The Parking Professional March 2019 by International Parking & Mobility Institute

INTERNATIONAL PARKING & MOBILITY INSTITUTE | MARCH 2019

36 All Aboard

Reviving a transportation system with innovation and a public-private partnership

MAKING THE NUMBERS WORK

Strategizing for university parking and transportation success. 20

LET GO OF THE WHEEL

Getting drivers out of their cars with inbound marketing. 24

NEW TECH, LESSONS LEARNED Three years after implmenting LPR on campus, what’s changed? 30

KEEPING THE PULSE UP

The roles played by university parking and transportation professionals. 42

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MARCH 2019

VOL. 35 | NO. 3 THE INTERNATIONAL PARKING & MOBILITY INSTITUTE

Features

Making the Numbers Work

Strategizing for parking and transportation financial success in a university environment. By Kenneth M. Kimball, MBA, CPA

Let Go of the Wheel!

Convincing drivers to consider alternate transportation modes is tricky business. Inbound marketing may be the key to success. By Brent Atkinson

New Tech, Lessons Learned

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse implemented license plate recognition three years ago. Here’s what’s happened since. By Victor A. Hill, CAPP, MPA

All Aboard

How the University of Texas at Arlington revived a transportation system with innovative systems and a publicprivate partnership. By Greg Hladik, PhD

Keeping the Pulse Up

Parking and transportation professionals play multiple roles on growing campuses—even when it’s not expected. By Josh Cantor

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Departments 4 ENTRANCE

Embracing Change

By Jennifer Tougas, CAPP, PhD

6 FIVE THINGS

Trends We’re Watching

8 MOBILITY & TECH

Five Reasons to Consider an Open-platform Parking Solution By John Fagan

1 0 THE GREEN STANDARD

Is Parking Powering the New Mobility Revolution? By Tim Maloney

1 2 THE BUSINESS OF PARKING Using Influence to Create Organizational Success By Julius E. Rhodes, SPHR

1 4 ON THE FRONTLINE It’s Worked So Far By Cindy Campbell

1 6 PARKING SPOTLIGHT

A Devoted Journey: Sherry Carter By Ziad Tayyem, CAPP

1 9 ASK THE EXPERTS 4 5 IN SHORT 48 IPMI IN ACTION

More Than Vendors and Booths By Rita Pagan

50 STATE AND REGIONAL

SPOTLIGHT Off to a Great Start in the Mid-Atlantic By Howard Benson

52 AROUND THE INDUSTRY 6 0 PARKING CONSULTANTS

Where’s My Permit?

Y CAMPUS PARKING PERMIT WAS STOLEN on about the sixth day I had it. It was a bright yellow, plastic hangtag that let me park in an upperclassmen lot near my dorm; I was just a sophomore but had received dispensation from the parking office because I had to run the college newspaper boards to our printer, an hour away, every Tuesday night. Regularly coming back from the remote lot at 3 or 4 in the morning in Baltimore City presented a safety issue. (Aside: That permit significantly bumped up my popularity points, particularly when somebody near me craved a little Taco Bell too much to wait for the remote-lot shuttle to come. Funny how that works.)

I must have left my window down a little bit after the first of those drives and saw immediately the next morning that my hangtag had vanished. The parking director, who was not a big fan of students anyway, gave me a bit of a chewing out over it. I remember a lot about “we trusted you with this” and the word “irresponsible” being tossed around, and then a heavy sigh, a new hangtag, and a “take care of this one” to wrap things up. It was the only parking permit I ever lost. And I am still a bit scarred from the experience. Maryland issued me a disabled-parking hangtag a few years ago for the times I drive my elderly mother, and you would think I have the Hope Diamond in my console by the way I protect it. Car going in for service? Hang on—let me get the hangtag out before we go. Car wash guys vacuuming out the interior? I need to put the hangtag in my purse. Don’t lose it, don’t lose it, don’t lose it. You all probably appreciate my neuroticism over a hunk of blue plastic. I think the mechanic calls me crazy behind my back. And that campus parking director likely has no idea that his grumpy chewing out of a 19-year-old led to lifelong issues with parking permits. The students who go to my alma mater today will never have the same experience, having much more sophisticated permit systems (that are less likely to walk) than looping a tag over their rearview mirror. I started waxing nostalgic about all of this after reading the features in this issue, which are all about college and university parking. Times have changed, and some of the advances are pretty darn exciting. Pros in every sector of parking will get great takeaways from what’s happening on campus, and I hope you enjoy this issue. As always, my email is below—please get in touch with questions or ideas. I’m going to step outside and just make sure my hangtag is safe and sound in my car console. Just in case. Until next month…

6 2 ADVERTISERS INDEX 6 3 CALENDAR

fernandez@parking-mobility.org

THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 3

ENTRANCE

For advertising information, contact Bonnie Watts at watts@parking-mobility.org or 571.699.3011. For subscription changes, contact Tina Altman, taltman@ parking-mobility.org. The Parking Professional (ISSN 0896-2324 & USPS 001436) is published monthly by the International Parking & Mobility Institute. 1330 Braddock Place, Suite 350 Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone: 571.699.3011 Fax: 703.566.2267 Email: info@parking-mobility.org Website: parking-mobility.org Postmaster note: Send address label changes promptly to: The Parking Professional 1330 Braddock Place, Suite 350 Alexandria, VA 22314 Interactive electronic version of The Parking Professional for members and subscribers only at parking-mobility. org/tpp. Periodical postage paid at Alexandria, Va., and additional mailing offices. Copyright © International Parking & Mobility Institute, 2019. Statements of fact and opinion expressed in articles contained if The Parking Professional 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 The Parking Professional; 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. The Parking Professional is printed on 10 percent recycled paper and on paper from trees grown specifically for that purpose.

Embracing Change By Jennifer I. Tougas, CAPP, PhD

HANGE. Sometimes it feels like it should be a four-letter word. Anyone working at a college or university has experienced firsthand that change is the only constant in life. Parking lots become building sites. Roads close for pedestrian improvements. New construction or renovation projects displace permit holders. And because we are often the messengers, frustrations are directed at our departments.

Outside of construction, you may experience changes in administration. Suddenly, your well-developed plans are questioned and you’re waiting for approval to move forward. But the decision-making position is vacant due to changes in personnel, so you’re waiting in limbo-land. Sometimes changes come to your budget. Universities across the country are adopting new budget models to increase transparency in the budgeting process and align resources with university priorities. Or enrollment declines force budget cuts and suddenly you’re asked to do more with less or even worse, less with less. Changes in technology, credit card standards, and new services such as the emergence of ride-share services or autonomous vehicles all affect our profession. Generational changes affect customer expectations and how our customers interact with us. What’s a person to do? The best strategy is to keep one eye on the future and anticipate the changes as much as possible. In an ideal world, you can stay one step ahead of the changes. Are you at the table when campus changes are being discussed? If not, figure out a way to get there. Are you aware of the university’s true budget situation? If not, get that information. Are you aligned with

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your organization’s strategic plan? If not, take a close look at your operation to see where you need to make adjustments. If necessity is the mother of invention, sometimes change can lead to new opportunities. Can available technology help you operate more efficiently? Can you offer new services at a lower operational cost? With new leadership, are there opportunities to explore new ideas? Can you lay groundwork today that allows you to be nimble in the future? As parking and mobility professionals, we face these challenges every day, especially in higher education. Staying active in professional organizations such as IPMI or state and regional associations helps us stay current with changes in our profession and develop networks with our peers to help us adapt to the changes the future holds. JENNIFER I. TOUGAS, CAPP,

wku.edu.

PhD, is director, parking and transportation services, at Western Kentucky University and a member of IPMI’s Board of Directors. She can be reached at jennifer.tougas@

SHUTTERSTOCK / OAKOZHAN

Publisher Shawn Conrad, CAE conrad@parking-mobility.org Editor Kim Fernandez fernandez@parking-mobility.org Technical Editor Rachel Yoka, CAPP, LEED AP BD+C yoka@parking-mobility.org Assistant Editor Monica Arpino arpino@parking-mobility.org Contributing Editor Bill Smith, APR bsmith@smith-phillips.com Advertising Sales Bonnie Watts, CEM watts@parking-mobility.org Subscriptions Tina Altman taltman@parking-mobility.org. Publication Design BonoTom Studio info@bonotom.com Proofreader Melanie Padgett Powers

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TRENDS WE’RE WATCHING

Transportation changes every year and sometimes much more frequently than that. The way we get around has perhaps never received more attention than right now, and there’s a flurry of new technologies, methods, and innovations on the way to further expand our options. Here are five trends we’re watching right now.

Electric scooters. This one’s pretty obvious, but it remains to be seen if scooter mania is a long-term micro-mobility solution or a hot trend that’ll soon reach its peak. City dwellers love to use them and hate dodging them on sidewalks, and their convenience and fun factors are tempered a bit by what some say is a dangerous design. Here to stay?

