Bluetooth access.

Looking at demand patterns is a great way to anticipate how a user group may do with adopting a new digital parking solution.

Individualized Solutions

The ecosystem has been fragmented in the past because everyone has such different needs. A small venue that seats 100 has many different needs than a 50,000-person stadium. As event parking technology becomes more digitally enhanced, solutions are more similar from site to site, while functionality varies.

While the small venue and the stadium may both be relying on pre-paid parking reservations, the small venue might receive those on a handheld device by two attendants at the entrance while the stadium may choose to accept those reservations on a dozen kiosks at every entrance to the lot.

Every site is going to have a unique configuration, depending on needs and audience. There are tradeoffs to any combination of technology. For example, free flow parking requires no payment on entry, so it can drastically speed up the process of entering a garage, but it can mean a few upset customers who don’t realize they have to pay and subsequently receive a notice for unpaid parking. Pre-payment at—or before—entry achieves that clear communication of expectations for customers, but almost always means longer lines.

The first step in assembling an individualized solution that will meet your location’s unique needs is looking at your user base. You

The ecosystem has been fragmented in the past because everyone has such different needs. A small venue that seats 100 has many different needs than a 50,000-person stadium. As event parking technology becomes more digitally enhanced, solutions are more similar from site to site, while functionality varies.

At smaller venues or those with rare event needs, handhelds can often be a do-it-all solution. From collecting pre-paid parking reservations to processing live payments in seconds, the power of handheld devices in today’s world has drastically changed what can be accomplished with a few attendants holding smartphones.

For those outlier situations, you can have a system configured with additional technology options like handhelds or a few pay-on-foot kiosks. So while the fans that pay to park via their phones every week can continue to enjoy that experience, a one-time visitor who hasn’t adopted that system can choose to enter their license plate number on a kiosk or with an attendant at the entrance of the lot. Adaptability also comes into play with needs like permitting. For instance, on college campuses, a single garage will rarely be solely reserved for game days. On regular days, professors or students will likely be utilizing those spots. When it comes to game day, you must have an adaptable solution which might mean allowing passes to access a different garage for that day only or opening gates but factoring existing permits into the enforcement process. An enforcement system that integrates with all your permit and payment systems is critical to ensure you’re not issuing notices to valid parkers.

The Only Constant is Change

As event parking continues its evolution, we expect to see a lot of change in what people demand from digital solutions, and how quickly they demand it. That’s why investing in at least a baseline of digitalization with a solution that offers adaptable features is what we recommend to every single one of our partners.

need to understand who is the person that will be using this technology 99% of the time, and then who are the 1% of users, the outliers that still matter. Because remember, a few bad reviews can be detrimental. Ultimately, you can’t just look at the 99%, you have to dig into who that 1% is—whether it’s the not-so-tech-savvy crowd or the fair-weather fans.

Let’s say you’re a stadium that’s home to a local football team. You host all of the home games, plus an occasional graduation ceremony or fundraisers. Based on your user group, which is 99% young, tech-savvy fans who go to almost every game, you’re a prime candidate for free flow. But then, you have that 1%—let’s say, the grandparents that are attending a graduation ceremony once a year or the out-of-town fans that come for the one big rivalry.

The key to making the solution designed for the 99% work for the 1% is adaptability.

When we think about how much things like the COVID-19 pandemic completely evolved the event landscape overnight, there is no such thing as being too adaptable. Having options that can be added on, dropped, turned on, and turned off at the press of a button is the key to staying afloat and getting ahead of what consumers want as event demands continue to change day to day, month to month, and year to year. ◆

RYAN KERN is Vice President and General Manager of Events/Venues for FLASH. He can be reached at ryan.kern@flashparking.com

KEVIN UHLENHAKER is Senior Vice President and General Manager of Ungated Solutions for FLASH. He can be reached at kevin. uhlenhaker@flashparking.com.

