Parking & Mobility November 2020 by International Parking & Mobility Institute

INTERNATIONAL PARKING & MOBILITY INSTITUTE NOVEMBER 2020

Keith Hutchings Helps Transform MOTOR CITY into COMEBACK CITY

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INTERNATIONAL PARKING & MOBILITY INSTITUTE NOVEMBER 2020 VOL. 2 / N0. 11

FEATURES

The Motor City Becomes Comeback City

Detroit engineers a renaissance after some very tough times and a global pandemic, and parking plays a key role. By Bill Smith

Navigating the New Normal

What the COVID-19 pandemic might mean to the permanent future of parking, mobility, and how we help people get from place to place. By Michael Drow, CAPP

Where Should the RVs Go?

With more people homeless, isolating due to COVID-19, or embracing a nomadic lifestyle, cities are charged with figuring out where those living in RVs should park. By Christina Jones, CAPP, MBA 30 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

In Real Time

How real-time, stall-based occupancy monitoring can help cities understand current and future parking requirements. By Mark Hall and Dominic Sorbara

Traveling New Roads

As COVID-19 rages on, the parking industry embraces new technology and takes on new roles to protect the community and boost business. By Ken Lovegreen

2 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

COVER PHOTO BY BILLY HUSTACE

/ EDITOR’S NOTE DEPARTMENTS

Giving Thanks Anyway THE HOLIDAYS ARE SHAPING UP to look pretty differ-

4 ENTRANCE A Time to be Thankful By Alejandra “Alex” Argudin, CAPP

6 FIVE THINGS Great Social Listening Tools 8 THE BUSINESS OF PARKING Tire Chalking Ruled Vital and Legal for Parking Enforcement By Michael Ash, JD, CRE

10 THE GREEN STANDARD Inequity Disrupts Sustainable Transportation Progress By Josh Naramore

14 PARKING & MOBILITY SPOTLIGHT Harnessing Data for Dynamic Curb Management By Yifan Lu

16 ON THE FRONTLINE Tell Me a Story By Cindy Campbell

18 MOBILITY & TECH The Customer’s Voice Matters, Now More than Ever By Andrew Sachs, CAPP

20 ASK THE EXPERTS 53 IN SHORT 55 AROUND THE INDUSTRY 58 PARKING & MOBILITY CONSULTANTS 60 ADVERTISERS INDEX 61 CALENDAR 62 ICYMI

ent this year. With a kid coming home from college (where they successfully stayed open the whole semester) several vulnerable folks in our circle of loved ones, and local COVID rates that are increasing again, we’ve made the tough decision to cocoon in our immediate, lives-togetheranyway family during a season normally filled with hugs and crowded kitchens and card-table/folding chair dining spaces to fit everybody. Another rousing “boo” for 2020. The college kid will spend the last two weeks of his semester at home; it’s just not worth the risk of going back to campus for just 10 class days among so many who’ve traveled. Our local school district is still all-remote, so my high school senior has missed more traditions and milestones than I can count, and we’re not optimistic for the spring. Prom, yearbooks, that last musical, homecoming—poof. My husband continues fairly unhappily working from home and craving his office routine and human interaction. And we’re surrounded (distantly) by friends and neighbors in the same boat. I’ll cook a turkey breast instead of a whole bird for Thanksgiving and the sides will be scaled back for our much smaller table. Pie count stands as it’s always been—we still have our priorities—and I’m not quite sure how we’ll fill the day but betting we’ll find a good movie or two and maybe get in a hike if the weather cooperates. Our little family will be together in our own space and I’m sure we’ll have our share of holiday bickering and a squabble or two, but it all could be a lot worse. We’ve all learned how to use technology and some more traditional means to keep working, playing, and staying in touch the last eight months and there’s a lot to be said for that. I think we all appreciate each other a lot more, and we appreciate each other’s realness: the interruptions, the challenges, the “I need a moment”s. My neighbors and I still text before we head out for errands—do you need anything?—and small, back-porch gatherings send laughter through the air as we trade stories, commiserate, and revel in human company. And I know my almost-grown kids better than I did before so much forced togetherness. It’s been a tough year but we have so much to be thankful for. This holiday season, I wish you the same. As always, please get in touch anytime. Until next month…

Kim Fernandez, editor fernandez@parking-mobility.org

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 3

/ ENTRANCE PUBLISHER

Shawn Conrad, CAE

conrad@parking-mobility.org EDITOR

Kim Fernandez

fernandez@parking-mobility.org

A Time to be Thankful

TECHNICAL EDITOR

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

bsmith@smith-phillips.com ADVERTISING SALES

Bonnie Watts, CEM

watts@parking-mobility.org SUBSCRIPTIONS

Tina Altman

taltman@parking-mobility.org PUBLICATION DESIGN

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info@bonotom.com For advertising information, contact Bonnie Watts at watts@parking-mobility.org or 888.IPMI.NOW. For subscription changes, contact Tina Altman, taltman@parking-mobility.org. Parking & Mobility (ISSN 0896-2324 & USPS 001436) is published monthly by the International Parking & Mobility Institute. P.O. Box 25047 Alexandria, VA 22313 Phone: 888.IPMI.NOW Fax: 703.566.2267 Email: info@parking-mobility.org Website: parking-mobility.org Postmaster note: Send address label changes promptly to: Parking & Mobility P.O. Box 25047 Alexandria, VA 22313 Interactive electronic version of Parking & Mobility for members and subscribers only at parking-mobility. org/magazine. Periodical postage paid at Alexandria, Va., and additional mailing offices. Copyright © International Parking & Mobility Institute, 2020. Statements of fact and opinion expressed in articles contained if Parking & Mobility are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent an official expression of policy or opinion on the part of officers or the members of IPMI. Manuscripts, correspondence, articles, product releases, and all contributed materials are welcomed by Parking & Mobility; however, publication is subject to editing, if deemed necessary to conform to standards of publication. The subscription rate is included in IPMI annual dues. Subscription rate for non-members of IPMI is $120 per year (U.S. currency) in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. All other countries, $150. Back issues, $10. Parking & Mobility is printed on 10 percent recycled paper and on paper from trees grown specifically for that purpose.

By Alejandra “Alex” Argudin, CAPP

S WE PREPARE TO CELEBRATE this year’s Thanksgiving hol-

iday, whether we host it in person or remotely, it will be a different experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, I paused at the enormity of the events that have consumed our lives since March, and the first word that comes to mind is “gratitude.” I am thankful and grateful for a healthy and loving family; for the privilege to lead a forward-looking organization; for the experience of living in Miami, a vibrant, international city with endless talent and opportunities; and, equally importantly, for all of you, my IPMI peers. The exhilaration of being appointed chief executive officer of the Miami Parking Authority 10 days prior to the pandemic announcement gave way to the somber events that followed. At that precise moment, I realized that the privilege of shepherding a leading-edge organization comes with the weight of an enormous responsibility. That revelation became very apparent when the thought of preserving the safety of our staff and customers became the top priority. As it always turns out in life, challenges become opportunities. In the daily monitoring of parking revenues, we realized that our customers were bearing the hardships of an unprecedented pandemic. What followed was the immediate implementation of a few social responsibility programs that have resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in in-kind parking for our customers. Simultaneously, I listened to and sought the advice of many of my colleagues at IPMI. They rallied around me and became an excellent sounding board that validated some of the decisions I

4 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

was about to make. Looking at life as I always do—full of optimism and hope—I relish the time when we will get together to reaffirm our commitment to continue to make IPMI the premier parking organization in the world. While I miss the face-to-face contact with my peers and the camaraderie that ensues when we meet and exchange, I take stock in the thought that we will see each other soon to celebrate better times ahead and to roll up our sleeves to collectively move forward IPMI’s goals for the next year. In sum, I am thankful for all of you and wish you grace, hope, and resiliency over the holidays. Let us set our minds in making 2021 the best year ever for the parking business. ◆ ALEJANDRA “ALEX” ARGUDIN, CAPP, is chief executive officer of the Miami Parking Authority and treasurer of IPMI’s Board of Directors. She can be reached at aargudin@ miamiparking.com.

ISTOCK / GMAST3R

Bill Smith, APR

Great SocialListening Tools You know what people say when they email, tag, or call your office, but what are they saying about you when you’re not the intended audience? Knowing that can be key to success, and that’s what social listening—tracking your mentions across social media even when you’re not tagged—does. But who has time to search every possible term every day? Nobody, and that’s why there are free tools to help you automate it. Here are five great social listening tools to keep you up on your online reputation.

Social Mention. Search a term here and find out who’s saying what, what other terms they’re searching, the top keywords on the topic right now, and the top accounts talking about your topic. Set up alerts to get regular updates in your email and see how long people stay on that topic, when the last mention was, and what the strength and reach of those words are.

Buzzsumo. From tracking mentions to determining what keywords resonate to seeing who’s sharing what from your website and where they’re sharing it, this is an all-in-one tool that makes the most of almost all your social media and online activity. The free version does a lot—upgrade to the paid system for even more insight.

Followerwonk. Listen to your mentions, search Twitter bios for potential new contacts, compare your Twitter account with your competition’s to find new influencers, and see how your reputation compares with anyone else’s. Twitter-specific, this is a great free tool.

6 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

Hootsuite. Link this online dashboard to your social media accounts (it’s easy, we promise) and monitor lists and set up searches that appear in real time right on the main page. Go beyond and schedule posts, monitor trends, and reply to the people talking about you. This is very similar to TweetDeck, another great tool, and choosing between them is a matter of personal preference.

Google Alerts. The grandaddy of news and mentions searches, this is an easy to use, free tool that lets you do just what its name says: regularly search for a topic and get results emailed to you at regular intervals. Search just for news or articles or choose the whole internet to see what’s being said about your organization at any time.

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/ THE BUSINESS OF PARKING /LEGAL

Tire Chalking Ruled Vital and Legal for Parking Enforcement By Michael Ash, JD, CRE

N A column published in February 2020, I clarified the ruling from a federal court in Michi-

The Case Starting in 2014, a resident of Saginaw, Mich., received 15 parking tickets “for allegedly exceeding the time limit of a parking spot.” The tickets were issued by Saginaw’s “most prolific issuer of parking tickets.” Each parking ticket included the date and time that the tire of the resident’s vehicle was chalked. The recipient of the tickets challenged the “methodology of placing a chalk mark on one of the four tires of the vehicles to obtain information to justify the issuance of tickets throughout the territorial limits of the city of Saginaw.” The attorney framed the issue as a class action lawsuit on the theory that the “chalk marks violate the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution.” On a motion from the city, the district court initially dismissed the complaint, which was appealed to the United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issues, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” The Fourth Amendment review is a two-part test: ■ Did a search or seizure occur? ■ If so, was that search or seizure unreasonable? The ticket recipient tried to extend the holding of a 8 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

recent case that decided the government’s installation of a GPS device on a target’s vehicle was a search under the Fourth Amendment because the physical installation of the device on the vehicle constituted a trespass of the car owner’s property rights. However, trespass alone does not qualify as a search; rather, there must be both trespass and an attempt to find something or to obtain information. This was the key question reviewed by the court. The trial court found that, “despite the low-tech nature of the investigative technique, the chalk marks clearly provided information” to the parking enforcement officer. The chalk marks serve to identify the vehicles and when they parked. The court concluded that a “search” does likely occur when a tire is chalked. However, the analysis must also resolve whether the search is reasonable and as a matter of law, the search of an automobile is far less intrusive than the search of a person or building because car exists on public streets in plain view to the public. Ultimately the court concluded that even if tire chalking could be considered a search, it was reasonable. Accordingly, the complaint was dismissed in S eptember 2017. The ticket recipient appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The appellate court disagreed with the trial court, found that the lower court applied the wrong legal standard, and sent the case back for further proceedings. The appellate court issued an amended opinion:

ISTOCK / GAWRILOFF

gan that started a misimpression that tire chalking was ruled unconstitutional. The case was sent back from the appellate court for further proceedings by the trial court; those further proceedings have concluded and the court ruled tire chalking is a legal and vital element of onstreet parking enforcement.

While tire-chalking does constitute a search for purposes of the Fourth Amendment, it is a reasonable search in furtherance of a legitimate government purpose that falls within the administrative search exception.

“Taking the allegations in the complaint as true, we hold that chalking is a search under the Fourth Amendment, specifically under the Supreme Court’s decision in Jones. This does not mean, however, that chalking violate the Fourth Amendment. Rather, we hold, based on the pleading stage of this litigation, that two exceptions to the warrant requirement – the ‘community caretaking’ exception and the motor-vehicle exception – do not apply here. Our holding extends no further than this.”