3 4

Electric trucks. Electric vehicles are a common sight on roads around the world, SHUTTERSTOCK / CHESKY and there are big plans to expand their charging infrastructure to accommodate even more. But now the trucking industry is considering getting in on the act, as electric big-rigs become realistic. Read more at bit.ly/EVrigs.

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A rethink of parking. Headlines about cities abolishing parking minimum requirements were everywhere in 2018, and some say smart cities will go even further soon, encouraging people to live without individually owned cars and transforming some parking spaces into spots for bikes or scooters. Experts say that means parking professionals need to prepare to change the way they, too, think about that space. Read one analysis at bit.ly/parkingtrend. Accessible mobility. Ensuring transportation is available to everyone is a bigger priority than ever, with university conferences on the issue, loads of news stories, and lots of brainstorming—plus technology that makes it more possible than ever. This includes transportation for people with disabilities along with ensuring mobility options are equitable across income levels. Read more about this at bit.ly/ equitytransportation (and check out accessibleparking coalition.org).

SHUTTERSTOCK / ARTSKVORTSOVA

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SHUTTERSTOCK / SIRTRAVELALOT

Going underground. Elon Musk’s Boring Company may have started this one, but taking transportation—especially high-speed trains— underground to get people from place to place quickly and efficiently is on the minds of city leaders around the world. San Francisco recently jumped in, proposing a high-speed underground train from its downtown to its airport. Read more on this one at bit.ly/sanfrantrain.

SHUTTERSTOCK / ILYA KOVSHIK

Strategic Planning and Management Maintenance and Restoration Design and Construction Technologies www.kimley-horn.com/parking

THE BUSINESS OF PARKING | HUMAN RESOURCES

Using Influence to Create Organizational Success By Julius E. Rhodes, SPHR

F WE HAVE A FORMAL ROLE IN OUR ORGANIZATION that requires us to direct the activities of others, we can compel people to act in accordance with our stated objectives. However, this type of compulsory action doesn’t provide us with the optimal opportunity to engage people in a manner that motivates them to move beyond what is required of them.

To gain the discretionary effort needed from all our stakeholders to move us from where we are today to where we need to be tomorrow in a globally competitive environment, we need to motivate and inspire others. This is where the ability to influence people comes into play.

Influence

Conflict, Compliance, and Commitment

Think about resistance or conflict. We should never try to drive this outcome underground because when

SHUTTERSTOCK / FLAMINGO IMAGES

Influence is defined as the capacity to have an effect on the behavior of someone or something. Now, that is a decent definition, but it leaves out something that is a mantra of mine: Anybody can do anything once, but that doesn’t make them successful. To be successful, you have to be able to consistently repeat your process. Influence is the ability to affect the thoughts, behaviors, and feelings of another person and move that

person to action on a consistent basis. When it comes to influence, there are three outcomes we can expect: ■■ Resistance or conflict. ■■ Compliance. ■■ Commitment. Each of us believes we have good ideas, and we naturally want to see our ideas succeed or move forward. But we don’t know everything, and we cannot be expected to. To move forward, we have to be willing to accept that there are other points of view. If we incorporate those points of view into our thinking, it actually improves our ideas and our ability to identify, implement, and execute at a higher level.

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Parking Design to Enhance the Campus Experience

we do we create a situation where groupthink is allowed to flourish. Conflict is not bad if it’s handled respectfully, and in many cases, it allows us to take a wider lens as we approach and resolve issues. Compliance is usually thought of in terms of punishment. If you don’t comply with the law, you will get punished. Compliance gets you only to the water level, which means sometimes you’re above it and other times you’re below. Our organizations cannot survive if all we seek is compliance. Finally, there is commitment. This is an all-out investment in the enterprise designed to create the best possible success outcomes. When people commit their time, talent, and treasures to any cause cheerfully and with enthusiasm, the outcomes are amazing. We would astound ourselves if we did everything we are capable of doing. The best thing we can do for our organizations is create an environment where the climate and the culture are in place for our stakeholders to buy in to what we are creating.

Realizing Opportunity

The best opportunity to make sure our influence opportunity is or can be realized comes from: 1. Knowing your desired influence outcome and preparing for deviations from that. 2. Relating to stakeholders as psychological equals, which means that anybody can have a good idea. Let go of ego when dealing with others you hope to influence. 3. Refraining from making unilateral decisions. 4. Being open to new options and alternatives. 5. Realizing your role in the process and making adjustments accordingly, especially when conflict (intentional and/or unintentional) becomes a roadblock. As individuals who have myriad roles to play, we need to make sure that our influence attempts ensure we do one thing and do it exceedingly well: Treat people as if they matter because they do. JULIUS E. RHODES, SPHR, is founder and principal of

the mpr group and author of BRAND: YOU Personal Branding for Success in Life and Business. He can be reached at jrhodes@mprgroup.info or 773.548.8037.

THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 9

THE GREEN STANDARD

Is Parking Powering the New Mobility Revolution? By Tim Maloney

O KNOW ME AND LOVE ME IS TO KNOW THAT I LOVE TACOS. In my city of Santa Cruz, N.M., there’s no shortage of delicious tacos; there is only not enough time in the world to eat them. I was out with friends the other night for taco time (what else?) when the topic of work came up. “What’s everyone tackling right now? Anything interesting going on?”

I listened attentively as each friend filled us in. When the baton passed to me, fueled by excitement and carne asada, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind: “Do you guys ever think about how physical urban infrastructure like roads and bridges imposes this super rigid, unscalable framework on cities and mobility tech companies that want to work together to build solutions that help people get where they’re going faster and easier?” (OK. Maybe not that articulately. But you get the gist.) I was met with a circle of indulgent smiles. That’s Tim. Tim loves parking. So Tim (me) kept talking about parking to his (my) non-parking pals. How parking’s outgrown personal vehicle ownership and how it has developed into its role as the hub of urban mobility. How bike-share, scooters, ride-share, and car-share have joined driving, walking, and public transit in a city-dweller’s mobility toolkit. How autonomous vehicles (AVs) are nearly ready to hit the streets, but the streets ain’t near ready. How all of these new mobility methods need a place—a physical place—to park.

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I’ve spent my entire career parking cars, so I’m aware that my enthusiasm is unique in my group of friends and family. But it was in this moment, raptured in my own transportation-related thoughts to the point of letting my queso cool to unpalatability, that the light switch flipped: I’m a mobility geek. So, for the rest of this article (and for the rest of my career in parking/life), I’m leaning into it. Let’s take a few minutes to talk about cleaner cities—ones that are easier to navigate and better to live in. But before that, we need to talk about the clean city’s arch nemesis: congestion.

Crowded Roads and Parking

The overcrowding of today’s roads has become a big issue, and it’s predicted to get much worse. A new United Nations report projects that 2.5 billion more people (that’s literally 2 of every 3 people) will be living in cities by 2050. It’s clear that more sustainable transportation infrastructures will be key to maintaining quality of life for ballooning populations. Here’s what we all know: More advanced parking technology and infrastructure can alleviate congestion in cities as they continue to grow. But it’s also obvious to those of us in parking that there are some fundamental urban infrastructure problems that need to be solved for us to realize a technology-enabled mobility ecosystem that benefits everyone. For example, though AV technology is rapidly advancing, there are very real barriers to AVs hitting the pavement. Circling around waiting to pick up passengers would result in worn-down streets, squandered energy, and increased congestion. To usher in mass adoption, they need somewhere to wait when not in use.

Here’s what we all know: More advanced parking technology and infrastructure can alleviate congestion in cities as they continue to grow. But it’s also obvious to those of us in parking that there are some fundamental urban infrastructure problems that need to be solved for us to realize a technology-enabled mobility ecosystem that benefits everyone.

Is parking the answer?

Here’s another example: This could be the year when food companies start officially investing in (or even acquiring) AV companies with the goal of reducing labor costs, according to a Business Insider article. If you live in a city now, you know that when you get your tacos delivered, the driver parks their car in the bike lane before pressing your buzzer. AV vehicles will need a place to stop when they’re in action and when they’re not.

Creating a stronger connection, deeper collaboration, and farther-reaching shared goals is what’s going to get us all there. Mobility geeks, unite! TIM MALONEY is head of strategic operator

partnerships with SpotHero. He can be reached at tim@ spothero.com.

Is parking the answer?

One more: you may have heard that at the end of August 2018, San Francisco sacked Bird and Lime from city streets. From April 11 to May 23, San Francisco’s 311 center received 1,900 scooter-related complaints, and public works impounded 500+ scooters that were blocking sidewalks or improperly parked. There is high demand in cities for these dockless options because they allow city-dwellers flexibility. But strewing them about creates chaos. Once again, we see that physical space carved out to store a new mobility method is required.