TAYLOR CHAPMAN is the Events & Enforcement Product Manager for FLASH. He can be reached at taylor.chapman@flashparking. com

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Parking Management

By Jeffrey Elsey, CAPP, PE, LEED AP, Jeremy Greenwald, AICP, TDM-CP, and Jeshua Pringle, CAPP, AICP

FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS, we have shared an experience that has reshaped life as we know it. From the initial stay-at-home orders that brought the parking industry to a crawl to the “new normal” of hybrid schedules and routinely working from home, we’ve experienced a significant shift in travel behavior. Throughout this process, changes have occurred that affect expectations of how to interact with the parking options provided by healthcare and higher education campuses. The pandemic has brought about a shift in the parking management strategies of universities and hospitals throughout the United States. The following article explores the expectations of a new dynamic world of flexible parking options that are likely here to stay.

Background and Parking System Basics

Kimley-Horn conducted a nationwide survey of universities and hospitals representing the interest of nearly 800,000 parkers. Institutions from 21 states and the District of Columbia are represented in the survey (Figure 1). On average, each campus has more than 15,000 parking spaces. Figure 2 illustrates the distribution of users.

50%

1%

14%

15%

20%

Other Undergraduate Students

Graduate Students

Medical Employees

Figure 1—Twenty-One States and 800,000 Parkers are Represented in the Survey

46 PARKING & MOBILITY / MARCH 2023 / PARKING-MOBILITY-MAGAZINE.ORG

Most of our country’s large institutions charge for parking by issuing traditional monthly or annual parking permits for employees and students. The primary reason cited for this method is that it is easily managed by the institution. This permitting model typically allows unlimited parking on the campus and encourages people to drive and park. Bulk purchasing of parking requires parkers to pay the monthly or annual permit rate, regardless of their frequency of use. This permitting practice results in a sunk cost for those that park on campus less frequently. Additionally, in the event of cancelations or adjustments to the semester or work schedule, pre-purchasing parking can result in costly reimbursements by parking offices, which many institutions experienced during the early stages of the pandemic.

Another crucial component of managing large parking inventories is assigning permitted users. The approach to assigning permits varies among universities and hospitals. Before the pandemic, 61% of respondents offered monthly or annual permits that assigned users to a designated parking facility. Only 14% had open campuses that required parkers to search for parking. Most campuses have several permit assignment methods applied to various user groups, as shown in Figure 3. As indicated,

restricting access to smaller zones or facilities is commonplace in an institutional setting.

● Designated Facility—each permitted employee has access to a single parking facility and cannot park in any other facility

● Multiple Location Access—each permitted employee has access to several facilities on campus

● Zone-Based—each permitted employee has access to a parking zone, which may be categorized by price or location. Each zone may include multiple facilities.

● Hunting License—employees are given a general permit that provides access to all parking on campus. This restricts nonemployees from parking but has no other restrictions.

● No Permits—the campus is open access, with no restrictions between employees, visitors, students, etc.

As shown in Figure 4, cost-effectiveness, proximity, and availability/reliability of parking are the primary customer experience attributes. Each plays an essential role in user satisfaction. Typically, users desire parking that comes at a low cost, is near their destination, and is consistently available. It is challenging to balance these attributes, especially on campuses

Figure 3—Permit Types Offered by Respondents

that are near capacity. In environments where peak parking demand is >80 to 90% of the capacity, parkers must choose between two of these three attributes. Because users want all three attributes in an ideal

parking environment, institutions are seeking ways to increase user satisfaction in a dynamic real-world scenario. In addition, many institutions find themselves competing for workforce talent, especially after the staffing shortages brought on by the pandemic, further reinforcing the need to provide an exceptional customer experience.

Typically, user satisfaction is tied to the ease of finding a parking space in the desired location. The survey results support the hypothesis that user satisfaction drops as parking availability becomes limited. Figure 5 illustrates this by comparing the parking demands (X-axis) to the user experience (Y-axis). Institutions should strive to remain in the green or yellow zones, which is influenced by the type of permit allocation structure deployed.

