60 minute read
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
Manager of Parking & Mobility Services City of Aurora, Colo.
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.
James C. Anderson
Market Development Manager Master Builders Solutions, US, LLC
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.
Brett Wood, CAPP, PE
President Wood Solutions Group
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.
Kim E. Jackson, CAPP
Director, Transportation & Parking Services Princeton University
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
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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
Staff Analyst ParkHouston
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.
John W. Hammerschlag
President Hammerschlag & Co., Inc.
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.
2021 WEBINAR SCHEDULE GET THIS DEAL NOW! Members-only: Purchase 2021 webinars shown below for $299 before December 31, 2020. That’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
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.
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 development and improving access to city Companies such as Quicken Loans, headquarted in the One Campus Martius 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 down- scooters, including a pilot project encouraging private scooter town system is rethinking the People-Mover’s role. The venera- providers 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 Takes the Lead
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
local business development
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
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 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
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
The 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
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.”
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 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.
Navigating Normal theNew
By Michael Drow, CAPP
What the COVID-19 pandemic might mean to the permanent future of parking, mobility, and how we help people get from place to place.
THE 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.
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
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.
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 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,
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
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
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 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 $1 $5 $10
10 AM—6 PM 0-1 hour 1-3 hours 3-8 hours $5 $15 $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.
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
WHETHER 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.
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.
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
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.
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
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 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 selfisolate 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
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/
How real-time, stall-based, occupancy monitoring can help cities understand current and future parking requirements
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 OPINION in general can provide parking organizations with the abilities and data to optimize usage and maximize resources.
When it comes to un- on 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, find- community 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 be more single-occupancy vehicles derived from sensor-based stall occupancy data collection.
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 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
Surface-mount parking sensor
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 costeffective 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:
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%
On-street—12 hrs.
3% Duration of stay with focused time interval
■ Turnover (which is basically total volume and duration 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
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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D EVON 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.
“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.
“We tagged every space with the name of the plat- Baldasano, regional director at Corinthian Parking and form, and people used their smartphones to pay online. Transportation. “We continue to assist our healthcare Customers were annoyed having to pay for parking at clients with protocols developed to reduce exposure, all, but they quickly got used to it and found the process not just for COVID-19 but also in preparation for the really simple,” he says. “I wouldn’t call myself on the upcoming flu season.” cutting edge of technology, though. I think you have to For hospitals that created outdoor mobile tents to use parking payment technology to be competitive, es- manage incoming patients for COVID-19 or flu testing, pecially now.” 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 va- quickly 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 screen patients through Diversifying business, conducting In the lobby at some facilities, Corinthian screens closed car windows. The va- necessary repairs or updates, incoming visitors at the let attendants ask qualifying expanding services, and moving information desk. These arquestions using a printed flip chart and drivers give a thumbs up or down as anto contactless payments platforms will boost business revenue even eas are typically manned by elderly volunteers in a higher risk category for COVID-19, swers, allowing attendants during shutdowns of non-essential so the valet team stepped to direct them to the proper businesses as we flatten the in and assisted by taking parking section without risking exposing hospital staff or COVID-19 curve together. temperatures, completing the qualifying process, and other visitors to new corona- giving 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
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
Depending on the contactless platform they choose to manage parking payments, valet businesses at malls 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.