WGI was here

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Is parking the answer to all of it? It’s the Infrastructure

Physical infrastructure—building highways, train tracks, runways, and bridges—enabled the mobility revolution of the 20th century. But today cities are grappling with modernizing their physical infrastructure and contending with a new challenge: building a digital infrastructure to support the next mobility revolution. The future of parking looks like one in which parking platforms power cities as the digital infrastructure needed to improve physical infrastructure grows, and build a world in which cities are more sustainable, scalable, and better to live in. Cities are innovating; parking technology is, too.

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THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 11

MOBILITY & TECH

Five Reasons to Consider an Open-platform Parking Solution By John Fagan

EGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU’RE BUYING ONE COMPONENT of a parking availability and guidance solution, outfitting one lot or garage, or building a system for your entire parking operation, your goal is to solve your parking challenges today and into the future. You need something that doesn’t require an engineering degree to implement and is flexible enough to cost-effectively implement and to disseminate information throughout your diverse infrastructure—lots, garages, street parking. You need a solution that will meet your high-accuracy needs at a price that will drive value and return on investment.

That’s some list!

You may not be thinking about platform when picking a parking availability and guidance solution, but it could be the most important technology decision you make. Let’s talk about the five major benefits of an open-platform parking solution.

By leveraging an open platform, you future-proof yourself against obsolescence and keep your options open as new, more accurate, more functional, and often less expensive options are introduced.

What Is Open Platform?

The key difference between an open platform and a closed system is the ability to connect to different data sources and outputs without having to pay for a custom coding effort to achieve integration with your existing systems, new technologies, or a specific component from another manufacturer. The open platform has pre-built integrations or toolkits that make this a simple process that the supplier—not you—has to worry about. Here are five reasons why selecting your parking availability solution based on a device-agnostic open platform may be a good decision: 1. You can have the most accurate counting solution for each component of your parking operation. Most parking operations have a number of different environments in which tracking availability is necessary—garages, lots, and street parking, to name the most common—and a variety of applications they want to deploy, such as availability and guidance, access control, safety, and reservations. Messaging, mass notifications, custom

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analytics, and integrations with other systems may also be required. There isn’t typically one technology that fits every environment or configuration, and there aren’t any suppliers who cover every possible scenario. Across it all, you want one “source of truth:” one central system where you can see the availability, utilization, occupancy time and duration, and type of parking stay at every structure under your management. This can only happen when you have very high accuracy rates; without them, you can’t solve your parking problems. 2. Choose the most cost-effective availability and guidance solution across your operation. You have a budget to meet, but the desire to have one system of record for all of your availability data means trade-offs in terms of cost and accuracy. An open platform allows you to integrate the most accurate technology and manage the cost to the level of accuracy you require. Perhaps in one location you need lot availability information and using one laser or thermal camera at an entrance and exit is sufficient. At another location you may require bollards for every space. An open system allows you to choose the right system for each location to optimize costs. 3. Future-proof your operation. You invest in a great new system with all the latest technology, only to have it leapfrogged the next year by a more accurate, cost-effective component that would solve

SHUTTERSTOCK / METAMORWORKS

your problems even better and cheaper. But you can’t add it to your system because it doesn’t integrate with your technology. In parking availability and guidance, there are few systems that have the ability to seamlessly add new technology when that killer app comes out. By leveraging an open platform, you future-proof yourself against obsolescence and keep your options open as new, more accurate, more functional, and often less expensive options are introduced. 4. You can leverage your current technology investment. Parking hardware can be expensive, and being able to retool it into the next generation of parking technology is a benefit. This means the ability to pull in data from your on-premises system for availability, integrating new devices to supplement your existing configurations or devices. Leveraging your signage, apps, or website for guidance can all reduce the cost to upgrade and provide the most flexible path to introducing new technologies. 5. Freedom from vendor constriction. End-of-life issues, price increases, and maintenance and other cost issues as equipment ages all add together to create ongoing challenges with a closed system. In the event a vendor doesn’t progress at the pace you need, it can be difficult and costly to switch. By selecting an open and interoperable solution, you provide the flexibility to select the technology you want with the peace of mind that your investment is protected. By creating open solutions for your technology stack, you can better meet today’s needs as well as establish the infrastructure that will take you into the future, regardless of your next-generation requirements or technology advancements.

This is a win for you, your stakeholders and customers, and for parkers everywhere. JOHN FAGAN is director, parking and transportation, with All Traffic

Solutions. He can be reached at jfagan@alltrafficsolutions.com.

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THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 13

ON THE FRONTLINE

It’s Worked So Far By Cindy Campbell

E’VE ALL HEARD THE OLD ADAGE “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” True, but how do we know when the proverbial ship is taking on water and needs repair? I recently experienced a real-world example of a time someone should have been asking, “Are you positive it’s not broken?”

A Simple Exchange

I recently visited a clothing store to exchange an item of clothing I received as a gift. It was a small boutique in a nice shopping district about two hours from my home. As I entered the store, I passed by a few clothing racks that looked nice and that I was eager to browse through after I’d exchanged my item. The woman seated behind the register silently greeted me with an ever-so-slight Mona Lisa kind of smile. I briefly explained the reason I needed an exchange, making the assumption that she probably dealt with this sort of thing all the time. Just a few words into my explanation, I noticed the slight smile slowly leave her face. It was replaced with what I refer to as “roadblock face.” I knew we had a problem. “Sorry, we never do returns and only do exchanges within 10 days of purchase,” she said. Knowing it had likely been a full month since I’d received the item, I explained my circumstances and politely clarified that I wasn’t seeking a refund, only an exchange. I made it about halfway through my clarification when Miss Mona started vigorously shaking her head from side to side. “Nope. Sorry. You’re too late.” Channeling my internal customer service activist, I asked her if she thought this exchange policy made

that allow us to offer improved services to our customers: smartphone apps, online parking reservation technologies, license plate recognition, and cashless/permitless transactions, just to name a few. Our customers are continually redefining the services they prefer (and sometimes demand). Our continued success depends on making the effort to stay tuned in to customer perceptions and preferences so we can deliver the best service possible. Our reward for this effort can be positive customer satisfaction SHUTTERSTOCK / VECTORPOCKET ratings and potentially, an improved sense for customers who can’t make it bottom line. within those brief 10 days—customers who make purchasing decisions based So Long on a store’s approach to things such as As I look into my crystal ball, I see a gi“You know, reasonable exchange polant banner above the front doors of this icies.” (In full disclosure, I could have boutique that reads “GOING OUT OF been perceived as slightly irritable at BUSINESS.” Inside, behind the countthis point.) er, stands Mona Lisa, scratching her Her response put the proverbial bow head and muttering to herself about a on the unfriendly package: “Well, that fickle economy. policy has worked for us so far.” Any service industry business that refuses to stay current with its cusA Slippery Slope tomers’ expectations can expect to Have you ever uttered those words? Are find itself left behind. If we continue to you comfortable with your current prac- stand by practices that operate solely on tices and policies because “it’s worked what’s worked in the past, we will find so far”? It’s not much of a leap to the ourselves planning our proverbial goingcringe-worthy proclamation that “we’ve out-of-business event. always done it that way,” and we all CINDY CAMPBELL is IPMI’s know that’s a slippery slope. senior training and development How often do you review practices specialist. She is available for and policies? Would you be aware if they onsite training and professional development and can be were outdated or out of step with your reached at campbell@parkingcurrent customers’ needs? Think about mobility.org. the current concepts and technologies

14 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

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A Devoted Journey: Sherry Carter By Ziad Tayyem, CAPP

N DECEMBER 1986, I started working in a temporary position as a cashier for the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport Transportation Department. At the time, I wanted a job with a flexible schedule that allowed me to attend college and pay my bills.

Sherry Carter— First day of work; June 10, 1975

DFW International Airport was somewhat young; the airport opened for commercial service under the name Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport on January 13, 1974, with four terminals: 2W, 2E, 3E, and 4E. The airport had three runways and 56 gates, and eight airlines served it—Braniff Airways was the largest with 152 daily flights. Following airline deregulation, American Airlines established its first hub at DFW on June 11, 1981. By 1984, American occupied most of Terminal 3E and part of Terminal 2E and had become the dominant operator at DFW Airport. During my job orientation, I was introduced to Parking Operations Supervisor Sherry Carter, who began her journey in parking immediately after high school in 1975; at that time, the parking operations section was contracted to Airport Parking Company of America. When Carter started as a cashier at the parking control plazas in 1975, they consisted of seven entry lanes and eight exit lanes. Access to the airport was

Parking Control Plaza Construction, circa 1972

either from the South Plaza at the south end of the airport or the North Plaza at the opposite end. Five miles of road separated the two.