Figure 6 shows customer satisfaction levels by permit type per the survey results. The highest levels of satisfaction stem from location-specific permit allocation models. Compared to less specific permitting methods, location-specific permitting enables easier tracking

Figure 4—Desired Attributes of a Parking Environment

Figure 5—Parking Occupancy, User Satisfaction, and Permit Type

and management of parking behaviors, which provides a sense of reliability and consistency for users. This is particularly true as overall parking demand increases.

While traditional parking permitting practices have been successful for years, the pandemic has flipped the script. Students and employees are traveling to campus less often as hybrid schedules prevail. The future undoubtedly will include some level of reliance on virtual meetings to augment in-person gatherings. Parking permit holders recognize that long-term permits have an associated sunk cost, and they want flexibility in their parking options. A shift to daily parking significantly impacts parking pricing and allocation models, and intentional decision-making is needed to ensure financial and experiential success within institutional environments.

Developing a Flexible Parking System

In a post-pandemic world, the travel behavior of employees and students is still unknown; however, we are beginning to understand that customers desire more permanent flexibility in their schedules. Most universities and hospitals began operating at pre-pandemic levels in Fall 2021 but coming to the office and class full-time five days per week will likely never return.

In 2019, Kimley-Horn coordinated with Vanderbilt University to assess commuter travel behavior. This 20-day study revealed that students and employees only parked on campus for an average of 14 out of 20 days. Increased opportunities to work from home will likely decrease the number of days commuters park on campus. Furthermore, healthcare shift workers can work as little as 10 to 12

Figure 6—User Satisfaction by Permit Type

Monthly Permit Rate

$20.00

20 Available Parking Days

$1.00 per day

Actual Number of Days Parked

14

Traditional Daily Rate Strategy: $20/20 days = $1.43 per day

Actual Daily Rate by Usage: $20/14 = $1.00 per day

Daily Revenue Generated by Traditional Daily Rate Strategy = 14 days = $14 not $20

days per month. According to the survey, because of the pandemic, 75% of the respondents are interested in identifying strategies to implement flexible permitting options, such as daily parking permits.

One flexible model is a daily parking program. Daily parking eliminates the sunk cost associated with longer-term permits and requires users to make a daily commuting decision. Three different ways to operationalize a daily parking program are 1) pay-as-yougo, 2) daily self-selection, and 3) pre-arrival reservation.

A pay-as-you-go daily parking program provides access to facilities on an as-needed basis. Each parking session is based on the user’s decision regarding their daily needs. Customers can pay for each parking session directly or receive a bill for the number of parking sessions over a calendar month. Payment can be deducted from the customer’s payroll, enabling the use of pre-tax dollars, or paid directly by the user in the form of a credit card. In

a pay-as-you-go program, parkers are often assigned to a specific facility, and their use is tracked using a mobile app or Parking Access and Revenue Control Systems (PARCS) equipment.

A daily self-selection parking program provides the opportunity to park at multiple facilities. Commuters make a daily decision to park at the facility of their choice. This version of daily parking uses a “hunting license” model to enable users to pick their parking spot. Real-time occupancy information facilitates the ease of navigating a daily self-selection parking model and provides availability information to users before entering a facility. This model also pairs nicely with varied pricing by facility depending on demand, better balancing campus-wide parking demand.

A pre-arrival reservation program requires customers to select their preferred parking location and pre-purchase daily parking before arriving on campus. Reservations use real-time

Figure 7—Daily Parking Miscalculation

Define the Objectives

• Do our current permit practices offer different parking options to users?

• Does the campus parking occupancy align with how parking is designated to users?

• Are users satisfied with their current parking experiences?

Revenue Philosophy

Determine how parking revenue is viewed in the context of the total program budget as daily parking is introduced.

• Revenue should stay consistent, or

• Revenue should increase to support program expenses, or

• Revenue can decrease as annual permits are replaced with daily parking.

Pricing Strategy

Conduct an internal pricing exercise based on the revenue philosophy.

• What is the price elasticity and value of increased user flexibility?

• How do current annual permit prices compare to the potential daily rates?

• What is the projected program uptake of the campus population?

Equity Considerations

• Does the program disproportionately burden lower income staff?