The Newest Ruling On remand back to the lower court, a factual record was developed as to the custom and practice of tire-chalking. The original trial court relied on the facts in the affidavit from the city’s director of neighborhood services and inspections: ■ That parking enforcement within the city is necessary to promote safe use of the roadways and downtown businesses. ■ That parking enforcement within the city is necessary to promote equal access to limited parking spaces and the downtown businesses. ■ That chalk was provided to the city enforcement officials as a means of enforcing parking ordinances by informing vehicle owners and/or operators that the officials were enforcing city ordinances, including the time restrictions set forth therein. On the basis of this critical factual record, and applying the proper legal standard, on-street parking enforcement has again been upheld. Street parking regulations are a proper exercise of a municipality’s police powers as it “bears a substantial relation to the public health, welfare, safety, and morals” of the community. While tire-chalking does constitute a search for purposes of the Fourth Amendment, it is a reasonable search in furtherance of a legitimate government purpose that falls within the administrative search exception. According to the opinion of the court, the government interest “promotes safety and order on its roadways and ensures that multiple people can access downtown businesses.” Because “regulating parking involves more than simply issuing a ticket and placing it on the vehicle” parking enforcement “may also involve other methods, such as chalking a vehicle’s tire to notify the driver that their parking time is being monitored.”

Finally, “chalking may lead to more effective parking regulation because it reminds drivers to move their vehicles before their allotted time has expired.” As of press time, on-street parking enforcement, and specifically tire-chalking, has been upheld by the courts. The case that brought the tire-chalking controversy to the courts and media attention has been dismissed again and on-street parking enforcement will continue to be upheld. ◆ MICHAEL J. ASH, Esq., CRE, is partner with Carlin & Ward. He can be reached at michael.ash@ carlinward.com.

ENGINEERING & DESIGN PLANNING & STUDIES RESTORATION

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 9

/ THE GREEN STANDARD

Inequity Disrupts Sustainable Transportation Progress By Josh Naramore

HESE ARE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES. The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected us all

in varying ways, exacerbating long existing systemic racial and economic inequities. It’s vital to think about the future of mobility and the public realm with intentionality through the lens of equity. A great starting place is developing a strategic framework to understand what needs exist and identify the role local agencies can play in addressing mobility challenges and inequities. There is a need for a bold commitment to equity and planning for mobility that broadens opportunity and targeting initiatives to communities that have been left out of economic growth.

Barriers to Mobility Equity Pre-COVID, the City of Grand Rapids, Mich., was one of the fastest growing cities in the Midwest, but not all residents benefited from that prosperity. Residents have unequal access to safe, sustainable, and fast transportation options. This is not unique to Grand Rapids, but these disparities have only broadened during the pandemic, and addressing them requires a commitment to equity. Related to both economic opportunity and mobility, communities of color experience opportunity differently. While significant strides have been made in recent years in mobility related to parking, transit, transportation demand management (TDM), and safety, similar disparities exist. Vulnerable and historically marginalized communities of color experience disproportionately high levels of impact whether related to crashes or access to safe, affordable and efficient transportation options. In Grand Rapids, despite having a robust mobility network with 70 percent of residents living within a Mobility and economic development are quarter mile of transit, limited weekday and weekend closely linked to equity. Communities evening service hours and headways need leave many areas safe, convenient, and affordable travel and individuals under-served by transit. Racial and disparities also persist in ownership of personoptions forincome economic success. al vehicles. The city has added 85 miles of bikeways in the last 10 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

seven years, but most of the city’s existing bicycle network is in mixed-traffic conditions and planned additions lack adequate funding for other treatments. A network that supports all users will require substantial investment in connected and protected bicycle facilities. The city currently owns and operates 10,000 offstreet and 4,000 on-street metered, public parking spaces in the downtown and neighborhood commercial districts. There is a perception of undersupply of parking and this threatens efforts to better manage the parking system through interventions designed to facilitate greater availability of parking in these locations and to generate revenue for the maintenance and operation of parking and mobility facilities, programs, and services. The value of the city’s significant parking investments and curbside infrastructure is significantly undermined by not pricing on-street parking at night and on weekends and by too-modest oversell rates for monthly parkers in garages. The lack of adequate parking regulation and the perception of a lack of capacity distract from other efforts to improving mobility and addressing inequities. Community engagement often fails to include people who are unfamiliar with, unavailable to participate in, or wary of participating in community conversations. Transportation issues are primarily informed by those who are more inclined to participate or have a conduit to staff and decision-makers. The city’s emphasis on customer service and a culture of speed/ efficiency creates a reactive system that interrupts staff workflows and systems, perpetuates inefficiencies in resource utilization, and prioritizes the concerns of those who speak loudest and most often. This also creates an imbalance in how resources are delivered

for basic transportation services such as neighborhood traffic calming, pedestrian crossings, and street repairs.

Framework for Change The Grand Rapids Economic Development and Mobile GR & Parking Service departments completed an Equitable Economic Development and Mobility Strategic Plan in January 2020. The process was led by a steering committee comprised of approximately 35 community partners and stakeholders, along with a consulting team, in collaboration with city staff. The consultants facilitated focus groups which engaged hundreds of additional stakeholders and community partners to test strategies. The plan sets out the following objectives: ■ Align planning and capital investments to support economic development and promote equitable outcomes. ■ Increase TDM. ■ Management of on-street parking and curb space. ■ Invest in staff and system capacity to meet the mobility needs of all of Grand Rapids. ■ Develop an asset management approach that will support the long-term health of the city’s mobility networks. ■ Establish comprehensive communications, engagement, and education programs. ■ Cultivate and capitalize upon strategic partnerships to achieve the city’s equitable mobility goals. Although the plan is established as a five-year plan, staff recognize the need to continually evaluate opportunities as conditions evolve and will update the Plan as necessary to respond to current conditions. The actions in the Plan will be tracked through metrics developed to evaluate progress and maintain accountability and transparency.

accessible mobility options exist and are maintained. The city’s plan helped us navigate recent budget cuts and still maintain funding for the near time priorities. The COVID crisis also provides opportunity for experimentation and implementation that was previously thought to be difficult. With lower traffic volumes on major streets, it provided an opportunity to change traffic control and evaluate transitioning signalized intersections to all-way stops. Before COVID during one weekend, we deployed 25 temporary pick

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Priority Near-Term Mobility Strategies

up/drop off zones. Pre-COVID, we had only a handful of parklets or outdoor dining areas permitted in on-street parking. We now have dozens of social zones across the city that repurpose parking and travel lanes for increased outdoor dining. All of these efforts were to help local businesses, but I hope they become part of the regular fabric of the city. I witnessed what is possible when working so closely with the community. During I’m Often as professionals we are so focused on the work that we lose touch with the people that we serve. I’m hopeful that the tragedy and impact of COVID will serve as the impetus for the changes we desperately need. ◆ JOSH NARAMORE is mobile GR director at the City of Grand Rapids and co-chair of IPMI’s Sustainability Committee. He can be reached at jnaramore@grcity.us.

1. Implement a comprehensive communication strategy—Increase understanding and awareness of the resources available within the community and of the decisions that are being made on a regular basis about mobility systems. Educate to address the public perception about the lack of public parking. 2. Pilot expanded Transportation Demand Management (TDM) incentive programs • Bikeshare and e-scooter share pilot (shared micromobility) • Low-income transit pass program • Carsharing operation 3. Take a proactive and strategic approach to capital and safety investments, prioritizing projects that address safety and equity needs 4. Develop a parking expansion decision tool to guide on and off-street management

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/ PARKING & MOBILITY SPOTLIGHT/TECHNOLOGY

Harnessing Data for Dynamic Curb Management By Yifan Lu

ANY OF TODAYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CURB-PRICING strategies rely on charging personally owned

vehicles for short-term use of on-street parking in commercial areas. Parking revenues across cities declined after many cities and states declared stay-at-home orders to help fight COVID-19. In the early days of the pandemic in March and April, many restaurants and local businesses switched to pick-up-only models, which means would-be parkers would only be stopping by momentarily. Meanwhile, other uses of the curb continued at the same rate or even increased, such as on-demand food delivery and parcel delivery. However, these users are typically not charged for their use of curbside space. The current situation under the pandemic highlights what city officials and transportation planners have been saying for years: Any change in demand for parking from private drivers--which prior to now might have been a switch to ride-hailing or autonomous vehicles--could reduce a key revenue source for cities. Instead of just pricing one user of the curb, the focus must be on strategies to ensure that all curb users pay a fair price for their use of public space. As more people continue to work from home and fewer people go out to commercial districts, cities will likely continue to see a hit to their municipal budgets, so there is more of a necessity to move this debate from theory into practice. With those shrinking budgets, there is also an imperative to make the transition in a cost-effective way.

14â&#x20AC;&#x201A;PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

Paying for the Curb Different strategies have been debated for how to monitor and properly price the use of the curb by Uber, Lyft, on-demand delivery, food/beverage delivery, and parcel delivery services. Parking payment applications have become an increasingly popular way to pay for metered parking, and they could similarly be used by delivery drivers to reserve and pay for the use of the curb. However, adding new apps as another distraction for drivers may prove difficult and is also tricky to enforce, especially for users of the curb such as Uber, Lyft, and on-demand delivery drivers who may only stop in the space briefly before departing. Cameras and other sensors could also be used to monitor space and record parking events. Billing from these systems could be difficult, though. Who should

be billed? The ride-hailing driver or Uber or Lyft directly? Without an accurate database of license plates of the vehicles used by those drivers, it might not be possible to bill the companies directly. These sensors can also be more expensive to install and maintain, hindering cities’ ability to deploy commercial loading more widely throughout the city. The good news is that we don’t need extensive new technology to understand how commercial vehicles use this public space. Most commercial fleets already track where their vehicles are, either using the GPS from smartphones or a more comprehensive fleet-management system connected to the vehicle. A small subset of that data can easily be leveraged to help inform where commercial loading zones would be most effective in reducing double-parking and ensuring delivery workers can park close to their delivery points, which would be better overall for efficiency and worker health and safety. This parking event data could be used to invoice companies for the use of space, as car-sharing operators have done in both Seattle and Oakland and which many cities are already implementing for micromobility services (shared bikes, scooters, and mopeds). With GPS-based data, cities could properly charge for commercial loading space throughout the city, and make more dynamic, data-driven decisions based on changing supply, demand,

and transportation patterns. Operators would benefit from having more dedicated space, reducing the instances of double-parking and its associated fines, without needing to reveal more data than would be captured through a camera or sensor (i.e., a vehicle ID, location and duration of stay). It is no longer a debate about whether commercial

users will be asked to pay for their use of public space, but how; data-sharing partnerships could be the most cost-effective and painless way to move forward while also helping operators advocate for better load zone planning and achieve mutual goals for safer and more efficient cities. ◆ This article was co-authored with Rodney Stiles and Regina Clewlow. YIFAN LU runs strategic partnerships for Populus Technologies. She can be reached at yifan@populus.ai.

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/ ON THE FRONTLINE

Tell Me a Story By Cindy Campbell

’VE GROWN INCREASINGLY DISENCHANTED with the escalating price of my cable tele-

vision. I would even go so far as to say it’s become downright offensive. Not to sound like Methuselah, but I’m from the generation that created and first embraced cable TV. Before the internet, it gave us the ability to instantaneously connect to our larger world like never before. The connected world we live in today offers so many more options for global information sharing—and at a much lower price than most cable companies offer. Yes, my decision was made; the time had finally come to cut the cable cord. With that decision out of the way, the next obvious task was to contact the cable company to figure out how to go about disconnecting. Swirling in my mind were the tales I’d heard from others—the stereotypical, cringe-worthy stories about frustrating phone calls with the cable company’s customer service representatives. With so many competing services available, they’d certainly taken steps to positively respond to the public outcry regarding their notoriously bad reputations, right? Additional customer service classes? Listening skills? Perhaps increased conflict resolution training? You would think so, but alas, from my recent experience, it appears that’s not the case (insert heavy sigh, eye roll and disapproving head shake here).

Even if we can’t give the customer the answer they want, we need to make the effort to provide them with information they need and the options they have.

16 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

The Call The pre-recorded voice informed me that my wait time was estimated to be 30 minutes. Twenty-eight minutes later, I was greeted with what I can only describe as the most apathetic agent on duty. No exaggeration, it was like pulling teeth to get even the slightest bit of help or information. Her flat tone conveyed a heaping helping of disinterest with a just a dash of hostility. Without relaying the entire conversation, her responses included phrases like, “I can’t tell you that,” “I can’t do that,” “I wouldn’t know,” and “I don’t have access to that information”. It was her winning combination of poor word choice and indifferent tone that painted the complete picture. She made no

BUSINESS VISION We seek to streamline and optimize control of your parking structure, its management, productivity and security. Our differentiation and competitive advantages enable you to improve the level of service, while exploring new business opportunities. effort to provide me with available options. My every attempt to communicate in a friendly, professional way was rebuffed. The phone call ended when her ability to be obstinate exceeded my willingness to tolerate it. Much like my story of the bad cable experience, most everyone out there has a favorite parking horror story to tell. While some of those tales may contain bits of truth, others are full of incorrect assumptions and have become legendary—larger over time. Legendary tales aren’t easily put to rest, especially if we’re presented with examples that confirm them to be true for us personally. A customer may start a conversation with us, holding on to these fabled stories about who we are and how we will interact with them. Their initial attitudes and preconceived ideas about us may not be reasonable, yet they are their starting-point reality. While these baseless assumptions may be wholly unfair to us, what are we doing to change their expectations? What story will they be telling others about their interaction with you?