Drawer Boxes and Tickets

At that time, the plazas did not have gate arms or cash registers. The only form of payment was cash, and all transactions were handled manually out of a drawer box. Customers were handed color-coded parking tickets upon entry to distinguish their rate type. The rate for 24 hours in short-term parking was $3; 24 hours in long-term parking cost a dollar less, and driving through the airport cost $.25. In 1979, each control plaza was expanded by two lanes, and by 1984, the North Control Plaza was expanded by nine exit lanes, and the South Control Plaza was expanded by eight exit lanes. By 1985, DFW was an international airport, and a year after that, a new pneumatic tube system was installed at each control plaza to transport cash from each exit booth to the vault room. The practice of using an underground tunnel system to transport personnel and cash was ended; parking transacComputerized Parking Control System (CPCS) 1991–2012

16 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

International Terminal D constructed in 2005

tions were processed using an electronic register, referred to as RM100, to collect revenue that allowed cashiers to input time and date from a pre-printed parking ticket into a standalone register to calculate customers’ parking fees. In 1991, DFW Airport Parking replaced RM100 cash registers with Ascom Trindel Computerized Parking Control System (CPCS)—cutting-edge technology. Ticket-issuing devices were removed from the entrance plazas and replaced with staffed booths equipped with computer terminals. Customers were issued tickets printed with time, date, and keyed-in license plate numbers. License plates were viewed by staff using overview cameras. At the exit plazas, customers surrendered their parking tickets to staff who keyed in those plate numbers and inserted customers’ tickets into CPCS readers. On August 1, 1998, credit cards became an acceptable form of payment, and by 1999, all regulated vehicles began using AVI tag reader technology to pay.

Expanding and Advancing

To support DFW International Airport expansion, DFW board members approved funds to expand and advance DFW airport into the future. In 2005, a new smart-garage infrastructure was added to the new International Terminal D that allowed for up to 8,100 vehicles to park throughout eight levels of garage that connected to Terminal D by elevated moving pedestrian walkways. The system integrated a series of count stations that tracked vehicles and open spaces throughout the garage. Dynamic message signs displayed available space information to the public. In 2013, the first phase of Terminal A parking garage opened to the public; the final phase opened two years later. The structure added 7,576 spaces to DFW’s on-airport parking and is the largest new structure built at DFW since 2005. The old parking garage at Terminal A included three separate parking structures with low ceilings and poor lighting; ramps made it difficult for customers to navigate the garage THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 17

In 2013, the first phase of Terminal A parking garage opened to the public; the final phase opened two years later. The structure added 7,576 spaces to DFW’s onairport parking and is the largest new structure built at DFW since 2005.

and locate available spaces, and the garage did not have elevators. The new parking garage included covered walkways at terminal entries, higher clearances to accommodate large vehicles, and a pedestrian bridge that connects in-field parking to the garage. The new garage added an electronic parking guidance system and signage that is electronically linked to individual spaces so customers can see how many spaces are available on each level. From that point, customers are guided to open spots by the colored lights above each space. In 2017, the Terminal E-enhanced, 3,992-space garage opened to the public, with four valet areas and electric-vehicle charging stations. It also includes a guidance system and blue phones for 911 assistance and general information.

Honoring Sherry Carter

At the helm of all this growth, advancement, and progress has been Carter. She has been a key player in each project, including the search, selection, implementation, execution, and management of each system throughout the years. She is driven by her passion to this business, she enjoys being the driver, and she drives the operation forward with dedication and loyalty. Carter has seen several CEOs take the top job of running the airport and worked with several bosses who moved on to other jobs. All along, she stayed. She was one of the few, fortunate people whose first job became an enjoyable lifetime journey. When asked, she said it’s all about the team she works with and the combined efforts that make a difference serving our guests. DFW Airport Parking Guest Operations manages more than 40,000 parking spaces and processes over 18 million transactions annually with an advanced, sophisticated, and integrated system. And, with all this growth, and after 43 years of service, Carter is still as dedicated, devoted, and motivated today as she was back in 1975. ZIAD TAYYEM, CAPP, is assistant parking

guest operations manager at DFW International Airport. He can be reached at ztayyem@ dfwairport.com.

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ASK THE

EXPERTS

What should college and university parking and transportation departments be doing now to prepare for changes to the way students will get around as transportation trends shift?

Barbara Chance, PhD

President and CEO CHANCE Management Advisors, Inc. Collect good data regularly about the transportation modes taken now by students, faculty, and staff. Track data to see if mode preferences change—e.g., is ride-sharing more popular than public transportation? Evaluate possible mode changes realistically and decide which ones your department can support.

James C. Anderson Regional Sales Manager Watson Bowman Acme Corp.

Recognize and adapt to the sustainable transportation evolution with a focus toward safe on- and off-campus walkways and bikeways. Plan for the growing use of ride-sharing, transportation network companies, scooters, and electric-vehicle–charging stations.

Josh Cantor

Director, Parking & Transportation George Mason University Parking and transportation needs to be proactive to the needs and desires of a younger population used to more on-call services. This can be by working with Uber and Lyft, by providing flexible-use permits, by providing real-time transit information, and by having more mobileenabled transactions and payment methods.

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

Debbie Hoffmann, CAPP

Director, Parking & Transportation Texas A&M University Colleges and universities should anticipate a continued shift toward on-demand transportation and parking with smart device reservations, trip planning, and payments. We need to think about the seamless ways we find and purchase goods and services in other areas of our lives and apply those principles to our own transportation operations.

Casey Jones, CAPP Vice President TimHaahs

Higher education parking and transportation departments have traditionally led the industry in providing the full array of mobility options, and they need to continue to advance their programs to meet demand for non-single-occupancy vehicle driving. This includes consolidating mobility programs into a single unit to promote coordination, flexibility, and convenience; advocating for additional financial and human resources to grow TDM and alternative transportation programs; and pilot, adjust, and advance emerging mobility offerings (such as micro-mobility, rideshare and autonomous vehicles).

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.

THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 19

Making the

Numbers Strategizing for parking and transportation financial success in a university environment.

T TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, the transportation services team spends a great deal of time comparing notes with industry peers. Our colleagues often comment that we are successful because we have more resources than most. While this is true in some cases, those resources are the result of a sound, long-term financial strategy. This strategy played an important role in creating the success our program enjoys today. It ensured we would have available funds when needed to implement new processes, desired infrastructure, and technological innovations. Our hope is that readers will be able to incorporate some of our story into their own plans for success. Our financial strategy can be broken into three areas of effort: establishing financial credibility, using internal and external data to project and set rates accurately, and presenting our analysis and findings in logical, easy-to-understand formats for customers and leadership.

20â&#x20AC;&#x192;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

The Budget

Attaining financial credibility starts with one of the basics: an accurate budget. The larger the organization, the more complicated this can be. Behind-the-scenes processes must be detailed and every budgetary line item seriously examined. We use Excel to

Work create budget worksheets that feed into our financial statements and projections. Each managerial team is given the opportunity to be a part of the process by sharing its own budgetary needs and participating in a robust enterprise risk management effort. We provide unit leaders with policies, support accounts, data dashboards, and unit financial statements, which help them manage and provide accountability. The university environment often presents management with unexpected and significant demands for parking resources. We provide for these challenges in two ways: 1. We try to be accurate but conservative with estimates of revenue and expenditures. 2. We budget and plan to accumulate a healthy reserve. This allows

By Kenneth M. Kimball MBA, CPA

us to absorb the costs not considered beforehand without deviating too far from our plan. If necessary, we change our plan. An additional step to consider is cost-benefit analysis. This process can help defer some requests and communicate the resulting effects after the fact. Each year, accuracy builds as does the confidence of leadership. It is essential that decision-makers trust your work in order to move the strategic plan forward.

Rates and Fees

Another element of financial success is accurately setting rates and fees, which allow for the implementation of the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-range, strategic plan. This requires a projection model with the same level of detail as the budget. Our model

extends 30 years, based on our longest bond agreement. These projections should be revised at least semiannually. Take the time to build in year-over-year changes for each line item. This provides a way to model the effect of decisions and rate changes both today and in the long term. Furthermore, incorporating and maintaining historical data will help predict certain revenues and expenses. It is important to carefully add planned infrastructure and associated changes to provide a complete picture. One of the more useful outputs of this exercise is a graphic that compares required reserves to expected reserves over time. This can illustrate the results of proposed changes and how even small deviations can add up to have a significant effect on the future. It can also show how reserves can be used to allow lower incremental rate increases to achieve goals, as opposed to large ones with each new parking facility.

First, we try to be accurate but conservative with estimates of revenue and expenditures. Second, we budget and plan to accumulate a healthy reserve. This allows us to absorb the costs not considered beforehand without deviating too far from our plan. If necessary, we change our plan. Daily Data

An essential tool for looking into the future is the data created by day-to-day operations. At Texas A&M University, the various units within our department produce a great deal of information. Using this information effectively can be difficult. Our IT staff uses this data to develop dashboards that facilitate both daily and long-term decision-making. With near real-time updates, it is easy to measure performance and profitability quickly and identify problems sooner. Making trends in revenue and expenses evident can help you make projections with confidence. One should never let data sit idle—the potential value is too high.