• Does the program disproportionately burden staff who are required to be on campus more often?

• Consider salary banded pricing or monthly pricing caps.

Implementation & Enforcement

Consider technology integrations needed to support the program implementation.

• Payroll deduction

• Mobile applications

• LPR cameras

occupancy information and parking analytics to determine the number of spaces available at a particular facility. Users are charged for pre-arrival reservations at the time of purchase rather than at the start of their parking session. This allows customers to reserve a parking spot at the desired location, prevents the

potential of overselling parking spaces, and prevents operators from losing revenue for reserved spaces.

Program Elements

Introducing a daily parking program requires a blend of tracking, information distribution, and enforcement.

Figure 8—Daily Parking Program Implementation

Tracking

Tracking daily parking transactions can be performed using a mobile app that offers an all-in-one commuter platform or by PARCS equipment connected to a permit database. Each transaction is recorded to assess facility occupancy and to frequently evaluate parking.

Information Distribution

Real-time occupancy information is essential for user satisfaction. For daily self-selection and pre-arrival reservations, occupancy information ensures commuters have a parking spot when they arrive. The occupancy information can be communicated using a mobile app or a daily permit purchasing web portal. As parking operations integrate with connected vehicles, parking occupancy information can be pushed to in-vehicle dashboards and navigation systems.

Enforcement

Enforcement officers monitor the use of daily parking facilities and ensure commuters have the appropriate parking rights. For open facilities, enforcement officers can use mobile license plate recognition (LPR) technology to verify that vehicles are properly registered. Enforcement officers also play a crucial role in baselining parking occupancy to calibrate real-time occupancy information.

In a post-pandemic world, parking operators must prepare to accommodate varying parking demand levels. Developing flexible options lets commuters choose the frequency of their parking sessions and avoid the sunken cost associated with monthly and annual permits. Additionally, daily parking programs provide operators with an understanding of users’ travel behaviors, including occupancy, duration, and frequency. This knowledge can provide permitting operators the opportunity to optimize parking assets usage and identify areas where demand can be consolidated.

Financial Resiliency

COVID-19 has profoundly impacted the revenue streams of universities and hospitals. More than 50% of survey respondents reported reduced revenues, ranging from $100,000 to $10,500,000. Furthermore, parking operators had to issue refunds for permits purchased before the pandemic. COVID-19 revealed that traditional financial streams for institutions are brittle. Relying on monthly or annual permit sales can leave institutions ill-prepared for shocks to the parking system. To build a financially resilient parking system, operators should develop a funding reserve to use in unexpected circumstances.

As a part of developing a daily parking program, operators should conduct a pricing study to determine the appropriate daily rate. When introducing a daily parking program, institutions often determine the daily rate by dividing the monthly rate by the number of available parking days in a month. This method

is flawed because it doesn’t consider the actual frequency of a commuter parking on campus or their willingness to pay for a daily session. Additionally, dividing the cost of a monthly permit by the number of available parking days can result in decreased revenues if commuters park less. This daily parking rate miscalculation is provided below:

While a $1.00/day rate may seem like a customer benefit, it generates less revenue than a traditional monthly permit. To resolve this, operators should compare their operational expenses to the amount of revenue required to maintain a self-sustaining parking operation. Determining a daily parking rate should be based on an accurate understanding of the value of daily parking and the financial resiliency of the system.

Daily Parking Program Implementation

Transitioning from traditional permitting practices to a more flexible, resilient program takes thoughtful implementation and strategic decision-making. With several interconnected elements to consider, each decision point critically impacts the overall sustainability and user satisfaction associated with the program.

The pandemic has had a profound and lasting impact on our day-to-day lives. Post-pandemic life has shown us that healthcare and education remain integral elements sewn into the fabric of our society, as does the desire to drive and park. COVID-19 has revealed a desire for flexibility in our institutional environments, and organizations nationwide are shifting away from charging for parking solely by the month or year as the needs and priorities of patrons have changed. Daily parking programs can provide increased user satisfaction and flexibility to accommodate various levels of parking demand. Institutions operating in a post-pandemic world should embrace the changing priorities and invest in flexible parking programs. Proactive and strategic decision-making around how we view parking can have substantial positive impacts on recruitment, retention, and financial resiliency within institutions.