Beating Assumptions

SHUTTERSTOCK / J DENNIS

Just as I had pre-conceived ideas about what attitudes I may possibly encounter with the cable company, our customers may start their interactions assuming the worst outcome. Their defensiveness and angry words may not mean what we initially perceive. Sometimes anger and frustration are the initial emotions a customer communicates to us. Our role is not to respond in kind, but to actively listen for the real meaning of their message. Even if we can’t give the customer the answer they want, we need to make the effort to provide them with information they need and the options they have. Setting aside our instinctual, emotional reactions to their tone and approach is not only helpful to getting the customer what they need, but also offers us the ability to change that person’s perception about the services of your organization and who you are as a professional. Your attitude, word choice and demeanor may be the key to changing the story the next time it’s told. ◆ CINDY CAMPBELL is IPMI’s senior training and development specialist. She is available for onsite and online training and professional development and can be reached at campbell@parking-mobility.org.

MEYPAR USA Corp. 21755 I45, Building 11, Suite D 77388 Spring, Texas Tel.: +1 346-220-4619 (Sales) www. meypar-usa.com · info@meypar-usa.com

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 17

/ MOBILITY & TECH

The Customer’s Voice Matters, Now More than Ever By Andrew Sachs, CAPP

N A WORLD RUN BY ONLINE SEARCHES, the customer’s story is more powerful than ever. Parking mar-

keting has evolved in recent years. As always, operations need to communicate that they offer convenient and accessible parking with desirable amenities. But the old-school m ethods are no longer effective for pushing messages. Today, effective p arking marketing begins with great customer service leading to a positive presence online. And Parking

In 2019, about 80 percent of transient parkers found Harbor Park Garage, the Baltimore garage I manage, through a digital search. By comparison, 12 percent found the garage by driving past or just knowing our location, and 8 percent of transient traffic came from aggregators (like SpotHero and Park Whiz, both of which are important Harbor Park partners). As the most dominant digital search tool—and the owner of Waze—Google is a key gatekeeper; most transient customers are likely to find a garage using the company’s technology. As such, we have to pay attention to what Google values.

Google’s new approach makes quality of service critical for all businesses; reliance on Google as a driver of traffic means it’s especially key for the parking industry. It is easy for an angry customer to submit reviews online, where they live forever. Consider this scenario: a transient parker posts a complaint about being stuck at your gate and not receiving a speedy response even after pressing the call button. The following week, an office manager looking for 200 monthly spaces sees that review and, as a result, does not consider your parking facility. The most effective way to avoid a scenario like this one is to prioritize customer service, making it part of your company culture. First, understand customers by walking in their shoes—literally. Walk the garage, use the elevators, drive out of the gated exit, and use the call button to make sure parkers’ garage experiences are as positive as possible and to identify opportunities to go above and beyond with advice or services.

Google’s New Approach While Google’s effect on information sharing is nothing new, recent changes to its information management and delivery have a significant impact the parking industry. The search algorithm prioritizes reviews in Google My Business, the company’s free tool driving local searches and maps. The algorithm is frequently updated to prioritize local businesses with high scores in customer interaction and ranking. As a result, companies with few or negative rankings and those that do not engage with customers online have lower visibility overall.

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Even in the best garages, mistakes happen. Empower your staff to fix mistakes immediately, doing what it takes to make sure customers leave happy. Someone might still post a negative review. If that happens, don’t ignore it. Respond to the review and make sure you are accessible—via messaging, social media, and other channels—to keep the lines of communication open. Ultimately, those positive actions and messages will all work in your favor. ◆

ANDREW SACHS, CAPP, MFA, is president of Gateway Parking Services. He can be reached at andrew@gpsparking. com.

SHUTTERSTOCK / CIFOTART

Targeting the Customer

entervo SMART PARKING SOLUTIONS

Your parking solutions partner

Share your need with us at: parkingsales@scheidt-bachmann-usa.com

ASK

THE

EXPERTS What advice would you give city parking departments/organizations as they plan for 2021 after a crazy 2020?

Scott C. Bauman, CAPP

James C. Anderson

Brett Wood, CAPP, PE

Kim E. Jackson, CAPP

Manager of Parking & Mobility Services City of Aurora, Colo.

Market Development Manager Master Builders Solutions, US, LLC

President Wood Solutions Group

Director, Transportation & Parking Services Princeton University

The continuing effect of COVID-19 dramatically alters parking operations, revenue projections, and ultimately every city agency’s budget(s) for next year and likely beyond. Effectively identifying the impacts and leveraging the analysis to innovate and create new business opportunities for supplemental revenue streams can help mitigate budget shortfalls while simultaneously increasing customer service amenities.

Keep your parking user/customers at the forefront of your plans and continue safe practices. Recognize reality, using past history coupled with 2020 actualities for determining structured asset and on-street demand.

Parking programs need to focus on revenue diversification. Commercial loading, passenger loading, mobility hubs, and congestion-level pricing are all tools we are considering to help cities function. Our programs need to capitalize on those programs to find new revenue streams and ensure better balance.

20 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

It will be crucial for parking organizations to remember their customers might be fearful about returning to “normal operations.” If they have not already started, many operations should work toward contactless transactions, making the experience safer and easier. Service providers should consider, if possible, how to reduce initial costs and fees as we continue to increase mobility for our customers.

Vanessa Solesbee Schnipkoweit, CAPP President The Solesbee Group Look for the silver lining in everything you do. COVID-19 has thrown so many of us for a loop and it is hard to feel like we have any control over what will happen in 2021 and beyond. Try that crazy idea you’ve had on your whiteboard for years, mentor someone or find yourself a mentor, raise your hand and volunteer for something completely unexpected and outside of your comfort zone.

CONTACTLESS PAYMENT Choose a fully-integrated parking meter and enforcement management system with the contactless payment option your citizens demand. State-of-the-art products designed, assembled and manufactured right here in the USA. Now more than ever, you need a partner you can count on. IPS is with you. Smart Meters | Enforcement | Sensors | Permitting | Big Data Request a demo at ipsgroupinc.com/demo ÂŠ IPS GROUP, INC.

Larry J. Cohen, CAPP Executive Director Lancaster Parking Authority Now more than ever, be a key player in discussions on your city’s recovery plan and how proper parking utilization can support the efforts through programs like pop-up dining parks, etc., as these types of initiatives play a vital role in business survival.

Erik Nelson, PCIP Director of Operations and Technology Consulting Walker Consultants We don’t know what the future will bring, and we can’t rely on past results to plan out 2021 as we have done in previous years. To that end and for 2021, be confident in what you do know, plan for what you can control, and build in flexibility for what you can’t control. Most importantly, be kind to yourself and your team as you develop your 2021 plan, because nobody has all the answers.

Melonie Curry, MBA

John W. Hammerschlag

Staff Analyst ParkHouston

President Hammerschlag & Co., Inc.

It’s important to use stakeholder engagement to determine the new curb management plan. Once fully occupied metered parking spaces are now being used as curbside pick-up locations. You need to understand the changing dynamics, be flexible, and adapt to the changes.

If your city has a prominent public transportation system, prepare for a significant increase in parking demand as office workers return to work and eschew public transportation in favor of the perceived safety of their own vehicles.

Mark Lyons, CAPP Division Manager, Parking/Mobility City of Sarasota, Fla. Be aware of the sensitivity merchants are experiencing after COVID and remain flexible, nimble, and open to changing the parking program where it makes sense to do so. With that said, hold on to essential principles of success, including charging for periods when curb management is needed. Consider flexing hours of paid parking and time restriction to coincide with hours of demand.

/ HAVE A QUESTION? Send it to editor@parking-mobility.org and watch this space for answers from the experts.

The opinions and thoughts expressed by the contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of the International Parking & Mobility Institute or official policies of IPMI.

22 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

2021 WEBINAR SCHEDULE GET THIS DEAL NOW!

Members-only: Purchase 2021 webinars shown below for $299 before December 31, 2020. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 30% off to train your team all year long!

JANUARY 13, 2021

Curbing COVID-19 at the Curb

Presenter: Matthew Darst, JD, Director of Curbside Management, Conduent Transportation

FEBRUARY 10, 2021

Frictionless Parking: Smoothing Out the Edges for a Seamless Mobility Experience Presenter: The IPMI Technology Committee

MARCH 17, 2021

Using Social Listening to Improve Your Customer Service Presenter: Melonie Curry, Communications Manager, ParkHouston

APRIL 21, 2021

Teleworking: An Alternate Mobility Mode Presenters: Perry H. Eggleston, CAPP, DPA, Executive Director for Transportation Services; and Ramon Zavala, Transportation Demand Manager, UC Davis Transportation Services, University of California at Davis

MAY 19, 2021

Operational Measures that Produce a Positive Customer Experience and Drive Organizational Success Presenters: Tammy Baker, Vice President of Client Experience; and Brian Wolff, President & CEO, Parker Technology Inc.

JULY 14, 2021

The Parking Study is Done. Now What? Presenter: Jennifer McCoy, PE, PTOE, Senior Traffic Engineer, Bolton & Menk, Inc.

AUGUST 11, 2021

Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers: Improve Your RFP Procurement Process to Receive Quality Proposals Presenter: Mandy Bowers, Senior Marketing Specialist, Kimley-Horn

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

Collecting Lost Revenue: The Payment Behind the Parking Payment

Presenters: Andrew LaMothe, Regional Director of Sales, Passport; and Brian Shaw, CAPP, Executive Director of Transportation; Stanford University

OCTOBER 20, 2021

How U.S. Cities can Learn from Smart City Innovations in Europe

Presenter: David Parker, Chief Operating Officer, Cleverciti

NOVEMBER 10, 2021

The Truth Behind Common Parking Myths Presenters: Michael Pendergrass, AIA, Associate Principal; and Matt Davis, Associate Principal; Watry Design, Inc.

DECEMBER 15, 2021

Getting Smart: Strategies to Get Started Creating Smart Communities Presenter: Thomas Szubka, CAPP, Senior Consultant, Walker Consultants

parking-mobility.org

The Motor City Becomes

Comeback City People enjoy the revitalized Campus Martius park in Detroit

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Detroit engineers a renaissance after some very tough times and a global pandemic, and parking plays a key role. By Bill Smith

IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN FOCUSED

on what’s happening in Detroit, you’re missing one of America’s best stories. The Motor City is in the midst of a revival that has seen an eruption of development. Businesses are returning to the downtown, restaurants and clubs have emerged, manufacturing is vibrant again, and Detroit is well on its way to becoming one of the hottest tourist destinations in the U.S. The education community is also playing a vital role, with the University of Michigan planning a new downtown campus focusing on technology and development. Just as Detroit’s original rise came out of the automobile boom of the early 1900s, this resurgence grew out of the resurrection of the U.S. auto industry. Just a few years ago, General Motors and Chrysler were fighting for their lives and closing plants. Now both companies are opening new plants and reopening shuttered facilities. Detroit is leading the way when it comes automobile innovation, too. The city is ground zero for the development of electric vehicles and self-driving vehicles, and Ford and GM are doubling down on the development of both. It’s no exaggeration to say that the Motor City truly has become America’s Comeback City. SHUTTERSTOCK/ KELLEHER PHOTOGRAPHY

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 25

THE MOTOR CITY BECOMES COMEBACK CITY

Parking’s Role in the Rebirth We associate Detroit’s vibrancy with the automobile, so you might assume that parking is playing a vital role in Detroit’s rebirth. If so, you are right. “So much is happening in Detroit right now,” says Keith Hutchings, director of Detroit’s Municipal Parking Department. “The city has unique partnerships with the state, county, and private entities, and we are completely reimagining how parking and mobility are managed.” Indeed, Detroit’s creative approach to parking planning has it on the forefront of the smart city movement. The city’s parking planners are using a combination of technology and old-fashioned parking planning approaches to create a much better transportation experience while simultaneously supporting local business Companies such as Quicken Loans, headquarted in the One Campus Martius development and improving access to city building, are finding success in a revitalizing Detroit. services and activities. Being so auto-centric has forced Detroit to pursue creative ridership, and convention packages making it more user-friendapproaches to promoting mobility. The city has never relied on ly. Soon, visitors will be able to buy digital passes based on the mass transit as much as other cities; there are just the Detroit number of days they are going to be visiting. People-Mover and Q-line micro-rail systems serving the Central Micro-transit is also an important part of Detroit’s plan. The and Midtown Districts and two bus systems providing access to city recently had one of the nation’s most successful rollouts of and from suburban areas. An important part of Detroit’s downscooters, including a pilot project encouraging private scooter town system is rethinking the People-Mover’s role. The veneraproviders to drop-off rental scooters and bicycles outside the ble system has traditionally required tokens or monthly passes city’s central business district. The idea is to provide another to ride, but now the city is expanding payment options to allow way for commuters to travel between their homes and bus stariders to purchase daily, weekly, or monthly passes to increase tions to promote public transit.