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Effective Communications

The final step is to communicate the department’s financial performance, current situation, and future needs in an effective manner. Our strategy is to address any misconceptions first. Not doing this can derail your effort. After this step, provide your audience with only the information needed. Use simple illustrations to explain your position. Logically lead your audience down a path that includes questions to spur thought on the possibilities. Use the work you have done to communicate both industry success as well as what continued success will require. Distill the information into a format the lay person can understand. Be short, to the point, and accurate. We will use a parking concession agreement as a good case study for the sort of complicated arrangements management is occasionally asked to consider. The finance professional must provide the expertise to define and explain what is happening. Industry knowledge and the work already done to create sound projections can be used to analyze the cost, benefit, and potential issues for consideration. Then, the job is to communicate this effectively to the decision-makers. As a first step, be sure to look for and address any misconceptions that need explaining. Concession agreements sometimes come in the form of an offer to provide large, upfront cash payments in return for the parking revenue stream over a specified period of time. These agreements can include outsourcing those units directly tied to the revenue. Many will assume gains in efficiencies due to outsourcing alone make this transaction possible. The finance professional understands that this is much more complicated than a headline. As a result, the task is to make sure leadership has proper understanding before making any decisions. As we think the scenario through, let’s consider what we know about our industry. Large revenue streams are common for major university parking entities. This is for good reason. Parking fees cover annual debt service, operating costs, maintenance, and many unrelated services such as transit or alternative transportation. This robust revenue stream is not an indication of profitability. Rates are set, generally speaking, to cover these costs. Even if an entity could cut the operating budget by 20 percent, it would not entice an investor to outlay millions in upfront

cash. Clearly, to make this work, there is going to be a significant cost. Explaining the fact that this isn’t free money is the first step. Another consideration is how the agreement can be best illustrated financially. Let’s examine what is happening and try to find a simple way to express or analyze the cost. Many would get bogged down in the discussion of the discount rate used to determine the upfront proceeds. Much of this would be proprietary and not available. However, we have some basic elements to consider. The institution will receive a known upfront amount of cash proceeds. There is a definite term. The assets are returned to the university when the term is up. And finally, through the various concessions, the university is pledging and, in some ways, guaranteeing annual revenue to pay the proceeds back plus some rate of return. Doesn’t that constitute a loan? Essentially, yes. One way to illustrate cost for university administrators is to compare the concession with what they are already familiar with: a simple bond. Take the projections already in hand and adjust based on the agreement details. Items such as the annual rate increase, expected cuts to operating expense, a reasonable inflation rate, and agreed-upon capital investment can all be used to obtain the outflows to the concessionaire for the term. The bond would simply use the same principle amount, term, and the going university rate. There are several ways to look at this: outflow comparisons, calculated rates, or by calculating a total cost of funds, taking into account items not shown on the projection, such as debt paid off or services now funded elsewhere. Simple bar graphs, rates, and trends will clearly show how the offer compares to a standard bond.

Q&A

I like to wind up presentations with questions. These are designed to make the audience consider what logically may occur depending on the decision. Here are a few examples used for this particular scenario: ■■ If the permit price rises enough to make private

campus perimeter parking viable, what is the chargeback for using the resulting empty space? ■■ If the customer demands alternative means of accessing campus (transit, bike, ride-share, etc.), is there a

One way to illustrate cost for university administrators is to compare the concession to what they are already familiar with: a simple bond. Take the projections already in hand and adjust based on the agreement details. chargeback for the university facilitating this? ■■ The greatest benefit to a concession with upfront

cash is that, unlike with bonds, there are no restrictions on use of the funds. Is it worth the cost? ■■ What will the industry look like in 30 to 50 years? By presenting financial considerations in this manner you will have successfully helped decision-makers understand exactly what is happening. You will have illustrated the financial aspects in a way that speaks to everyone in the room. And, you will have stirred useful discussion to leave no stone unturned. This approach should be successful with just about any endeavor. We have made similar presentations to propose rate, policy, and infrastructure changes. If you have longterm accurate projections in place, much of the work is already done. The goal is not to be the idea killer. As financial advisers, our goal is to make sure leadership has the information they need. At Texas A&M University Transportation Services, our financial success didn’t just happen. We have budgeted well, projected carefully, used data efficiently, and communicated effectively to customers and leadership to build trust, ensure good decisions, and garner support for our plan. With each positive outcome, the navigability of the environment improves. Our hope is that you can use some of our methods to build your own successful program. KENNETH M. KIMBALL, MBA, CPA, is director,

fiscal affairs, HR, and payroll, IT development and support, at Texas A&M University. He can be reached at kkimball@tamu.edu.

THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 23

o G ! l t e e e h L W e h e t h f t oof

Convincing drivers to consider alternate transportation modes is tricky business. Inbound marketing may be the key to success.

By Brent Atkinson

URING MY STINT managing and developing transportation demand management (TDM) programs at a major West Coast university, there was a two-headed question constantly lingering in my head: How do I pry the cold, angry fingers of staff and faculty off their steering wheels and get them on a bike or bus or into a ride-share? And what have we (“we” as in TDM managers around the country) not tried yet? This is the question for many TDM managers around the country. In the numerous conferences I’ve attended, including ride-share, biking, transit, and parking conferences, there were always multiple breakout sessions dedicated to this very subject. How Do We Drive Conversions?

At these conferences, participants discussed the different strategies and technology that universities, companies (such as Amazon and Boeing), transit agencies, and other groups were using to drive conversions, including what worked and what didn’t. While there were plenty of great breakout sessions and success stories, it seemed to me that these sessions were almost always quite similar, and usually consisted of one of two strategies: ■■ Typical outbound marketing efforts. This consists of your typical mass-marketing methods using posters, flyers, television, radio, social media, etc. ■■ Incentive and rewards programs. While these programs often seemed to be the most effective route based on what’s been attempted, they also seemed to require a fairly significant administrative burden and, in my opinion, the results still often fell short of expectations. In other words, it always seemed to me that there had to be something out there that’s more effective and would garner better results. There had to be a better way to be spending our time as marketers of alternative transportation options. Now, before we dive too far into conversions, let’s go over the benefits of pursuing a TDM-focused future, rather than a parking-centric future: THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 25

TDM managers may consider using the transtheoretical model of the five stages of change to begin changing commuter behavior.

1 Precontemplation

No recognition of need for or interest in change

Maintenance

Ongoing practice of new, healthier behavior

Contemplation

Thinking about changing

Action

Adopting new habits

3 Preparation

Planning for change

■■ It’s much cheaper to build and promote alternatives

tion options over constructing new parking is clear.

such as bike infrastructure or effectively market existing transit and ride-share programs than build new parking. According to Chris Boyan, associate director of transportation services at Washington State University, an on-campus study done by Kimley-Horn determined the per-space cost of building new parking in the form of a parking structure or enclosed garage can range anywhere from $26,000 to $76,000 per parking space, depending on topography and location. The price to construct surface parking is closer to $8,000 to $10,000 per space, but in the core of campus where parking is needed most, building surface parking is not a realistic option; this is the case for the vast majority of universities, corporate campuses, and cities. ■■ According to John Shaheen, director of transportation services at Washington State University, the total cost of instituting the university’s comprehensive new bike lane, shared-use lane, and bike signage project— installed during the summer of 2018—came out to around $45,000. There will obviously be costs to updating and maintaining the bike lane system. However, the cost savings of investing in alternative transporta-

■■ Encouraging alternate transportation modes is en-

26 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

vironmentally friendly and shows the commitment of universities and transit authorities to being more responsible stewards of our most valuable resource as humans: the planet. ■■ There are a vast array of personal and intrinsic benefits to commuting using an alternative. In my opinion, that last bullet may in fact be the silver bullet for TDM managers. I believe these personal and intrinsic benefits may not be being marketed effectively.

A Cyclist Speaks

Last spring I attended the Washington Bike Summit in Spokane, Wash., and one of the keynote speakers who delivered an inspiring presentation was Olatunji Oboi Reed, founder of Slow Roll Chicago. Reed became a cyclist later in life and claims that cycling pulled him out of one of the darkest chapters of his life, leading him to become a leading cycling advocate in Chicago, Ill. At one point during his presentation he turned and simply said, “You can’t be sad riding a bike. You just can’t.” It was a simple statement, but for many people it rings

true, and this notion is one of the best reasons for people to step out of the stress and anxiety-ridden world of commuting by car, hop on a bike or a bus, and experience a stress-free commute for the first time in their lives, at a fraction of the cost of driving, often arriving at their destination sooner than they would have behind the wheel. The benefits of commuting by bicycle extend to other commute options as well, including public transit, vanpooling, and carpooling. In fact, according to a study done in Montreal, driving is the single most stressful commute option that exists, and although it provides the user with the illusion of having more control over the commute, the study suggests due to the unpredictability of commuting by car, drivers actually have less control over their commute than someone choosing an alternative.