JEFFREY

JEREMY

ELSEY, CAPP, PE, LEED AP , is Vice President at Kimley-Horn. He can be reached at Jeffrey. Elsey@kimley-horn.com

GREENWALD, AICP, TDM-CP , is a Parking & Mobility Strategy Consultant at Kimley-Horn. He can be reached at Jeremy.Greenwald@kimley-horn.com

JESHUA PRINGLE, CAPP, AICP , is a Parking Planner at Kimley-Horn. He can be reached at Jeshua.Pringle@ kimley-horn.com

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HONK Appoints Tim Maloney as Chief Revenue Officer

Parking and Mobility Company, Spot Parking, Rebrands to Modii

WITH A NEW YEAR, comes a new name. Modii, formerly known as Spot Parking, is rebranding to better reflect its mission of modernizing mobility. The new name represents the company’s core focus on creating digital infrastructure, data integration, and parking intelligence.

HONK , a North American provider of unattended payments for parking and mobility, announced the appointment of Tim Maloney as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) to lead the company’s growth and expansion. Maloney brings more than 25 years of experience leading enterprise sales and overseeing supply growth and partnerships at parking technology companies.

A parking and mobility expert on both the management and technology service side, Maloney’s background includes leading and managing sales teams, developing strategic partnerships, and scaling a nationwide parking supply footprint. He recently served as Vice President, Mobility at FLASH, a parking and mobility technology company, where he was instrumental in launching and scaling the EV charging infrastructure and network across the US. Prior to FLASH, Maloney was Head of Sales at SpotHero, where he was hired to grow the early-stage startup’s supply footprint and succeeded in quadrupling its number of locations in the span of five years.

“Tim Maloney is a dynamic leader with unique expertise in scaling parking supply and generating high-speed growth,” said Michael Back, HONK Founder and CEO. “In 2022, HONK more than doubled its footprint and with Tim’s leadership, we are excited to continue building on that momentum and execute on our vision of a software driven payments future.”

In his role as CRO at HONK, Maloney will develop and define strategic processes to unlock new pathways and channels by tapping all possible revenue streams. Working with cross-functional teams, he will refine the tools, technology and leadership needed to scale HONK’s payment footprint so it can be leveraged by even more parking facilities across North America.

“HONK is the leader in simplifying parking payments across the board by replacing outdated systems with cutting-edge technology,” said Maloney. ”At this unprecedented time of digital payment growth, it is exciting to be called upon to play a key role in propelling the company forward.”

As urban areas become increasingly congested and consumer expectations continue to adapt, Modii is supporting digital transformation to meet these challenges— transforming the way people travel in the built environment through data-driven mobility solutions.

The Modii platform creates an ecosystem that unifies technologies and provides efficient and cost-effective solutions to the parking and mobility industry. Modii President, Mark Frumar, said the company’s rebrand is timely as the industry continues to embrace a datadriven approach to improve the lives of their communities.

“Using technology to solve problems that continually plague the industry has always been a focus of ours. We are excited to now expand our platform to align with our customer’s future vision of frictionless multi-modal transportation and sustainability”

“As we see the requirement of a digital infrastructure becoming mainstream, our rebrand will better position us to support our customers,” said Mr. Frumar.

Modii’s customers include several of the country’s largest and most prominent universities, as well as growing municipalities leading innovation from coast to coast.

Modii will maintain its commitment to providing excellent service to its customers. The company’s new logo and branding will be rolled out across all of its products and services in the coming weeks.

Bethlehem Parking Authority Becomes an Accredited Parking Organization

THE BETHLEHEM PARKING AUTHORITY recently earned status as an Accredited Parking Organization (APO), joining an elite class of the top organizations in the parking and mobility industry. APO is a designation for organizations that recognizes best practices in responsible parking management and operations, customer service, professional development, sustainability and access management, safety, data security and risk management, and more.

