/ PARKING & MOBILITY SPOTLIGHT/TECHNOLOGY
Tips to Prepare for a Touchless Parking Future
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By Rajiv Jain
E HAVE BEEN MOVING TOWARD A TOUCHLESS FUTURE for a while. Parking, transportation, and
mobility professionals have been on the cutting edge of developing new technologies that will create a more efficient and seamless experience for their customers, while helping parking owners and managers streamline their operations.
Upgrading Technology Of course, this goes without saying because a touchless parking future wouldn’t be possible if not for the significant technology advancements and product developments of recent years. These solutions are designed to offer consumers a completely touchless parking experience. From the time they arrive to park their vehicle, to finding a space, to payment and departure, patrons can accomplish all of the tasks necessary through their mobile devices. We will continue to see an increase in parking facilities offering these technologies, as well as customers adapting to them.
Mobile parking apps have been around for many years, and many parkers take advantage of the convenience to locate, drive to, and pay for parking through their phones. Now it’s the parking facility’s turn to be upgraded with contactless parking technologies. There are many options out there already. Some solutions prompt parkers to simply scan a QR code or use their branded app, allowing them to enter the facility, and providing the operator with an individual customer record. This record is then used throughout the customer journey, tracking how long they have been there, and providing the customer with the ability to pay for parking upon departure (or manage their permit parking account). Both of these solutions allow operators to continue to utilize their existing parking equipment to man-
age access control. Other facilities have moved toward a gateless parking experience, eliminating parking equipment at entrances and exits altogether. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. It is important to take an in-depth look at the facilities across your campus, community, or portfolio to identify the solution that works best for your operation.
Staff Education With any new advancement in technology, there will be a learning curve for both the organization implementing it and the community it is serving. As we continue to move into this new age of touchless technology, it will be important to effectively communicate these changes to parking staff and provide them with the education and training to support it. From valet parking attendants to
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The increasing adoption and acceptance of new technologies has been led by recent, more tech-savvy generations. The COVID-19 pandemic further helped accelerate this process for people of all ages, encouraging them to become more comfortable performing their daily tasks through their mobile devices and limiting their physical contact with other people and their exposure to surfaces. In the coming years, touchless parking solutions will continue to grow in popularity and integration. From mobile payment solutions to contactless and even gateless parking facilities, the parking landscape will look a lot different than it has in the past. It’s important to prepare not only your operation for these changes as we move into the future, but also your staff and your customers. Here are just a few quick tips to help transition into a touchless future.