Parking is the unifying element of Detroit’s revival. “The city administration is focused on parking,” says Hutchings. “We try to manage the overall parking system in a way that promotes synergy between parking and other types of transportation.” That process will soon take a major leap forward with the introduction of the updated Park Detroit app, which will provide access to every type of parking in the city. Drivers will be able to use the app to see real-time pricing and availability information for municipal and private garages and lots, both large and small. The app will also provide availability and pricing information for on-street parking assets. With the introduction of the new app, the city hopes to introduce dynamic parking pricing to encourage drivers to use lightly utilized spaces. The app hopes to eliminate long searches for a parking space and guide drivers to open spaces while 26 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

ONE CAMPUS MARTIUS PHOTO COURTESY OF QUICKEN LOANS PR

Parking Takes the Lead

Detroit’s parking planners are using a combination of technology and old-fashioned parking planning approaches to create a much better transportation experience while simultaneously supporting local business development and improving access to city services and activities.

SHUTTERSTOCK/ KEITH BELL

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 27

THE MOTOR CITY BECOMES COMEBACK CITY

encouraging them to park away from more congested areas, and the city expects to significantly reduce congestion and pollution on city streets. “The app also offers special deals from day to day,” says Hutchings. “For instance, if you are going to the entertainment and sports district for an event, the app can offer highly discounted parking and alternative transportation options. So, the app doesn’t just provide access to transportation services; it also helps find better transportation options that will get you to your destination more quickly.” Ultimately, the Park Detroit app will manage more than parking. City planners see it as a centralized event portal where every event that’s held in the city, whether publicly or privately sponsored, will be uploaded onto the

available on the dashboards of private vehicles before long. He sees it as a sign that this technology is driving the evolution to smart cities. “We expect that Park Detroit will be available on the dashes of GM and Ford vehicles very soon,” he says. The rollout of the app was originally scheduled for the summer of 2020, but the COVID-19 crisis set the timeline back a few months. Development is complete but the Detroit City Council needs to give final approval of some of the operational elements and the pandemic has slowed the process. “The app will be the right technology at the right time If the experts are right and people stop carpooling and using mass transit until the COVID-19 crisis fully passes,” says Hutchings. “The app was designed to manage parking supply, reduce congestion, and minimize the environmental footprint of parking resources when parking demand is high. Park Detroit will prove its worth when people return to the city in their own vehicles to work and play.”

The Changing Role of Parking

platform. The app will provide a single point of access where residents and visitors can access everything that’s happening in the city. “The app is going to provide parking perks that will promote economic opportunity throughout Detroit,” says Hutchings. “We expect the app to give Detroit a competitive advantage over other cities when it comes to economic development and tourism.” Park Detroit isn’t just for people with smartphones, though. The app interface will also be available on a special municipal website. Additionally, the city is adding 300 new touchscreen kiosks throughout the city with the same interface as the app and website so people can access Park Detroit as they travel throughout the city. According to Hutchings, the app is also going to be 28 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

According to Hutchings, Detroit has changed its approach to parking in recent years. The city has sold all but two of its municipal parking facilities, and the parking department’s focus has evolved to planning. “In the past, we were primarily responsible for managing meters, handling enforcement, and running the garages,” says Hutchings. “Now we are working more actively with local planning groups, building capacity to provide organized professional parking strategy for the central business district and other corridors. Our coordination with economic development personnel and the mayor’s office is assuring that parking will continue to be an engine for economic development.” The city is also more focused on enforcement, particularly in business districts. There was recently a push to eliminate meters because their businesses and their customers were complaining about how many parking tickets were being written. In response, the city conducted a parking study that found that as many as 70 percent of drivers weren’t paying for parking at meters, and 90 percent of tickets were for meter violations. Through the study, the city was able to demonstrate that the problem

Partnering with Private Parking

he private parking community is playing a vital role in Detroit’s widespread economic growth. Private parking owners worked closely with the city to develop the Park Detroit app, ensuring it would provide universal access to both municipal and private parking resources. “For Detroit, or any city, to truly be a smart city, it must provide the technological tools for people to easily connect with multiple mobility options, both public and private,” says Kevin Bopp, vice president of parking and mobility at Bedrock, Detroit’s largest real estate developer and operator of multiple parking facilities. “We worked closely with the city’s parking and mobility office to help develop the first comprehensive citywide parking app, Park Detroit. This is the first of its kind in the country, and we believe that it will set the standard for city parking going forward.” During the past decade, the city sold most of its garages and other off-street parking assets, resulting in private parking owners and operators playing a more pivotal role in parking development when compared to many other American cities. In addition to providing parking for visitors and people who live and work in

the city, developers like Bedrock are able to focus on initiatives that enhance quality of life and play a vital role in the city’s continued economic development. “The importance of parking to Detroit’s economy can’t be overstated,” says David Rich, vice president of Rich & Associates, a consulting firm in the city. “Parking planning has played a vital role in the city’s resurgence by making it easier and more convenient to get downtown to access its business and recreational and entertainment venues. The city is bustling today, in large part, because of the successful efforts of Detroit’s private and public parking visionaries.” Recognizing that the visitor’s trip doesn’t end in the parking garage, private owners are pursuing creative strategies to help visitors conveniently explore the city once they park. For instance, Bedrock has partnered with multiple startups to promote alternative forms of mobility by introducing groundbreaking technologies such as parking guidance, pre-booking, autonomous shuttles and parking garages, and mobile payment apps to improve the overall parking and commute experience. “Detroit is at the forefront of both the mobility and technology movements,” says

revolved around non-compliance, not enforcement, and convince business leaders to work with the city to change parker behavior and promote compliance. This new focus has provided significant financial benefits. While the city initially lost revenue from the garages that were sold, increasing compliance by upgrading parking meters and improving enforcement increased parking revenue by $2 million—to $10 million—in just the first year. For Hutchings and his colleagues in Detroit government, the city is at the beginning of a very exciting time in the evolution to a smart city. Detroit is already seeing the benefits though. In addition to increased revenue, city planners estimate that the focus on coordinating parking with public transit and other alternative

Rich. “It should serve as a model for the rest of the country as other cities work to evolve into Smart Cities.” In the past few months, COVID has brought uncertainty to the realm of mobility. As people travel less and work from home more, overall demand for parking has dropped throughout the U.S. But as Detroit and other cities begin to fully reopen it’s important that they are positioned and ready to adjust to new telecommuting trends. “Parking owners and operators should be prepared to offer a variety of options to meet the changing needs of our tenants and customers,” says Bopp. “We’ll need to work closely with them to understand how their parking needs have shifted and will continue to evolve. We’ll have to tailor our services to ideally meet their individual needs.” “Now is the time to plan for tomorrow,” continues Bopp. “In spite of today’s challenges, we will continue to find programs and opportunities that motivate people to come downtown. Private owners and operators play a vital role in sustaining the vibrancy of Detroit, and it is incumbent on all of us to create strategies that encourage people to explore, work, and play in the city.”

transportation strategies has reduced the number of cars driving into the CBD by 2,500 vehicles per day, reducing congestion and eliminating the pollution those vehicles would have caused. And the introduction of the Park Detroit app will only increase those benefits. At a time when Detroit is on the rebound, parking is playing a leading role in helping the Motor City earn its new nickname as the Comeback City. ◆ BILL SMITH is a contributing editor to Parking & Mobility. He can be reached at bsmith@smith-phillips. com.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 29

Navigating theNew

Normal By Michael Drow, CAPP

30â&#x20AC;&#x201A;PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

What the COVID-19 pandemic might mean to the permanent future of parking, mobility, and how we help people get from place to place.

HE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has had a

significant impact on individuals, businesses, cities and society. While some of its effects will be short-lived, others will be long lasting and in many cases, the pandemic is accelerating the adoption of trends that have been underway for several years. These trends include mobile and digital payments, self-service tools, and access to shared mobility services. The significant reduction of parking activity in 2020 has also challenged entities to fund their parking and transportation operations and thus their ability to deliver services to customers and communities. As operating teams adjust to both the short- and long-term effects of COVID-19, it is important that they develop a plan to manage their operation through the change. The plan should consider how to implement effective methods to distribute assets (parking spaces, mobile options, curb, etc.) to the community, deliver desired customer experiences, manage data as a valuable asset, and generate revenue from community assets. Understanding the expected changes from the COVID-19 pandemic and implementing plans to meet new needs will keep communities vibrant into the future.

SHUTTERSTOCK / MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES / ISTOCK / SUPPACHOK NUTHEP

The New Normal As society adjusts to the new normal, the needs of communities will evolve. While the new normal will vary from community to community based on geographic location, the profile of the community’s activities, and the community’s financial outlook, there are several common aspects every community will need to address. Short-term issues that an operation should consider in its plan include: ■ Managing large group access to areas due to health policies. Is the community limiting the number of people who can gather in certain areas such as beaches, parks, entertainment districts, shopping areas, or business campuses? What are the requirements and/or limitations for access to the areas? Are there limits to the number of concurrent people or time restrictions? Does the availability of access vary? If so, what triggers changes in the availability—community health status? Time of day? Type of activity? Understanding the answers to these questions will assist in developing permit programs and enforcement methods to support the community implementing various health policies. ■ Supporting food and goods delivery and pickup. The use of on-demand delivery and pickup services at stores and restaurants throughout North America has increased significantly PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 31

Long-term issues an operation should consider in its plan include: ■ Remote work and the use of traditional offices. Many

businesses will continue to experiment with remote workforces. As a result, there will likely be less demand for monthly parking and an increased need for daily parking as remote workers make periodic visits to their places of work. Parking facilities and 32 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

Many businesses have successfully implemented delivery and pickup services during the pandemic. As a result, communities will need to allocate curbside and parking assets traditionally used for parking spaces to these businesses for on-demand delivery services. mass transit will need to adjust to accommodate this change. Implementing new pricing models will support the new use and help manage the use of a community’s resources equitably. Can the use of demand pricing help spread out daily remote worker demand so everyone does not come to the office on the same day? ■ Increase in social activities and meetings. Humans are social beings. With the loss of social opportunities at work, will restaurants and conference areas see more activity as people look to connect with business partners and co-workers in other ways? Will lunch meetings or afternoon social events increase to allow people to connect during the day? With less face-to-face time in the office, will teams rely on periodic meetings to develop camaraderie or tackle tough projects? The effect is not just work related; with more people working at home, will there be a desire to explore the community on the weekend with friends and family? Which areas will become destination sites—city parks, biking and hiking trails,

SHUTTERSTOCK / ROMAN SAMBORSKYI

since April—how will a community or university manage the use of these zones? Are permits required to use the zone? Are pickup zone fees charged to the business entity or the pickup vehicle? ■ Encouraging economic activity in city centers. Many local businesses are struggling as communities try to restart and encourage people to visit downtown areas again. One way to encourage visitors is to temporarily reduce or eliminate parking fees and/or reduce enforcement activities. Balancing the need to manage access and collect revenue while also creating an environment that encourages activity is not a trivial task. Even when parking revenue is not a priority, it is still valuable to track parking activity to understand demand. This can be done by requiring people to check in at a pay station or via a mobile device, and/ or monitoring activity with existing enforcement methods. This provides visibility into customer activity to evaluate if plans are working and help a community decide when it should start to charge for parking and/or increase enforcement activities to generate revenue.

museums, outdoor venues? Communities that recognize and support these social needs will benefit from increased revenue generation and improved control of the community assets. ■ Need to manage and monetize the curb space. There has been much written on curb management already. The recent growth of on-demand food and delivery services has highlighted the need for communities to implement delivery and pickup zones and manage the activity via virtual permitting. The congestion at the curb will only increase as the convenience of these services grows and mobility services, such as mass transit and shared ride services, eventually return. Communities should consider how they will allocate access to, and monitor and enforce the use of the curb. Remember, the “curb” can be an actual street curb, a portion of a surface lot (i.e. pickup only spaces at a restaurant), or a portion of a garage (i.e. ride-share pickup areas at airports). ■ The return of mobility services. While activity slowed down due to stay-at-home restrictions, the use of mobility services such as bikes, scooters, and ride-share will return. In addition to using permit programs to ensure fair and appropriate access for these services, communities will need to consider the necessary infrastructure to support them. Will more bike lockers be required? What about showering and changing centers? Will scooters need special corrals installed on the sidewalk to reduce littering of sidewalks? Will ride-share vehicles need to stage in certain areas of a community to reduce congestion from drivers circling around the block?