Converting Drive-alone

That brings us back to the question of how we convert drive-alones to alternative transportation users. While financial incentives and rewards have been shown to be relatively successful in some places, I believe there may be an even more effective strategy to driving conversions that doesn’t require the investment, implementation, and constant policing and management of incentive programs. Not only that, but incentive programs are impersonal. It’s clear that you are the organization effectively bribing people to try an alternative. The human aspect is slim to none, and we parking and transportation folks have been dehumanized for long enough. In my opinion, the true benefits of choosing an alternative transportation option are the ones that already exist: shorter commute times, exponentially cheaper commute costs, and far less stress. The trick is connecting with potential converts on a personal level and communicating this to them, and ultimately, driving them to try, and hopefully continue to use, an alternative. This is my proposal: Instead of focusing on what types of financial incentives or rewards can be offered, TDM managers should dive into the burgeoning world of inbound marketing, connect with their constituents on a personal level, effectively communicate the true personal benefits (lifestyle, financial, and intrinsic) of choosing an alternative, and drive them into a customer relationship management (CRM) funnel. Inbound marketing is essentially the inverse of the earlier mentioned strategy of outbound marketing. Inbound marketing was created for the 21st century consumer and uses digital platforms and interpersonal digital strategies to engage with consumers, ultimately

driving potential leads into a CRM, where they can enter the funnel in which leads get converted to sales (a sale, in this case, would be someone making the switch from driving alone to choosing an alternative). For universities with detailed commute planning programs, such as the University of Washington’s Commute Options program and Washington State University’s Coug Commute Advisor program, developing this client database is a great way to increase engagement with leads and grow the reach and efficacy of these programs.

Incentive programs are impersonal. It’s clear that you are the organization effectively bribing people to try an alternative. The human aspect is slim to none, and we parking and transportation folks have been dehumanized for long enough. Inbound Marketing and SEO

Here are some of the key tenets of an inbound marketing strategy: ■■ High-quality content in the form of blog posts and website content. Remember, for inbound marketing quality content is king because this is where you connect with leads on a personal level and drive them to engage with you. ■■ Targeted social media campaigns focused on driving users to your inbound content. ■■ Search engine optimization (SEO), which is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results. SEO results are the ultimate way to determine whether your marketing strategy is working. It refers to where you stand as it concerns search engine results in your arena. Through the use of hot keywords (which require research to identify), as well as producing high-quality content, the goal of an inbound marketing strategy is for your content to gravitate naturally to the top of those results. This is really just the tip of the iceberg, but that’s a very quick and basic overview of some of the core tenets of inbound marketing. Now, you’re probably thinking, “That’s cool and all, and sounds like a great idea for a tech startup, but how in the world do TDM managers use this thing to change commute behavior? Also, do people actually care about blogs?” THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 27

First off, yes, more people read blogs than you may think, and the more a company blogs using keyword placement, the more people will see and read the content and the more new leads that are potentially acquired. Of course, the content needs to be good, accurate content that leads will enjoy. Finding a quality writer may be the greatest challenge to this strategy, so in this case, TDM managers may need to explore outsourcing writing work on a contractual or freelance basis. When you are launching an inbound marketing process, it’s important to also begin thinking about the aforementioned CRM system. You don’t need a CRM before you start inbound marketing, but it would be wise to at least be planning to develop one. Inbound marketing will bring in your leads and nurture them with content, while CRM will keep them engaged after becoming leads and help move them toward conversion. In other words, institute a method of tracking and keeping in contact with your leads. Otherwise, they’re bound to lose interest. There are all kinds of CRM software applications that exist (HubSpot, Moz, and Salesforce to name a few), and they may require a monetary investment, but the payoff could be well worth it.

The Power of the Blog

A CRM system will allow TDM managers to use specific strategies to engage with a prospect, depending on where the person is in the customer funnel. The funnel can be thought of in similar terms to the transtheoretical model of the five stages of behavior change (see graphic p. 26), which may be more relatable for TDM managers as it concerns changing commute behavior. Without tracking specific prospects in this way, and maintaining consistent engagement, it is very easy to lose leads. By maintaining communication, you keep your product (in this case, changing their commute) in their minds, and the chances of moving them toward conversion increase exponentially. It also allows TDM managers to engage in data analytics and dive deeper into where marketing campaigns, keywords, and strategies are succeeding and where they’re failing and hopefully provide a clearer path for the future. All this is not to say that traditional outbound marketing strategies aren’t useful; I believe they do still serve a purpose. However, the time and resources dedicated to outbound versus inbound methods may not be time and resources spent as wisely. Here are some insights from Brian Wajda at HubSpot Inc. that may surprise you: ■■ 44 percent of direct mail is never opened.

28 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

■■ 86 percent of people skip through television commercials. ■■ 84 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds have clicked out of

a website because of an “irrelevant or intrusive ad.” The real kicker: ■■ The cost per lead in outbound marketing is more than for inbound marketing. Wajda goes on to provide the following facts regarding inbound marketing results: ■■ 82 percent of marketers who blog daily acquired a customer using their blog, as opposed to 57 percent of marketers who blog monthly—which, by itself, is still an impressive result. (HubSpot, State of Inbound) ■■ 43 percent of marketers generated a customer via their blog this year, and blogging requires roughly 9 percent of marketers’ total full-time staff dedications and 7 percent of their total budgets. (HubSpot, State of Inbound) ■■ Blogs give websites 434 percent more indexed pages and 97 percent more indexed links. (The Inbound Writer) Wajda also points out that blogs are basically employees loaded with information that work 24/7, essentially without pay. In other words, no matter the time of day or night, it’s possible for a potential lead to come across your content and engage with your organization, unlike with an employee waiting for a telephone to ring or an email to float in between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For TDM managers, this means your content is constantly out there, riding the waves of the internet. And if it is high-quality content at any given time a potentially new transit rider or cyclist could stumble upon it and connect with your organization, introducing that person into your CRM funnel, where your chances of converting him or her rise exponentially. These marketing tactics have been around for a while in the technology world, but are new to the commute behavior industry. I believe this could be the wave of the future for TDM managers to effectively drive conversions. So, if you’re a TDM manager who is feeling brave, start looking into the world of inbound marketing to see if this might be the missing link in your conversion toolbox. BRENT ATKINSON is a freelance writer living in

the Tri-Cities, Wash., and former TDM coordinator at Washington State University. He can be reached at atkinson.brent@yahoo.com.

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The must-attend event for parking, transportation, and mobility professionals

By Victor A. Hill, CAPP, MPA

HREE YEARS AFTER DEPLOYING license plate recognition (LPR), the

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) is reaping its benefits. Our customers are more satisfied than ever, we sell more permits than we did before implementation, we write better citations, and we reinvest the additional revenue in enhanced services and technologies. We even reduced our permit fees. If I shared that last comment at a party, this would be the moment everyone stops talking. You read it right. Reducing our fees was the most unexpected—and welcome—benefit of LPR. As an auxiliary department at a state university, we’re self-funded by user fees, and our goal is to maintain our level of service. LPR enabled us to enhance services while keeping costs down for our most important customers: students and employees. If you’ve suddenly become skeptical, stick with me. I’ll cover your questions about pricing and capacity soon enough. If you’re still not convinced after you finish reading, let’s talk. The secret to a successful LPR operation isn’t the technology, but in how it becomes the center of an operation and, if properly deployed, makes everything work in relative harmony while bolstering an operation’s foundation for the future.

The Background

First, a recap: We purchased LPR in the summer of 2016 and began using it within the first few weeks of its installation as a mobile solution. We do not use fixed LPR yet. We have one full-time officer who works

Monday through Friday and student officers who work after-hours and weekends. We didn’t formally introduce LPR to campus until the 2017 academic year because we wanted to ensure it worked the way we needed it to. Printed permits remained in use to help reconcile bad data and catch potential fraud. All of our lots are assigned and are split between commuters and residents. Commuter lots accommodate annual, semester, hourly, daily, and event parking. Commuter lots are oversold while resident lots are sold to capacity.

LPR’s Central Role

Reassurances from vendors, case studies, and articles are great references, but they don’t provide the specific context for your operation. Every organization has unique needs. Placing LPR at the center of an operation is key regardless of whether an operation runs LPR in a mobile, fixed, or combination environment, because it touches everything. UWL’s parking and transportation services staff—all four of us—met to discuss a deployment strategy shortly after we placed our LPR order. I opened the meeting by drawing a circle on our board and writing “LPR” inside

New Tech,

Lessons

The University of WisconsinLa Crosse implemented license plate recognition three years ago. Here’s what’s happened since.