“It’s quite an achievement, which follows a lengthy and arduous review process,” explained Shawn Conrad, CAE, CEO of the International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI), the organization that sets the standards for APO Accreditation and Accreditation with Distinction. The APO program was established to set industry standards that develop, ensure, and support a high level of professionalism and competency in parking, transportation, and mobility management.

To earn the APO Accreditation, an organization must demonstrate its commitment to ongoing evaluation and improvement through the implementation of industry best practices. Applicant organizations work with third-party reviewers to present evidence of accomplishment of more than

100 criteria in 14 categories, in addition to 25 required criteria. Accreditation requires that at least one facility is evaluated and meets the criteria as established by the APO Board of Directors.

“Parking at an accredited facility or operation assures the public that the organization adheres to a strict code of ethics and meets national and internationally endorsed standards for professionalism, accountability, responsibility, and performance,” Conrad said.

“We’re extremely proud of the Bethlehem Parking Authority for receiving this accreditation. They join an exclusive group of parking and mobility organizations that operate at a very high level and well above standard parking practices,” said City of Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds.

The mission of the Bethlehem Parking Authority is to support the growth and development of the city of Bethlehem by efficiently managing and administering parking resources that contribute to a safe, accessible, and sustainable community.

“This is all about our Team Members. Their dependability, consistency, and ability to continuously improve the organization put us in the best possible position to earn this prestigious accreditation,” said Steve Fernstrom, Executive Director.

ParkMobile Partners with American Bank Center, an Oak View Group Venue, to Offer Parking Reservations in Corpus Christi, Texas

As Oak View Group’s official parking payments provider, ParkMobile reservations are now available at OVG’s American Bank Center.

ParkMobile, part of the EasyPark Group, is partnering with American Bank Center, an entertainment complex in South Texas and part of the Oak View Group, to offer parking reservations. As a result, guests can reserve and guarantee parking at over 680 spaces before attending an event, such as the Corpus Christi IceRays games and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders games. Reservations can be made via the ParkMobile app or the reservation site for American Bank Center.

“As part of the Oak View Group, we are thrilled to be working with ParkMobile to offer parking reservations at our venue,” said DeAnna Richarte, Director of Marketing for American Bank Center. “Allowing guests to reserve parking before attending an event eliminates day-of stress. This will help with event flow and improve the overall guest experience.”

ParkMobile has over 2.6 million users in Texas and is available in Dallas, College Station, Houston, Texas A&M,

University of Texas campuses, and Southern Methodist University. ParkMobile has over 44 million users across North America, is available for both iPhone and Android devices, and can also be accessed on a mobile web browser.

Reserving a parking space is quick and easy. A user can go to the venue’s reservation site to view a full list of upcoming events with all the available parking options. To make a parking reservation, a user searches for the event venue in the ParkMobile app or website and selects the space they’d like to park in. After the user books the reservation, it can be redeemed at the location using a mobile pass in the ParkMobile app, Apple Wallet, or a printed permit.

“Texas is one of our most popular states, so the expansion to Corpus Christi only furthers our reach there. Through our incredible partnership with Oak View Group, we were connected to American Bank Center and are now offering our reservations feature at their venue,” added David Hoyt, Chief Revenue Officer and Managing Director for ParkMobile.

TripShot Engages Athena Partners Strategy Group to Continue Advancing Modern Mobility Technologies in the U.S.

ATHENA PARTNERS STRATEGY GROUP (APSG), a government relations and technology representation firm, announced a partnership with TripShot, the recognized leader in corporate transportation technology as they continue their expansion into university, college and public transportation.

Launched in 2014, TripShot’s simple, easy-to-use and powerful mobility operating system is operated today in many of the world’s largest corporate commuter programs, as well as some universities and public transit systems.

A Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company, TripShot delivers an advanced mobility operating system enabling the management, delivery, and customer use of services such as Fixed Route, On Demand, Microstransit, Micromobility, Parking and more.