Making Assets Available Through internal discussions, an operation will identify the expected needs of the community as it adjusts to the new normal. These needs will lead to operational changes that define how people will request and use the community’s assets, which include parking spaces, curb spaces, parking garages, and mobility hubs. Before the pandemic, parking was typically sold on a daily or monthly basis. Customers paid for daily parking via mobile devices or pay stations with payand-display, pay-by-space, or pay-by-plate models. Post-pandemic, there will likely be more pay-by-plate operations and a higher adoption of mobile payments via third-party services and mapping services such as Google or Apple Maps. Additionally, customers that previously bought monthly parking for work may only have to visit the office a few days a week a now, so they will want to buy different weekday configurations, such as Tuesday/Thursday or every other Monday.

Post-pandemic, there will likely be more pay-by-plate operations and a higher adoption of mobile payments via third-party services and mapping services such as Google or Apple Maps. Additionally, customers that previously bought monthly parking for work may only have to visit the office a few days a week a now, so they will want to buy different weekday configurations Many businesses have successfully implemented delivery and pickup services during the pandemic. As a result, communities will need to allocate curbside and parking assets traditionally used for parking spaces to these businesses for on-demand delivery services. The decision will require defining how to structure the permits to use the space, proper levels of allocation between users to reduce congestion at the curb, and how to price the access. In addition, enforcement activities must support the methods customers utilize to access the community’s assets. A community should expect an increased use of: ■ Directed enforcement: Using technology to identify potential enforcement actions and sending enforcement officers to specific areas. ■ Mobile and fixed LPR to automate enforcement and email citations. ■ Real-time permit purchases and an increase in the use of eligibility criteria to define who can purchase permits. ■ Digital representations of permits, such as phone or license based, that enable quicker activation and deactivation.

Delivering Desired Customer Experiences How will customers access the assets a community makes available to them? Customers must have the ability to review and understand the rules, find their eligible options, make a purchase, and communicate when issues or questions arise. The success of any changes will depend on how well the community supports the customer efficiently and likely remotely, as well as with digital experiences and self-service. The use of remote support, self-service, and digital experiences have been widely adopted in banking and airlines and are a common practice for customers. As communities continue to focus on their customers’ experience, it will require a plan that considers: ■ Interacting with customers and sharing relevant PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 33

information. Communities need to transact with customers via digital means. Community websites must provide clear information and be accessible via mobile devices. In the future, a community will likely use many channels to engage customers—mobile parking payment providers, global map providers (Google, Apple, Here), community-owned digital assets, and other websites. A community needs to consider how to use all of these channels while providing consistent messaging. ■ Enabling and managing transactions to use community assets. With a proper technology platform, an operation can allow multiple third-party channels access to a single rate and rule engine to process transactions. This provides the operation with a single tool to manage current demand and pricing, ensuring consistent application of rules while providing equal availability to all customers. As the world speeds up, it is critical for communities to have real-time information to manage operations, as well as for customers to know their options. ■ Providing quality customer service. As self-service tools and mobile transactions become more common, new types of customer service issues will arise alongside an increased expectation for real-time support from customers. It is important to provide customers with the means to reach out when they have an issue; options include email, online chat capabilities, call centers, and real-time video support. Determining the best option for an operation depends on the likelihood that a critical issue needs immediate attention. A customer requesting pricing for a potential permit purchase can be resolved in four to eight hours, so email or chat is sufficient. However, a customer who cannot get out of a garage or has an enforcement boot on their car requires immediate attention and live customer service. ■ Offering contactless options while considering credit and cash transaction needs. It is clear that contactless options are a necessary component of a parking and

In many cases, the community will not own the derived data sets created by a technology company unless that data is explicitly provided back in a contract. It is critical for communities to maintain their rights to consumer and activity data. transportation operation. However, many communities still need to support cash transactions, so both in-person kiosk transactions and mobile-enabled transactions need to coexist. In addition to supporting cash transactions, a community should consider transactions that require the customer’s physical 34 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

presence, such as validations, access control, and situations where a customer cannot pay before they arrive. Communities should leverage technology solutions that support a common rate and rule engine to engage customers that pay via multiple mobile services or self-service kiosks.

Treating Data as a Valuable Asset Every community has valuable assets—parking spaces, curb space, parking garages, mobility hubs—and the pandemic has changed how these assets can be managed. Sometimes parking is offered at below-market costs to promote local businesses, while other times, communities charge for parking to ensure access is available to those that need it, such as shoppers, employees, or delivery trucks. There is another asset that is just as valuable to a community: data. Companies like Google and Facebook derive their value from monitoring users’ activity and their data. A community is no different—it provides customers with access to its assets and can see the activities that customers perform. As such, communities need to manage their data and protect it as if it were cash. In addition, communities need to consider the value of customer data and generate revenue for allowing third-parties to engage their customers or use the customer data, just as if it were a parking space. To manage their data, communities should know who is accessing their data and creating derived data sets. In many cases, the community will not own the derived data sets created by a technology company unless that data is explicitly provided back in a contract. It is critical for communities to maintain their rights to consumer and activity data. Finally, communities should manage the sharing of their data. The Alliance for Parking Data Standards is a global entity that has developed a common data sharing specification for parking data. Operations around the world are developing their tools using the APDS specification, which allows them to manage the data flowing to and from third-party entities while maintaining control of the data.

Managing Community Assets for Revenue As parking needs change, old pricing mechanisms and structures will change as well. If fewer people need monthly parking and more need Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Friday parking, the prices for those options will have to be defined. However, it is not as simple as charging a proportion of the monthly rate for a two-day a week pass. An operation will want to understand which days have high demand and set prices accordingly to balance demand while generating revenue.

Further, as remote workers increase their lunch meeting activity or late afternoon social events to connect, it may be necessary to change how hourly pricing varies based on time of day. For example, a parking facility that supports a local lunch area may have a rate table similar to the following to generate revenue during high demand periods.

6 PM—10 AM 0-1 hour

1-4 hours

4-16 hours

$10

10 AM—6 PM 0-1 hour

1-3 hours

$15

3-8 hours

$25

With the increase in mobile activity, it will be easier to provide custom pricing to specific customers. For example, a customer that meets certain eligibility requirements or that lives in a certain area of town, can park for $5, but other groups need to pay $10.

Additionally, if demand is high at a specific time, the community can charge a higher rate in Garage A and a lower rate in Garage B to reduce traffic congestion. The COVID-19 pandemic will undoubtedly change parking and transportation operations and thus how a community manages its many assets in both the short and long term. As a community assess the effects, it must consider what the new normal looks like for them and the services consumers will need. With a plan for the new normal, a community can define methods to offer its assets to consumers as well as the type of customer experience to deliver. More importantly, the community will be able to define how it will manage ALL of its valuable assets to generate value for its customers and the community as a whole. These valuable assets include the management of physical space such as parking and curbs, as well as the digital space, which includes consumer access and consumer data. ◆ MICHAEL DROW, CAPP, is senior vice president, sales and corporate development, at T2 Systems, member of the APDS Board of Directors, and co-chair of IPMI’s Technology Committee. He can be reached at michael. drow@t2systems.com.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 35

Where Should

With more people homeless, isolating due to COVID-19, cities are charged with figuring out where those

SHUTTERSTOCK/ FRANZ 12

the RVs Go?

or embracing a nomadic lifestyle, living in RVs should park.

By Christina Jones, CAPP, MBA

HETHER DUE to economic

hardship or by choice of lifestyle, inhabited vehicles are becoming more common throughout the U.S. In some areas, the high cost of living or limited availability of housing drives the growing trend in vehicle habitation. In other areas, it can be the desire for close proximity to popular destinations or services that is the primary driver.

Inhabited vehicles include: ■ Vehicles inhabited by those experiencing homelessness. ■ Vehicles inhabited by those traveling for leisure, such as in recreational vehicles or converted vans. ■ Vehicles inhabited by those choosing “van life” or “nomadic living.” These vehicles present unique challenges for communities looking to balance the demand for the public right-of-way and equitable access to public resources. In response, many communities have developed policies and programming to address the various impacts of inhabited vehicles on the public parking system. This effort is informed through interviews conducted with parking and transportation managers from various communities as well as research of municipal codes and available articles in the public realm.

Location Trends Based on interviews with agency representations from communities throughout the Mountain and West Coast regions, the location of inhabited vehicles is reported to be highly correlated to the type of inhabitant. Along the west coast, inhabited vehicles were most frequently reported to congregate in residential areas near the coastal zone, presumably in search of free parking with convenient access to beach areas. PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 37

Similarly, in other mountain destination communities, recreational vehicles (RVs) were found in residential areas with proximity to shopping and attractions. Users typically associated with these locations were RV and converted van owners who inhabitant their vehicle as a lifestyle choice, either permanently or temporarily as part of an extended trip. While this user group was reported to be least impactful in terms of waste, it does appear to be the group whose behavior is most difficult to change; this appears to be tied to the nomadic nature of these users—they do not intend to remain in the area permanently. Those living in a vehicle due to economic circumstance generally were reported by interview participants to be in areas that were either close in proximity to social services or in light industrial areas where their presence was most likely to go unnoticed. Interviewed agencies with paid parking noted that inhabited vehicles avoid these areas during enforced hours. This user group appears to be those most mobile, moving frequently to avoid detection and potential enforcement, but predominantly remaining within the same municipality. Along with increased reports of waste and illegal dumping associated with this user group, abandoned vehicles that were previously inhabited but no longer in operating condition were reported as a significant cost for some communities. 38 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

Storage of recreational vehicles and converted vans was reported in some communities as having a greater impact on public parking accessibility than inhabited vehicles. Residents utilizing the public right-of-way to store large vehicles decreases turnover of spaces and reduces available inventory with each RV occupying space that could otherwise accommodate up to two to three standard-sized personal vehicles.

Strategies In addition to parking management strategies utilized to balance parking demands in core areas, such as paid parking and permitted zones, many communities also employ broader ordinances to address inhabited vehicles and the storage of oversized and recreational vehicles within the public right-of-way. Some communities have addressed the issue of inhabited vehicles by prohibiting the practice within the agency’s boundaries or restricting potential inhabited vehicles to specific locations and connecting them to specific residences. For instance, Adams County, Colo.’s Development Standards and Regulations prohibit the inhabitation of vehicles unless the vehicle is associated with a specific residence, and even then, is only permitted once each calendar year for up to 30 days.1 In another example, while the municipal code does not expressly prohibit the inhabitation of all vehicles

SHUTTERSTOCK/ SUNDRY PHOTOGRAPHY

in Colorado Springs, Colo., it does prohibit the use of an RV as a permanent dwelling unit. City ordinance also prohibits the storage of RVs within the public right of way on a citywide basis. Outside of the expeditious loading of the vehicle, an RV must be parked on private property and is still subject to storage restrictions related to the surface material and location of the parking.2 In several communities, the use of time limits is intended to enable equitable access to public parking resources without the negative perceptions that may be associated with outright prohibitions on inhabited vehicles. With some feeling that such laws unfairly punish those living in vehicles for their economic circumstances, time limits are used to provide access to the resource equitably, without prejudice against any user type. In other applications, time limits are used to facilitate temporary access for these vehicles.

Some communities have addressed the issue of inhabited vehicles by prohibiting the practice within the agency’s boundaries or restricting potential inhabited vehicles to specific locations and connecting them to specific residences. The City of Carlsbad, Calif., a popular destination for those vacationing in RVs, developed an RV ordinance in March 2013 to protect access to the coastal zone for both visitors and residents of the area. Per this ordinance, the city prohibits parking of oversized vehicles on public streets from 2 to 5 a.m. Oversized vehicles are defined as those either 22 feet in length or 7 feet in height and 7 feet in width. To accommodate those residents with oversized and recreational vehicles who may utilize the public rightof-way for loading and unloading or other short-term needs, annual permits are made available at no cost. These permits must be registered in association with a residence and the vehicle is permitted to park within 400 feet of the associated residence for up to 72 hours, four times each month. A similar permit is available for guests, allowing residents’ visitors to park a recreational vehicle on the street near their residence for up to 72 hours, six times per year per residence. As of February 1, 2020, overnight parking restrictions were expanded to include the Ocean Street Parking Lot based on reports of excessive overnight parking at that facility. 4 The Seattle, Wash., Department of Transportation (SDOT) has a more relaxed and iterative approach in

their response to complaints of inhabited vehicles. When inhabited vehicle complaints are received, SDOT’s typical first step is responding by a letter to the complainant advising them that the city no longer installs or enforces overnight parking prohibition areas unless there is a business need for them, “as this simply moves the issue down the street.” The letter reminds complainants to have empathy for those experiencing homelessness and that as long as the vehicle abides by the city’s 72-hour ordinance and otherwise does not violate any laws, the vehicle and its inhabitant(s) are not considered to be in violation of any offenses. The Town of Jackson, Wyo., implemented a unique approach regarding inhabited vehicles. The town has the second highest per-capita income in the country as of the most recent census reporting.5 These high income levels coupled with a housing shortage have created an affordable housing issue for seasonal workforce of the resorts, where the median sale price of a home is $1.3 million.5 In response, the town approved a municipal campground behind the Teton County Recreation Center in 2017. Spaces are reserved for those able to provide proof of employment within Teton County. In addition to a designated parking space, access to a porta-potty and picnic tables are provided. Access to showers and bathrooms with running water inside the Rec Center come at an additional fee above the $225 per month, off-season rate and $465 per month, peak summer season rate. Parking is not available during winter months.6 To avoid the storage of RVs and discourage inhabited vehicle parking on street, the town requires all vehicles parked on street to be moved at least every 72 hours, except as otherwise marked, with no overnight parking allowed on-street during winter months. The no overnight parking on-street policy also addresses issues with vehicles obstructing snow removal efforts.