30 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

UWL Parking and Transportation Services created a video to explain LPR to its students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Watch it at bit.ly/uwllpr.

Learned THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 31

it. Several more circles encapsulated other aspects of parking, all branching out of LPR like spokes on a wheel. We then brainstormed about how LPR would affect each spoke of the operation. LPR is often sold on the premise that permit and citation revenue will increase, but it’s important to remember that it adds costs for maintenance and additional integrations with parking software and hardware. Knowing these costs helps provide a better foundation for future budgets; the promise of additional revenue may offer opportunities for more service improvements. Hardware revisions may be required—pay stations with alphanumeric keypads, for example. Enforcement tactics may change, and, in our case, staffing changed based on the efficiencies LPR provided. We cut the number of student officers and adjusted their hours around our full-time officer’s patrol patterns. Customers need to understand LPR, so policies and educational messages require revisions. We created

we shut down the secondary market for permit sales, mostly made up of students who left the university after the fall semester. Customers occasionally bring unregistered vehicles to campus, and we used the printed permits to add those vehicles to accounts with valid permits after verifying the registered owners. This made it easier for customers to sign up for a permit in the next second year of LPR operations. Our data quickly confirmed we were selling ourselves short—underselling lots, that is. LPR occupancy data showed that lots were rarely at full capacity with exceptions during class changes and at peak times between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The data enabled us to oversell lots by 10 to 30 percent more than we had in previous years, even lots we didn’t realize we could oversell. Qualitative observations are valuable, but LPR gave us the quantitative data we needed to show it could be done and to predict trends for future budgeting. Events, hourly, and daily parking affect this volume, but the LPR data helps us identify other options for customers if their lots are full. Permit revenue increased each year, as did hourly, daily, and event parking revenues, with a range between 10 and 25 percent depending on the category. Updated pay stations and pay-by-phone solutions opened new opportunities for visitor parking. Better data from these integrations resulted in more consistent pricing and enforcement, which bolstered revenue. While LPR was the primary drivLPR cameras accurately read a plate half covered in snow. The photo shows the officer’s view through the LPR software. ing force, it prompted additional videos for our website and began talking about LPR before it was officially introduced to campus. The advance buzz saved staff time and created goodwill before we eliminated printed permits. Finally, we knew our signs needed a facelift. Fortunately, UWL was in the midst of an overhaul of its signs so we had license to make a fresh start.

Harnessing the Data Potential

LPR’s true value is in its data and how it’s harnessed to improve services. We spent the first unofficial year of deployment focused on taking control of data. The legacy of our printed permits is that they helped us update our customer database and all but eliminate fraud as

32 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

Read Rates

Is LPR accurate? It’s accurate at UWL, even in bad weather. Many factors affect accuracy, and focusing on plates you’re most likely to see helps ensure the system is ready for deployment. Most of our license plates are white with black letters. We don’t see too many different states, and we train our officers to watch for special characters and verify reads. Accuracy averages 95 percent or better and has remained consistent, even in snow. Ice and icy snow on the LPR cameras can affect read rates, along with excessively misty conditions that fog cameras up. We’ve found in those instances that it’s typically not safe to enforce the lots and plan accordingly.

LPR occupancy data showed that lots were rarely at full capacity with exceptions during class changes and at peak times between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

adjustments in other areas of the operation to fortify these revenue streams. Citations were no different. We initially saw a drop in the number we wrote as we got LPR up and running, but the average increase since deployment is about 30 percent. This makes sense given that we can offer more parking through oversell. The additional volume forced us to take a fresh look at the citations and make revisions. We updated violation categories to reflect the effects of LPR. For example, a citation for improper display became plate unreadable/improperly displayed. The number of repeat offenders dropped as LPR proved we could write better, more defensible citations. We enacted a policy of reaching out to repeat offenders who receive two citations in 24 hours, as these are invariably students. Options are discussed, and the students rarely receive additional violations. Appellants who contest short-term violations are shown timestamped photos of their vehicles parked past posted 15-minute limits; we also show photos to other violators who aggressively fight citations. Unregistered vehicles are regularly verified and updated if we discover they belong to valid-permit holders. We forgive citations when we can verify a payment was made, typically when license plate characters are transposed by accident. We have voided more citations in the past three years than we did in previous years because it

is easier to verify payments or attempts to pay. In spite of this, citation revenue is up because reductions to citation amounts are rare, as first-time offenders pay the full price for their infractions. Customers appreciate the extra attention and in turn notify us when they have loaner vehicles or purchase new ones. We’re more often asked for permission and less often for forgiveness. Fraud still occurs when students add their friends’ vehicles to accounts, though at a much less significant rate than before. A weekly report from our software identifies vehicles added to accounts. Staff verifies the vehicles and, if necessary, contacts the student who made the change. Violations for fraud and misuse have become virtually extinct because of LPR. In cases in which students carpool or share a residence, we verify their needs and actively encourage carpooling because we know the permit can then be sold to another student. The added revenue after our first year was an interesting part of our budget hearing. Leadership agreed that we could continue to enhance our level of service and reduce our rates. Thus, after a successful deployment, we announced a rate decrease to campus and received more positive feedback than we had in years. THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 33

Permit prices were lowered by $4—a modest decrease but one our customers appreciated.

Unexpected and Welcome Consequences

Make no mistake: Deploying LPR is not easy. It takes careful planning, and great ideas can have unintended consequences. UWL customers were accustomed to having a tangible token of permission to park on campus. Hangtags and decals held a certain status, and we needed a way to sell LPR. The solution was as obvious as it sounds: Your plate is your permit. That was our message, one we made central to our marketing messages when permit reminders were emailed, when our video was shot, and when we spoke to first-year students at summer orientation sessions leading into our official rollout of LPR. Policy revisions were made to define how customer data is managed and how long it is stored. The video about LPR was deliberately shot to show what our officer sees, and we encourage customers to take rides with the officer, an important ambassador who regularly engages students to ensure they make good choices about parking. If only it were so simple. The message that your plate is your permit worked for employees who were thrilled to leave the days of forgetting to switch their hangtags between vehicles behind. Students, on the other hand, forgot their lot assignments and inundated our office with emails. Fixing this problem required a relatively simple revision to the permit-ordering instructions that reminded customers to remember their lot assignment and review it using the campus map. We updated our permit-ordering quick-reference sheet with information about LPR and turned it into an evergreen publication that can be used for years to come, barring changes to the university logo or colors. Reduced rates increased demand for parking. Lots sold out in record time for the 2018–19 academic year. Campus parking needs, confirmed by LPR data, led to the decision to convert one of our lots from resident to commuter parking, a project scheduled for this summer. The existing resident spaces will be moved to UWL’s five-level garage. Our city adopted the same technology, paving the way for paid parking around the campus and leading to more conversations and planning to ensure we provide the best possible options for students, employees, and visitors. We expect that change to drive additional vehicles to campus, and the LPR occupancy data puts us in a better position to manage it.

34 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

Fast Facts About UWL ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Division 3 university. 10,569 students. 1,400 employees. 18 surface lots. One garage, five levels. Four full-time employees for parking and transportation services (one director, two office associates, one officer). Five student employees. 1 mobile LPR vehicle, 1 backup. Equipment by T2, Genetec, Passport, and ParkMobile.

Lessons for the Future

LPR requires planning, patience, and a willingness to adapt and embrace changes. A mobile-only solution works for UWL but may not work in other areas. Our one-officer approach similarly works on a campus our size but may not be practical in larger operations. We don’t use every feature of the technology either. UWL, with its assigned parking in defined lots, is an ideal theater of operation for LPR—a lesson learned after several years of research before we purchased the system. Looking ahead, we hope to install a parking guidance system for our garage. The goal, thanks to the success of LPR, is to continue to enhance customer service by eliminating the anxiety parking often induces. Digital signs and apps that push lot occupancy numbers to our customers will help students and employees who are pressed for time. If you think your organization can make LPR work, you’re probably right, and convincing your leadership to give you time to show it works will help ensure a smooth deployment that pays dividends for the future of your parking and mobility services. VICTOR A. HILL, CAPP, MPA, is director of

parking and transportation services at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He can be reached at vhill@uwlax.edu.

Editor’s Note: This article is a follow-up to a feature in the March 2017 issue, which prompted numerous follow-up conversations and presentations. The goal of this piece is to encapsulate lessons learned, share updates, and offer another resource to make a case for the technology with the understanding that license plate recognition (LPR) doesn’t work for every operation.

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ALL ABOARD

How the University of Texas at Arlington revived a transportation system with innovative systems and a public-private partnership. By Greg Hladik, PhD

36 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

HE CITY OF ARLINGTON, TEXAS, was the largest city in the country without public transportation. It is also home to the second largest university in the University of Texas System: the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). That means that on this 420-acre campus in the heart of the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex, the nearly 43,000 students at UTA had limited options for moving throughout the university and municipality and limited connections to the greater region. Students at this regional urban institution lacked the robust transportation infrastructure available to most other municipalities and institutions its size. An innovative journey that allowed UTA to revive its transportation system through developing public-private partnerships, using technology, and reallocating financial resources fixed all that.