Whether in a small college town or a bustling city, riders and dispatchers always know their vehicle route and location with TripShot. TripShot’s True-Time® data, their ability to capture GPS every second paired with leading mapping algorithms, delivers the most accurate location notifications from any CAD/AVL system on the market. TripShot provides the single source of truth, pushing GTFS, GTFS-RT and other location data automatically, making it readily available for all to use.

“At TripShot we are dedicated to continuously innovating and iterating on our mobility management products. Whether for the oldest universities, the world’s largest companies or your local transit agency, we pride ourselves on our scalability, reliability and dependability,” said Rob Antoniak, Chief Customer Officer for TripShot. “Athena Partners Strategy Group’s experience in advancing emerging mobility technologies in local and regional public markets, as well as higher education will allow us to dive deeper into market sectors we serve.”

APSG will partner with TripShot providing, representation, business development, and strategic consulting services, including sales, marketing, network expansion, strategic partnerships, and smart-technology-bundling. Athena has built a trusted reputation in the parking, transportation, electric vehicle, sustainability, and mobility industries for representing entities as they implement game-changing technology within cities, schools, and operators nationwide.

“TripShot checked all the boxes we look for in a technology partner,” said APSG Managing Partner, Nick Stanton. “We are excited to partner with the TripShot team and add their gamechanging transportation technology to our expanding multiindustry offering.”

Passport and AutoReturn Partner to Streamline Digital Parking Enforcement

AutoReturn integrates with Passport’s enforcement API to continue to build safer, more efficient streets.

AutoReturn, a towing management systems provider and Passport, a mobility software and payments company, are partnering to transform parking enforcement. By combining Passport’s state-of-the-art mobility management platform and AutoReturn’s industry-leading cloud-based law enforcement towing solution, the companies are providing cities with a seamless and transparent end-to-end parking citation management system.

Passport’s powerful immobilization API allows cities to integrate with any tow processing company, such as AutoReturn, to improve enforcement at the curb. With this integration, an enforcement officer can quickly issue a tow through their handheld enforcement device, receive calculated fees in real time and gain complete visibility of the tow’s status in a centralized backend management system.

“AutoReturn optimizes the towing management process for everyone involved – think law enforcement agencies, towers, citizens, business owners and local communities. Our cloudbased solution not only protects lives by keeping roads clear, dispatching tow resources efficiently and reducing secondary accidents, but as importantly we save time and money for our constituents as well as ensuring that the lifeblood of community commerce remains vibrant by swiftly removing negligent vehicles,” says Nina Carazas, COO at AutoReturn. “We’re excited to partner with Passport to improve curbside management through an efficient and transparent end-to-end parking management system, which plays an integral role in the digital infrastructure of smart cities.”

With the integration, parking enforcement officers will be able to easily request a tow truck from the Passport OpsMan Mobile handheld for parking offenses, empowering parking citation management teams to be flexible and make decisions more quickly to ensure that roadways are cleared efficiently. Additionally, cities using this integration will soon be able to manage all enforcement-related payments using a single backend system instead of multiple disconnected systems. The integration successfully went live in Buffalo, N.Y., with plans to expand in other cities.

“By enabling other innovations to integrate with Passport’s platform, cities can promote new ways to improve public safety, reduce congestion and streamline backend efficiencies,” says Garrett Vandendries, VP of Product at Passport. “With an end-to-end digital platform from Passport, data collected from enforcement along with other forms of parking and mobility, provides cities with a holistic view of their operations.”

Click here to find out why Brett earned his CAPP and how it's impacted his career.

Brett Wood, CAPP, PE President, Wood Solutions Group

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March 21, 23, 28, & 30

Parksmart Advisor Training

9 CAPP Points, 9 GBCI CE Credits, 9 CEUs

April 25 & 27

New APO Site Reviewer Training

July 11

Analysis & Applications of Technology

September 19, 21, 26, & 28

Parksmart Advisor Training

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October 17

APO Site Reviewer

Renewal Training

MARCH 8

IPMI Webinar

If You Build It, Will They Charge? Planning for Successful EV Charging

MARCH 15

Free Virtual Shoptalk

Cities and Municipalities: Revenue Enhancement Strategies and How to Make it Happen in Your City

MARCH 21, 23, 28, & 30

Online, Instructor-Led Course Parksmart Advisor Training

MARCH 22

Free IPMI Municipal Member Roundtable Virtual Roundtable limited to members from cities and municipalities.