Supplementary Services The City of Portland, Ore., developed a thorough policy framework with regards to urban camping and inhabited vehicles as a key component of the city’s overall package of solutions for homelessness, which has emerged as a major problem in the area within the last decade. Through the city’s Homelessness and Urban Camping Impact Reduction Program (HUCIRP), the city has developed programming for the cleanup of illegal campsites on public property and the removal of abandoned and illegally stored vehicles. An essential guiding principle to the development and implementation of the programs is that simply addressing the

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 39

WHERE SHOULD THE RVS GO?

complaints without providing support services to aid those experiencing homelessness and housing challenges will only push the problem to other areas within the city. There are several programs serving the HUCIRP initiative, such as the Clean Start program, the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) Vehicle Inspection Team and Abandoned Auto Team, Operation Nightwatch, the Portland Police ID Project, and the Service Coordination Team, among others.

In an industry often viewed by the public as immovable, outdated, and interested in revenues over customer service, parking professionals throughout the country have moved quickly and identified solutions to support increased take-out and delivery through modified curb management policies and infrastructure, redirecting parking revenues to purchase personal protective equipment for employees of area businesses and other resources needed for them to reopen. Challenges and Outcomes While the benefits of programming to support such reductions in homelessness and inhabited vehicles are widely recognized, the costs associated with administration and resources can be a barrier for many communities. However, based on data provided by the Portland Office of Management and Finance (OMF), there is a real financial return to be realized. Outcomes shared by the OMF concerning the Service Coordination Team (SCT) program and Clean Start program include: ■ 30 percent of individuals who engage in Phase 1 of programming for 30 days or longer go on to successfully graduate the program. ■ There is an 82 percent reduction in post-program arrests for those who graduate the program. ■ 77 percent of all participants had reduced arrests post program. ■ For every $1 spent on the SCT, there is a $13 benefit to the community in reduced costs associated with the crimes previously committed in the targeted areas.

The Pandemic As the effects of COVID-19 spread throughout the U.S., reports of essential workers electing to temporarily house in RVs to avoid exposure to their families 40 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER OCTOBER 2020 2020 // PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

became widespread. In some areas, parking and code enforcement staff were furloughed or reassigned, essentially turning a blind eye to these activities in areas where such actions violated parking regulations. In other areas, city staff and leaders moved quickly to put temporary, flexible orders into place to support vulnerable and frontline individuals. In late March, Fort Collins’s city manager signed an emergency order temporarily allowing residents to use RVs for social distancing and to self-isolate during the outbreak. According to the order, the occupant of the RV must be parked either on private property with the property owner’s written permission or on a private street adjacent to the RV owner’s residence and not obstructing vehicular traffic or obstructing site lines of intersections or traffic control devices. The order did not permit the parking of RVs on public streets. Rather, it prevents homeowner associations from enforcing conflicting regulations on private streets during this time to promote social distancing and self-isolation. Mark Standriff, director of communications for the City of Fresno, was quoted by Your Central Valley news in announcing an emergency order signed into effect on April 2, 2020: “They might want to self-isolate, but they don’t have enough room in their house to be able to do that effectively, so the opportunity to either use an RV they already own or to rent one and to be able to self- isolate but still be near their family was very important, so that’s why we decided to make this emergency order.”7 This order allowed essential workers choosing to self-isolate to prevent exposure to COVID-19 as well as those ordered to self-isolate by a doctor or public health official, to park an RV on the street in front of their residence or in the driveway or other approved surface of their property for the purposes of self-isolation. The emergency order does not exempt others from existing regulations concerning the parking and storage of RVs within the city. Agility, creativity, and compassion have been a recurring theme among many communities and their agency departments and partners throughout the pandemic response. In an industry often viewed by the public as immovable, outdated, and interested in revenues over customer service, parking professionals throughout the country have moved quickly and identified solutions to support increased take-out and delivery through modified curb management policies and infrastructure, redirecting parking revenues to purchase personal protective equipment for employees of area businesses and other resources needed for

them to reopen, as well as recommendation and development of emergency orders such as those identified above. This agile approach will be necessary as we continue to recover, and our transportation and housing needs continue to adapt to our new environment.

Moving Forward As parking professionals and local leaders look to address issues related to inhabited vehicles within their community, they should consider the various users effected and the intended outcomes of the regulations or management strategies being evaluated. They should not only consider the parking system’s efficient use, but also the equitable access of this public resource for the community, including vehicle inhabitants. Leaders can maximize resources available by collaborating with organizations having similar goals and identifying services targeted to the needs of vehicle inhabitants. This is a highly passionate issue for many, affecting far more than just the availability of parking supply or flow of traffic; as such, the process of identifying and evaluating appropriate measures to address inhabited vehicles should include input from community stakeholders at every step. These leaders should also leverage their parking and mobility networks and

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reach out to consultants and subject matter experts for assistance. If this issue applies to you, know that this is an increasing trend throughout the country and your community is not alone in addressing the impacts and driving factors behind inhabited vehicles in the public parking system. ◆ CHRISTINA JONES, CAPP, MBA, is a parking analyst with Walker Consultants. She can be reached at cjones@walkerconsultants. com. REFERENCES 1 Adams County Colorado Development Standards and Regulations, Chapter 4.03.03.02.12 http://www.adcogov.org/sites/default/files/dsr-chapter-04.pdf 2 City of Colorado Springs Municipal Code https://www.sterlingcodifiers. com/codebook/index.php?book_id=855&ft=4&find=2.1 3 Carlsbad Parking Enforcement https://www.carlsbadca.gov/services/depts/ police/community/parking.asp 4 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2010 5 Home values in Teton County, WY, Realtor.com, accessed April 13, 2020 6 Council Oks Parking Lot Camp for Workers, Jackson Hole News & Guide, May 17, 2017 7 Living in an RV Outside: How Essential Workers in Fresno and Clovis Can Stay Close to Their Families https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/ living-in-an-rv-outside-how-essential-workers-in-fresno-and-clovis-canstay-close-to-their-families/

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 41

sed, a b l stal toring , e m i al-ti cy mon rrent e r How ccupan tand cu ents o ers uirem d n ies u ing req t i c help re park n a c futu d n a

42â&#x20AC;&#x201A;PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

SHUTTERSTOCK/ BARDOCZ PETER/ DENYS DROZD

By Mark Hall and Domenic Sorbara PARKING HAS QUICKLY BECOME A MAJOR AREA OF FOCUS (typically as a pain point) for cities and municipalities of all sizes. As urban municipalities grapple with the impacts of parking on budgets, land use, and customer/community experience, smart parking solutions and technology in general can provide parking organizations with the abilities and data to ION N I optimize usage and maximize resources. OP When it comes to unon the road. So, what does the future hold: A return to derstanding their current parking more single-occupancy cars on the road leading to an supply situation, discussions with most cities increased demand for parking, or a decrease in demand reveal a negative overall experience due to a perceived due to more professionals working from home than in lack of parking stall availability. However, the total num- pre-pandemic conditions? ber of stalls is not necessarily the issue. Quite often, the While it is too early to accurately assess the true perception that parking supply is deficient relative to impact of the pandemic on the parking industry, one the expected or desired experience is often based on the thing is certain: Municipalities will need accurate data time it takes a customer to locate a vacant parking space to make informed decisions when it comes to their versus the duration of their expected stay. As such, findcommunity parking needs. ing an available space in a timely manner is really the defining metric for a positive parking experience. Another factor to be considered is how the impact of the pandemic will affect their needs moving forward. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there were varying effects on the parking industry. In some areas across North America, demand reached an all-time low as employers mandated remote working and residents avoided unnecessary travel, opting to stay within their local communities. As an example, sensor data collected from the city of Stratford in Canada showed that from the beginning of March to the beginning of April, parking occupancy rates plummeted from approximately 75 percent to just over 10 percent. Moving forward, those who were required to continue going into their workplaces or are now returning to them may no longer be comfortable carpooling with coworkers, using car-sharing programs, or riding public transit, meaning there may Heat map representing Spatial Dimension of parking space occupancy derived from sensor-based stall occupancy data collection. be more single-occupancy vehicles PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITYâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;43

IN REAL TIME

Quite often, the perception that parking supply is deficient relative to the expected or desired experience is often based on the time it takes a customer to locate a vacant parking space versus the duration of their expected stay On-street and Surface Lot Spaces Currently, there are three main parking scenarios available within most municipalities: on-street parking, surface lot parking, and parking garages. While these options worked 30 years ago when there were fewer vehicles on the road, traffic volume has increased exponentially in large urban areas, creating serious challenges in terms of driver/customer experience. As is commonly reported, drivers can be left circling city blocks for upwards of 10 or 20 minutes before locating a parking spot, adding to an already congested road network. In turn, these issues affect a municipality’s operations and efficiency. Looking specifically at on-street and surface parking lot scenarios, a number of issues can affect the parking experience for both drivers and for municipalities (in terms of operations and revenues): ■ A lack of entry/exit control. ■ Continuous vehicular exposure to the elements. ■ Poor wayfinding/signage. ■ Obstructed sight lines. ■ Lack of enforcement. ■ Lack of data available for drivers to gauge availability of parking. By gaining more access to real-time and historical data about parking usage and challenges, cities will

Surface-mount parking sensor

44 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

be in a better position to enact more progressive and cost-effective parking strategies.

Technologies The architecture of a smart parking program strategy should be designed around three major components: parking demand, supply, and market potential. When it comes to capturing consistent data to align with these components, cities should be striving for these high-level requirements with their data: high accuracy, high reliability, and real-time and historical data collection. As with most cities today, budget and resources are a major focus, so cost efficiency is also a requirement when looking into any smart parking technology or approach. There are a number of methodologies and technologies that offer the ability to provide various levels of data or clarification on stall status, ranging from manual counting to license plate readers, gates/ loops, meters, and payment apps to sensor and video based solutions. These techniques offer varying degrees of benefit and data availability but only a couple really offer the needed 24/7 coverage, high data accuracy, consistent reliability, real-time status and stall-level insight that cities need. The leading technologies would be sensors and cameras with image processing. And when

Inground parking sensor

it comes to surface lot and on-street monitoring applications, a combination of both technologies may provide the best solution to cover all the requirements. For on-street parking, stall occupancy sensors may be the best choice. Sensor-based stall occupancy monitoring offers the key characteristics of high accuracy, high reliability, and both real-time and historical data availability with a lower cost-per-stall point than the other available technologies. Sensors can detect if that stall is in use or not, relaying that information in real-time while also offering historical usage data for each of the spaces. This allows cities to make informed decisions based on individual stall usage, as well as examining overall trends offering a comprehensive parking profile on the number and type of parking spaces needed, as well as potential requirements for the future. For surface lot applications, a combination of stall occupancy sensors and video/camera monitoring is the best choice. Cameras provide a cost- effective way of monitoring the occupancy state for many of the stalls, augmented with individual stall sensors for specialty stalls and camera blind spots. In both cases, the solution should also work alongside existing technologies that are deployed, such as payment systems and license plate recognition (LPR) to comprise a holistic smart parking solution.

Types of Data Circling back to the key components of a smart parking program—parking demand, supply and the market potential—there are a number of data points that need to be accessible no matter what approach or technology a city may select. In some cases, a parking organization may simply look at their total number of spaces and count how many are occupied at various intervals to determine if demand is meeting supply. However, having access to a more extensive set of data will provide much more value. Parking demand includes both physical and experiential aspects such as the physical environment, attraction of parking supply, trip characteristics, parking operations, and customer experience. This is where the combination of real-time and

historical data allows an organization to build out a comprehensive customer profile. Key characteristics are revealed through various metrics and actions, captured with real-time and historical data, and include an understanding of different volumes of traffic throughout the day. Tracking lengths of stay (short or long) and pick up/drop off points can also provide insights, as can understanding walking distances and the effects related to pricing. What this profile development will reveal is the volume of vehicles visiting a particular area, how long they are staying and how much are willing to pay. This information then gets overlayed with data related to the businesses in each area to get a true understanding of why drivers/people are coming to certain areas of the city. When it comes to digging deeper into data from a parking supply perspective, again there are three key supply metrics to understand if parking services are meeting demand: volume, occupancy or accumulation, and customer mix (based on duration of stay). Volume is where real-time data really brings things into focus. There are four areas that comprise volume:

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 45

DURATION OF STAY DATA Duration of Stay Less than 30 min. 2% 31 to 60 min. 17%

61 to 90 min. 24%

91 to 120 min. 13%

121 to 150 min. 14%

151 to 180 min. 6% 181 to 210 min. 2% 211 to 240 min. 6% 241 to 270 min. 4% 271 to 300 min. <1% 301 to 330 min. <1% 331 to 360 min. <1% Over 6 hrs. 9% Duration of stay data acquired from based stall-based occupancy monitoring

Preference Over 1 HR to 2 HR Customer Accessible 1% Off-street —12 hrs. 5%

On-street—3 hrs. 63%

Off-street—3 hrs. 28%

■ Turnover (which is basically total volume and du-

ration of stay compared to the supply of space that many track). ■ Effective turnover (which deals with peak number of spaces occupied). ■ Pattern analysis. ■ Spatial behavior. Real-time monitoring offers the opportunity to measure the optimal performance of parking assets in association with understanding spatial factors of walking distances, price impacts, and demand along with land use that may affect volumes. Occupancy is probably the easiest to understand but intensity, which stall-based monitoring offers, is much better from a strategy perspective. In terms of intensity, cities will want to monitor aspects such as type of spaces being occupied (short term, long term, accessible etc.). Spatial dimension will identify higher level geographic occupancy characteristics. This is where having data can help with defining requirements and helping with decision making on new assets such as parking garages. Stall-based data can also help with temporal variation or understanding how trends and performance have changed over time and what those change drivers may have been. A key aspect of capturing real-time and historical data is the ability to look at and compare different timings at a stall level. Having the ability to look all those data points to understand trends and performances on an hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly basis is something that cities will find incredibly valuable for making evidence-based decisions on infrastructure requirements that could cost tens of millions of dollars. This brings us to the final component in the supply section, market potential, or customer mix: Customer stay monitoring for patterns, demand over time, and turnover. The inclusion of real-time data facilitates understanding of those areas in high use. But to really understand the customer mix, data should also draw out those misfits, or areas of low use, while also helping to bring an understanding as to why those assets are under-performing.

Implementation and Use Scenarios On-street—12 hrs. 3% Duration of stay with focused time interval

46 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

Sensor-based stall monitoring is not a new technology, though there have been several advancements since some of the early deployments. Big cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco have experimented with stall-based occupancy monitoring in the past with

somewhat differing results. Both installed parking sensors to monitor utilization, with the goal of implementing a dynamic pricing system. In Los Angeles, parking owners saw immediate benefits with revenues increasing by approximately 35 percent per month. When decreased labor and enforcement costs were factored in, profits increased more than 50 percent. In San Francisco, a stall-based occupancy monitoring pilot program and associated dynamic pricing model ran from 2011 to 2013, affecting 25 percent of the city’s metered spaces and garages. According to city officials, average meter rates fell by 4 percent, while city-owned garage rates dropped 12 percent; net parking revenue actually increased. The ability to collect the real-time occupancy state of parking stalls reliably, continuously, and with minimal maintenance is foundational to sustaining a parking system that consistently delivers on the key performance indicators. The right type of sensor technology can indeed provide all the necessary data capture requirements for a successful parking solution. Parking assets are a large and important component of a city’s budget and resource focus. As such, each city needs to understand their own requirements and utilization no matter what the scenario. By evaluating its parking strategies using real-time data monitoring and smart parking solutions, municipalities will find ways to generate additional revenue, whether that be

through the realization of operational efficiencies, changes in land uses for underperforming lots or having the data that lets them know they don’t need to spend tens of millions of dollars for infrastructure that isn’t needed. Having access to accurate, consistent data via stall-based occupancy monitoring will provide cities and municipalities the ability to analyze and assess a variety of options to best meet their needs, enabling them to properly evaluate their parking experience which directly impacts their community. Choose the right technology, or combination of technologies, to ensure maximized parking asset usage and compliance revenues, reduced traffic congestion (and air pollution) while keeping budgets and operations manageable and improving public safety. ◆ MARK HALL is head of marketing for eleven-x. He can be reached at mark.hall@eleven-x.com.

DOMENIC SORBARA is a parking consultant for Parking and Systems Consulting. He can be reached at dsorb@hotmail.com.

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PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 47

Traveling New Roads As COVID-19 rages on, the parking industry embraces new technology and takes on new roles to protect its community and boost business.

By Ken Lovegreen

48â&#x20AC;&#x201A;

DEVON MIX, president and co-owner

of Nevada Premier Valet & Detail, was parking cars at record numbers in March, but business came to a screeching halt the last week of the month. Like most operators across the US, this one saw its valet business evaporate almost overnight. An accountant suggested that Mix lay off 90 percent of his workforce in April, but he disagreed. Instead, Mix and business partner Mike Foster did exactly the opposite: They added car detailing to expand services, advertising it first to existing clients. Now, detailing brings in almost as much revenue as valet parking.

ISTOCK / MICROSTOCKHUB

“It’s absolutely necessary to give customers a contactless payment platform to pay for parking and implement cleaning protocols like disinfecting cars,” says Mix. “But to really survive this pandemic’s disruption and recoup that lost summer revenue, you have to diversify your business—even if it means spending more money.” Mix doubled down on that radical move by investing in parking improvements on some of his small surface lots while the pandemic raged on. These lots used to offer free parking, but Mix repaved them, did some landscaping, bought new trash cans, and monetized them. He didn’t want to invest in expensive parking payment equipment on 20-space lots or make parkers download an app to pay for parking. After some research, he opted for a contactless platform that only required installing a couple of signs instructing parkers how to pay.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 49

“We tagged every space with the name of the platform, and people used their smartphones to pay online. Customers were annoyed having to pay for parking at all, but they quickly got used to it and found the process really simple,” he says. “I wouldn’t call myself on the cutting edge of technology, though. I think you have to use parking payment technology to be competitive, especially now.”

Baldasano, regional director at Corinthian Parking and Transportation. “We continue to assist our healthcare clients with protocols developed to reduce exposure, not just for COVID-19 but also in preparation for the upcoming flu season.” For hospitals that created outdoor mobile tents to manage incoming patients for COVID-19 or flu testing, Corinthian manages the queue of visitors, directing traffic to the right parking lots after screening each Ambassadors, Not Car Parkers patient to ensure sick people get where they need to go Corinthian Parking and Transportation was a vaquickly and with as little interaction with other hospilet parking operator for healthcare facilities before tal staff and patients as possible. COVID-19; now they’re hospital ambassadors, too. At Outdoor screening is expected to greatly reduce some hospitals, such as Palo Alto Medical Foundation interaction with staff inside, and some hospitals also locations and Bay Area El use valets as entry screeners. Camino Hospital, valets In the lobby at some facilDiversifying business, conducting screen patients through ities, Corinthian screens necessary repairs or updates, closed car windows. The vaincoming visitors at the let attendants ask qualifying information desk. These arexpanding services, and moving questions using a printed to contactless payments platforms eas are typically manned by flip chart and drivers give a elderly volunteers in a higher will boost business revenue even thumbs up or down as anrisk category for COVID-19, swers, allowing attendants during shutdowns of non-essential so the valet team stepped to direct them to the proper in and assisted by taking businesses as we flatten the parking section without risktemperatures, completing COVID-19 curve together. ing exposing hospital staff or the qualifying process, and other visitors to new coronagiving a sticker to every visivirus infections. tor, patient, or staff member so that security knew they “Early in the pandemic, our valet attendants were were cleared in the lobby. As part of new cleaning best couriers for lab tests and other needs at hospitals practices at healthcare facilities, valet attendants wipe when regular services were overwhelmed,” says Kyle down wheelchairs before and after use, often managing

50 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

wheelchair corrals for some locations in addition to valet parking. The team also participates in outreach donation programs at Kaiser in Santa Clara, Calif., handing out lunches to families. “If a hospital has a screening or outreach program, developed new cleaning protocols, or needs traffic control, we want to help,” says Baldasano. “We’re partnering with our customers in other ways now that are an extension of a hospital’s patient satisfaction team. We share a common goal of reducing disease exposure overall, but we also want to make sure they also have trained people on hand to support their community service outreach programs that are so vital during difficult times.”

Mobile Service Just like the parking and healthcare industries, the pandemic moved like a tsunami through hospitality. Online ordering and service platforms offering touchless, cashless payment were once an added convenience at restaurants, hotels, country clubs, golf courses, and stadiums looking to boost customer experiences. Now they’re a customer-driven requirement to increase revenue from food and beverage (F&B) sales. Golf courses were some of the first businesses to reopen in June. While the daily fee helps keep lights on, much of any club’s revenue comes from leagues, outings, and members using club amenities. F&B is one of the most popular member amenities of a club, and it has slim profit margins. Some country clubs in Pennsylvania and Maryland moved to cashless, touchless technology so golfers wouldn’t have to go into a building or talk to a staff member to order F&B or merchandise; they order and pay for items at hole four using their cell phones, and staff delivers those orders at the turn. Repeat business is the lifeblood for retailers whose businesses are built on personal interaction with customers in stores, so they’re one of the last business types to fully embrace using contactless technology. Before the pandemic, many retailers depended on legacy point-of-sale systems and felt moving to contactless processes would negatively affect customer experiences. But after it—just like in parking—there’s overwhelming evidence that customers want in-store contactless experiences or they’ll take their business online.

Valets Start Shopping

can add hands-free shopping to their offering. Participating retailers allow shoppers to buy items at each store, then text the valet to pick up and store the bags while they shop. When they’re ready to leave, they just text a request that the car be brought to whatever stand nearby. Offering that service increases peace of mind, as payment transactions and all communication are contactless. Shoppers don’t have to lug around heavy purchases, encouraging them to shop longer. And they have two-way communication, so shoppers can request cars be brought to another valet stand instead of walking back through the mall, decreasing how much contact they have with other people. Avoiding exposure to COVID-19 is a reason a lot of people stay home, so offering contactless experiences along with increased protective measures gives customers added peace of mind during the pandemic. Going touchless and instilling social distancing best practices right now is smart. But diversifying business, conducting necessary repairs or updates, expanding services, and moving to contactless payments platforms will boost business revenue even during shutdowns of non-essential businesses as we flatten the COVID-19 curve together. ◆ KEN LOVEGREEN, CEO and idea guy at TEZ. He can be reached at salesinfo@tezhq. com.

Depending on the contactless platform they choose to manage parking payments, valet businesses at malls PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 51

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short

Highlights from the IPMI Blog

Send Me Your Emails! By Matt Penney, CAPP “It is Dr. Freemont. I would appreciate you using my proper title each and every time you address me.” Great. I had contacted “Dr. Freemont” about his daughter’s use of his faculty parking permit. In the original email, I addressed him by his first name. He was using that slight breach of etiquette to attempt to redirect the conversation. Maybe he was truly offended. Maybe he didn’t want me to realize that his other daughter was also using his wife’s faculty permit. The lesson to take away from this specific exchange was to never presumptively start a written conversation with an individual’s first name. It was too easy to begin with a more formal title. Actually, the formal beginning really connected with professors, police officers, and those in the military. From the hundreds of emails Baylor Parking Services receives each semester, several very practical guidelines have come together to improve communication. Eventually, in partnership with IPMI, I enjoyed the opportunity to present what we learned about the best ways to effectively email at several

regional parking conferences and operations across the U.S. With travel and face-to-face trainings on hold, IPMI wanted to get creative in how they provided support to their members. Frontline Fundamentals and other online training options were some of the first steps to adapt to this new normal. With emails, IPMI saw the opportunity to provide direct modeling for parking agencies. What better way to demonstrate a concept than by working through an agency’s real-world customer interactions? It’s a little different but what in 2020 isn’t different? For the next four months, IPMI members can send me actual emails for review, and I’ll return with a suggested roadmap for response. Simply send your emails to askMatt@Parking-Mobility.org More information on the program and how the framework was developed can be found in the October issue of Parking and Mobility. It’s an atypical training format in a year that has been anything but typical. It should be fun—you never know what people might say.

MATT PENNEY, CAPP, is director of parking and transportation services at Baylor University and an IPMI trainer.