MARCH 29

IPMI Free Learning Lab

Best Approach to Acquiring Parking Tech + Drawbacks to the Traditional RFP

Presented by gtechna

APRIL 6

Free Member Chat

Accredited Parking Organization (APO)

APRIL 11

Free Virtual Frontline Training

Addressing the Perception & Image of Parking & Transportation Professionals

APRIL 25, 27

Online, Instructor-Led Course APO Site Reviewer Training

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IPMI Free Learning Lab

Best Approach to Acquiring Parking Tech + Drawbacks to the Traditional RFP

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MAY 4

Free Member Chat CAPP

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Free Virtual Shoptalk Planning for an EV Future: Avoiding Pitfalls and Planning Future Forward

MAY 17

IPMI Webinar

Delivering the Goods: Making Sense of Commercial Access in Commercial Areas

MAY 24

IPMI Free Learning Lab

Pioneering Parking Innovation In Hollywood, FL—Digital Self-Serve Kiosks

Presented by gtechna

JUNE 1

Free Member Chat Conference & Expo First Timers Orientation

JUNE 6

Free Virtual Frontline Training Honing Your Personal Brand

JUNE 11–14

2023 IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo Fort Worth

JULY 11

Online, Instructor-Led Course Analysis & Applications of Technology

JULY 12

IPMI Webinar

What Affects the Cost of Building a Parking Space?

JULY 19

Free Virtual Shoptalk

Turning Parking Data Into Valuable Insights

JULY 20

Free Member Chat New Members

AUGUST 15

Free Virtual Frontline Training

The Benefits of Understanding the Parking Lifecycle

SEPTEMBER 7

Free Member Chat Awards

SEPTEMBER 13

IPMI Webinar

EV Readiness: Develop & Execute an Effective Plan in your Parking Operation

SEPTEMBER 19, 21, 26, 28

Online, Instructor-Led Course Parksmart Advisor Training

SEPTEMBER 20

Free Virtual Shoptalk University Shoptalk: Guiding Your Team to Serve Your Patrons

OCTOBER 5

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OCTOBER 10

Free Virtual Frontline Training Implementing License Plate Recognition on Campus

OCTOBER 17

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Accredited Parking Organization (APO) Site Reviewer Renewal Training

OCTOBER 18

Free IPMI Municipal Member Roundtable Virtual Roundtable limited to members from cities and municipalities.

OCTOBER 19

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NOVEMBER 2

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NOVEMBER 8

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How Parking fits with Transportation: Path to Greater Mobility in Nashville

NOVEMBER 15

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Airport Shoptalk: Operating Large-Scale Airport Operations

DECEMBER 12

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Procurement—Best Practices & Lessons Learned

State and Regional Events Calendar

APRIL 10–13

Texas Parking & Transportation Association (TPTA) Conference & Tradeshow

Plano, TX

APRIL 18–21

Mid–South Transportation and Parking Association (MSTPA) Annual Conference & Tradeshow

Savannah, GA

MAY 3–5

Pennsylvania Parking Association Conference

Lancaster, PA

SEPTEMBER 6–8

Pacific Intermountain Parking & Transportation Association (PIPTA) Annual Conference & Expo Seattle, WA

SEPTEMBER 19–22

Carolinas Parking & Mobility Association (CPMA)

Annual Conference & Expo Myrtle Beach, SC

OCTOBER 1–4

Campus Parking and Transportation Association (CPTA) Annual Conference

Columbus, OH

OCTOBER 23–25

Southwest Parking & Transportation Association (SWPTA) Annual Conference

Las Vegas, NV

NOVEMBER 7–9

California Mobility and Parking Association (CMPA) Annual Conference & Tradeshow

San Jose, CA