Ready for more? Read IPMI’s blog every business day in your daily Forum digest email (10 a.m. Eastern) or at parking-mobility.org/blog. Have something to say? Send post submissions to editor Kim Fernandez at fernandez@parking-mobility.org.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 53

Checking Our Blind Spots By Christina Jones, CAPP How do you check your blind spots? Maybe you have systems in place that alert you when you are drifting—or maybe you are old school like me and ask your passenger if there is something there you can’t see. Ask people for feedback, they sometimes tell you what you want to hear. Ask them about blind spots and they’re more likely to tell you what you need to hear. – Adam Grant This quote struck me the other day. Our formal systems and review processes often show us areas of weakness of which we are already aware. Giving and receiving critical feedback can be uncomfortable and focusing on areas the receiving individual is already mindful of seems to soften the blow. And yes, feedback on those areas is good for continued development and growth, but are we seeking out feedback in a way that encourages our influencers to identify areas to which we may be oblivious? Are

we asking frequently enough to avoid surprises and modify our behavior to stay on path to our goals? Are we asking the right people? Your supervisor is not the only person qualified to provide feedback. Your peers, support staff, friends—even your clients—can provide unique viewpoints and insights when the request for feedback is posed with sincerity and openness. So, before you get pinned into an uncomfortable position or stuck in a jam feeling like you have nowhere to grow, pick up the phone. “I really value and respect your opinion, and I am really trying to focus on personal and professional growth. Are there any blind spots you think I may not be seeing where I could improve?”

CHRISTINA JONES, CAPP, is a parking analyst with Walker Consultants.

Saying Yes–More Than You Usually Would By Gary Means, CAPP OK, I know in the parking and transportation business we often have to say “no”. No parking at a fire hydrant! No motorcycles in the gated garage! No walking around in the bus when its in motion! No dance parties on the garage roof! Many of our rules are for our customers’ safety, but we have to admit there are some rules that are still in place because we’ve always done it that way or it’s too much administrative work to do it differently. Some questionable rules might be “no reserved parking,” or “no sharing of permits.” We have an ordinance in Lexington, Ky., that says we can write a citation on a vehicle parked with its keys left in the ignition. Honestly, we ignore that one. My point is that maybe there are some rules or policies that don’t make sense today or are one-sided, and by that I mean rules that are good for our organization but maybe not so good for the customer. About a year ago, the Lexington Parking Authority was

asked if a Lamborghini car club could park their vehicles in one of our garages for a few days. Lot’s of reasons for a “No!” popped into my head, the least of which was: Do I really want to have more than $7 million worth of Lamborghinis parking in our garage? What if some concrete falls? What if one of them gets keyed? After conversing with my team, we decided to allow this group to park with us–they definitely had the money to pay for the additional reserved rate and hire their own security. We went on to coordinate a wash station for them in the back of the garage and helped find safe places for those arriving by transport to unload safely, and it was a pretty cool experience. Most importantly one of our downtown hotels gained a piece of business that brought in over $20,000 in three days. The group had a great time in Lexington and I’m sure some of them or their friends will return to our friendly town someday and spend more money. During this time of uncertainty and change, hopefully this little story might get you thinking about ways your organization might change to create opportunities in your community. BONUS: If you are really into sports cars or just like bright colors, click here to see some of the pics we took while they stayed with us. GARY MEANS, CAPP, is executive director of the Lexington &

Fayette County, Ky., Parking Authority and chair-elect of IPMI’s Board of Directors.

54 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

/ Utah Valley University Chooses Passport STUDENTS AND FACULTY at Utah Valley University can now pay to park using the Passport Parking mobile app. The digital application, which is replacing the existing parking app at the university, is an alternative to paying at a meter or paystation and makes it safe and easy to pay to park directly from a smartphone. To initiate their first parking session, drivers download the free app and create an account with their email address and preferred method of payment. Depending on the lot, users will either enter their license plate number or space number and be able to manage and pay for their parking all from one place. Passport Parking is powered by the Passport Operating System that enables over 1,200 cities and universities to manage vehicle interactions on streets and sidewalks through one comprehensive back end. In addition to supporting Utah Valley University, Passport partners with Salt Lake City to provide a convenient payment option for parking through the city’s private label, ParkSLC.

“Utah Valley University was in search of a mobile pay solution with a more robust and comprehensive back office system,” says Mollie Bolin, Passport sales executive. “Passport is excited to bring this new parking solution to the campus to improve the experience for the parking operators and for the students.” ◆

CAPP Offers Remote and InPerson Testing for Ease of Access

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IPMI IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE that CAPP Candidates can test for their CAPP Exam safely from their own home. As we all respond to COVID-19, IPMI is offering a new and additional way to move forward with testing safely, reliably and securely with the Pro Proctor remote assessment platform. Prometric’s Pro Proctor would allow candidates to test from the safety of their homes under the supervision of a Prometric Testing Proctor. Candidates must comply with the Pro Proctor requirements. With Prometric’s ProProctor online proctoring, we have two goals. One is to bring you a reliable, and valid way to test that is also convenient. The other is to make your testing experience as stress free as possible. ProProctor follows the same standard security procedures as implemented in the global testing network. There is 100 percent live monitoring, a 360-degree environmental readiness check, live proctors, device checks, and a review of functionality. For more information, contact us at professionaldevelopment@parking-mobility.org. ◆

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/ T2 Systems Launches T2 MobilePay, Powered by TEXT2PARK® T2 Systems has partnered with mobile payment provider TEZ, developers of TEXT2PARK®, to launch T2 MobilePay, a mobile parking payment solution that provides users a simple and convenient way to pay for parking on their smartphones while empowering operators to own their data and generate revenue. With no apps to download, MobilePay is the simplest and easiest-to-use solution for mobile parking payments. Users simply text an SMS short code or scan a QR code to access an online payment portal through a web browser. Then, their license plates and payment information are automatically saved for future visits without having to create an account. For parking operators, MobilePay integrates T2’s robust Iris™ parking management software and industry-leading T2 Luke® Pay Stations with TEXT2PARK’s turnkey mobile payment functionality to record all transaction data in a single system, providing consistent enforcement and reporting. Additionally, T2 and TEXT2PARK® give operators complete control and ownership of their parking activity and customer data. “In today’s market, generating revenue, offering end users touchless solutions, and owning customer data are of utmost importance to parking operations,” says Michael Hamilton,

VP, product managementt for T2 Systems. “T2 is thrilled to partner with TEZ to check all three of these boxes for our customers with T2 MobilePay, further enhancing the value of the Iris platform.” While operators using MobilePay still have the ability to leverage existing third-party parking app services, the solution provides another sales channel to generate revenue and maintain control of customer data. For example, MobilePay can be used to send real-time, geotargeted online messages to users. Operators are also able to add their own branding to their MobilePay portal and digital receipts for a customized experience. “The contactless revolution continues. With app-free, SMSbased TEXT2PARK® and T2’s industry-leading Iris™ software, T2 and TEZ have delivered two best-in-class solutions that forge a new standard for mobile payments in parking and mobility. Imagine a pay station in your customer’s hand,” says Steve Resnick, chief revenue officer at TEZ. “We did, and we believe we have created an unsurpassed value-proposition for operators, clients, and customers alike. We are very excited to partner with T2 in delivering the industry’s most technology-forward, customer-friendly, and transparent mobile solution available.” ◆

Peak Parking Adds Parker Technology to Two New Facilities PARKER TECHNOLOGY is successfully providing 24/7 customer support for eight Peak Parking garages across Dallas and Austin, Texas; Seattle, Wash.; and Pacific Palisades, Calif. Peak Parking has been a Parker Technology customer since November 2016 and most recently implemented Parker’s customer service solution in two Dallas garages that serve a revamped uptown district with retail and office spaces. Avarie Anderson, corporate operations manager at Peak Parking says, “Parker Technology has been become

an absolute necessity in all garages Peak Parking manages. Peak sees Parker as an extension of the team as they are reliable 100 percent of the time, proactive when it comes to potential issues and professional in their approach no matter the situation. They go above and beyond every day to make sure Peak’s customers have the best experience while still making all efforts to collect the necessary funds. Peak is grateful for the partnership and will continue using Parker at every location possible!” In today’s increasingly automated

56 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

parking industry, customer support platforms often provide the sole connection between parkers and trained professionals who can help solve common problems related to paying for parking or entering and exiting garages. Each year, parkers across the U.S. reach out to customer service professionals via call buttons at least 85 million times. This statistic is from the Parker Technology platform, which records and analyzes data about each call to determine which issues are most common and can help parking operators better manage their facilities. ◆

FlashParking Acquires Mountain Parking Equipment FlashParking completed the acquisition of Mountain Parking Equipment (MPE), a Denver, Colo.-based company that has served hundreds of customers the last 25 years. The deal expands FlashParking’s customer base in the Southwest and Mountain regions. It will provide future MPE customers access to reliable, future-ready technology that diversifies revenue, and helps transform legacy operations to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving mobility landscape. “For over 25 years, we have been committed to providing the best parking management service to our customers,” says Scott Souder, president and founder, MPE. Zach Souder, MPE’s senior vice president says, “When I met with the FlashParking R&D team, I was blown away and knew immediately this is what our customers deserved. With FlashPark-

ing, MPE’s customers will be supported with the same high level of integrity and accountability they are accustomed to.” “Scott has built a great business and dedicated his career to providing the highest level of support for his customers, and we believe Zach will continue that tradition as a part of our leadership team. Zach brings over a decade of technical and hardware experience related to parking industry products, most recently overseeing the sales and service departments for MPE,” says Dan Sharplin, CEO at FlashParking. “MPE is another great strategic acquisition for FlashParking, that fuels our growth as we revolutionize

AMG Payment Solutions Receives National Merchant Processing Services Contract through NCPA AMG Payment Solutions (AMG) recently signed a three-year contract with the National Cooperative Purchasing Alliance (NCPA). AMG will provide merchant processing services to NCPA members throughout the United States. As the U.S. recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, cities across the country are looking for ways to reduce operating expenses. AMG can provide immediate financial relief to cities with paid on- / off-street parking programs. AMG’s value proposition is unique and unlike anything else in the merchant processing industry and the parking industry. AMG is proud to provide client references from over 150 U.S. cities. ◆

parking and mobility technology across our industry, the country, and international markets.” Current MPE customers will have the opportunity to access FlashParking’s suite of 21st-century technology, hardware, and service, as well as be the technology of choice for future MPE asset owners in the Southwest and Mountain regions. FlashParking is retaining most of the MPE staff to ensure that customers with legacy equipment will receive the same high caliber service they have experienced since their partnership with MPE began. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. ◆

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/ Amano McGann, Inc. ��7

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THE

PODCAST A podcast about parking, mobility, and the people who make it all go. Hosted by Isaiah Mouw with new episodes every other Tuesday at 10 a.m. Eastern. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, SoundCloud or any other major podcast provider. parkingcast.com

Strategic Partner

60 PARKING & MOBILITY / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

CALENDAR

2020

2021

SAVE THE DATE

NOVEMBER 3, 5, 10 & 12 APO Site Reviewer online course begins Training—Become an IPMI-approved Site Reviewer. NOVEMBER 18 IPMI Webinar A Portrait of El Paso Parking Using GIS NOVEMBER 20 Call for Presentations Closes for the 2021 IPMI Mobility & Innovation Summit

FEBRUARY 24–25 IPMI’s Mobility & Innovation Summit

DECEMBER 1 Call for IPMI Awards Deadline

See p. 23 for our 2021 Webinar Schedule, including details on discounted rates.

DECEMBER 9 PARCS Replacement and Implementing the Latest Technologies: A Case Study of the American Dream Project in New Jersey DECEMBER 16 Free Online Shoptalk Lessons Learned & Looking Ahead— Our Industry Response to COVID-19

Free Frontline Fundamentals for IPMI Members. Pre-registration required for these sessions taught by subject matter experts: NOVEMBER 3

Happiness at Work, It’s a Decision. Presented by Marlene Cramer, CAPP.

NOVEMBER 17

Diversity, Equity, Race & Inclusion. Presented by Kim Jackson, CAPP.

NOVEMBER 10

That’s Not What I Meant: Addressing Email and Text Misunderstandings. Presented by Matt Penney, CAPP.

DECEMBER 1 Concepts

of Mobility. Presented by Brian Shaw, CAPP

DECEMBER 8 Bouncing

Back from Adversity. Presented by Casey Jones, CAPP

Stay up to date on industry events and activities! Visit parking-mobility.org/calendar for the latest updates and additions.

PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG / NOVEMBER 2020 / PARKING & MOBILITY 61

W W W . PARKING-MOBILITY. OR G

Parking & Mobility November 2020

Articles inside

ASK THE EXPERTS

THE GREEN STANDARD

CALENDAR

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

THE BUSINESS OF PARKING

ENTRANCE

FIVE THINGS

ON THE FRONTLINE