The Problems

The university funded two primary transportation services through a $25-per-student annual transportation fee that paid for nearly half of the transportation budget. The campus shuttle circulator carried passengers to various locations throughout campus, and the late-night security service provided an on-demand, door-to-door service that took students where they needed to go after dark aboard

golf carts. Three main problems existed with these university-provided services: ■■ There was no comprehensive mass transportation infrastructure in place to move customers throughout the campus, city, and region. The DFW metroplex has a car-centric culture, and public transportation options were not available near campus as an alternative for customers without personal vehicles. The campus circulator had limited off-campus reach, resulting in UTA becoming a desert island in the heart of the metroplex for customers without personal vehicles. ■■ Existing transit equipment was mundane, inefficient, and outdated. The university self-operated a shuttle service that lacked reliable equipment, had no technological conveniences, and was plagued by inconsistent service times. The late-night golf cart security service had a reputation for long wait times, inefficient dispatching, and vehicles too small to meet demand.

THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 37

Mav Mover Shuttle Ridership Annual 2016‐2019 Running Total

400,000

Passenger Count

350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

2016‐2017

20,352

38,602

57,043

66,284

77,814

97,274

112,482

132,343

138,413

142,573

148,079

162,312

2017‐2018

20,736

40,739

54,557

60,433

73,235

88,890

109,657

133,537

146,326

155,293

164,344

188,938

2018‐2019

36,657

80,559

113,457

126,425

151,314

2018‐19 Projected

36,657

80,559

113,457

126,425

151,314

178,710

215,053

256,843

279,223

294,916

310,755

353,794

77%

98%

108%

109%

107%

‐100%

% Change

■■ Low priorities and limited financial resources plagued

ridership for several years leading up to the 2017–2018 academic year. Traditionally, students paid a small transportation fee to fund the university-operated campus circulator and late-night golf cart security service, but they rarely found value in using the system. As a result, ridership was stagnant and customers couldn’t trust the park-and-ride system enough to opt-in. Parking lots exceeded capacity, leading to an exasperating parking experience. All in all, customers were unimpressed with the existing parking and transit options. All these problems led to additional parking occupancy and demand-management concerns for campus, as the majority of customers brought personal vehicles to campus for use on a daily basis. The parking strategic plan required a comprehensive parking and mobility plan to support remote parking lots and spread customers throughout available lots, but the lack of reliable mobility solutions hindered the campus parking plan. Campus administration also understood the system was not a good use of the students’ fee, which funded about half the cost of the service. The department sought community feedback on the issue by hosting forums, surveys, and partnerships to better understood customers’ needs and desires for a more effective transportation service. A plan was devised to generate new value-added features that would expand service, improve equipment, enhance security, and promote access through an innovative and robust mobility plan.

The Solutions

UTA developed a plan to address mobility challenges and revive its mobility system with a focus on an improved customer experience. In addition to making changes on campus, the university began moving students

38 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

throughout the city and region. All this was done without increasing the transportation fee by reallocating financial resources, using enhanced technology, and establishing strategic public-private partnerships.

Reallocating Financial Resources

UTA prides itself on being one of the most affordable four-year institutions in the country. As such, increasing the transportation fee was not an option. Parking and transportation services (PATS) management developed an innovative strategy to free existing revenue and generate new revenue in two ways: cost savings and sponsored stops. The department began exploring a move to outsource the university-operated shuttle bus program as a cost-saving mechanism. The service operated on a fairly lean budget, but upon further research, PATS learned private transportation provided a better value to the university. After a competitive process, Groome Transportation was awarded the contract to operate the new campus circulator. The option provided dedicated on-campus staff to oversee the movement of shuttles while saving UTA approximately $1.8 million during the life of the contract. The department was then able to use a portion of these savings to fund initiatives in other aspects of the revamped mobility plan. Second, PATS generated new revenue through sponsored stops at private, off-campus student apartments. These new stops expanded the campus circulator to off-campus properties centric to student activities. The expanded route for students living off-campus was a win-win solution that provided viable and reliable transit options so students could leave their vehicles parked offsite and still get to class; this reduced parking congestion for others.

Third, the UTA police department received revenue from a security fee that was allocated to improving safety and security resources for the campus community. PATS was able to secure $60,000 of this revenue annually to expand the late-night security escort service from a five-day, 7 p.m.–1 a.m. service into a seven-day, 7 p.m.–3 a.m. service. Through a reallocation of financial resources, PATS was able to create meaningful savings from a lean budget and implement value-added features of the new mobility plan. The department did this in three specific ways: technology enhancements, equipment improvements, and expanded service.

GPS data proves invaluable as headway counts can now be tracked to ensure the wait times are kept to a minimum. Additionally, automated passenger counting systems allow drivers to focus on service and safety instead of trying to keep up with manual passenger counts. Most significantly for the late-night security service, introducing an app-based request platform has turned the service into a car-share-like experience. Drivers can automatically be rerouted to pick up new passengers along the route, maximizing the number of customers carried per trip. Additionally, students can now see exactly where the vehicle is in real-time and then decide to study a bit longer or start heading for the door. The new technology enhancements provide an immediate, value-added proposition for customers. This helps the department meet the customers’ expectations for the service they were ultimately funding.

Technology Enhancements

New technology connects the campus community with existing mobility options. Gone are the days of sitting at a stop, wondering when the next bus will arrive or phoning a dispatcher to request a security ride and having a golf cart appear—already at capacity. Partnerships with Doublemap and Tapride have improved technology and answered the most pressing question department staff received: “Where is the vehicle, and when will it be here?” Passengers now have the answer at their fingertips through the company app and are able to set notifications for when the vehicle is nearing, allowing them to receive instant communication of any route delays or modifications. Additionally, the new technology provides a wealth of valuable data to department decision-makers. Using this data, staff was able to better understand the supply and demand patterns for each service and allocate appropriate resources to maximize the customer experience.

Equipment Improvements

Other improvements to the system include equipment upgrades. Outsourcing the shuttle service allowed the department to immediately upgrade all shuttle vehicles with a fleet of new Starcraft Allstar F-550 buses. The buses were then branded with eye-catching UTA designs that rebranded the shuttle bus to the Mav Mover. For the first time, the look of the buses helps the service stand out on the busy Arlington streets. Additional funding went to replace the aged and wrong-sized golf cart fleet. The four-passenger carts were replaced with new eight-passenger carts that can keep up with growing demand. Branding was also added to these vehicles.

Late Night Security Escort Ridership Annual 2016‐2019 Running Total

90,000 80,000

Passenger Count

70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

2016‐2017

2,255

4,380

6,688

8,114

9,228

11,655

13,882

16,490

17,442

18,262

20,348

23,081

2017‐2018

3,942

8,886

11,298

14,909

17,155

22,179

27,480

34,295

37,599

41,679

45,117

50,941

2018‐2019

5,994

13,131

20,146

23,749

26,413

2018‐19 Projected

5,994

13,131

20,146

23,749

26,413

33,949

41,901

52,123

57,079

63,199

68,356

77,092

% Change

52%

48%

78%

59%

54%

‐100%

THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 39

Expanded Services

Finally, and probably most impressive, PATS has been able to expand overall service in three ways: ■■ A secondary bus was added to every existing route. This reduces the headways from 20 minutes to eight to 12 minutes. ■■ A regional connection was established with the University of Texas Research Institute in Fort Worth. This new route provides a much-needed transit line from Arlington to Fort Worth. ■■ A makeover of the Saturday off-campus shopping route created access to more than 50 new off-campus shopping, dining, and entertainment destinations. The shopping shuttle was modified from a Saturday-only, three-stop shopping route to a fiveday evening service that now includes new stops that connect students with once-remote grocery stores, the Texas Rangers’ new event and dining venue, and new shopping destinations. Additionally, the $2 boarding fare was eliminated, making this a frequently standing-room-only service—unheard of at UTA!

Shuttle ridership has exceeded expectations by growing more than 86 percent since the changes were implemented. The golf cart security service ridership increased 165 percent, shopping shuttle ridership increased an astonishing 957 percent, and better oversight and technology helped reduce bus headways by 52 percent. Public-Private Partnerships

Department managers knew they couldn’t implement this mobility plan alone. As a result, campus partnerships were formed with the office of sustainability. Working collaboratively, that group established a public-private partnership with Zagster for bike- sharing, allowing customers access to intra-campus facilities where larger vehicles cannot go. This allows students better mobility around campus without the need of their vehicles, helping reduce lot-hopping and encouraging park-and-walk throughout campus. A public-private partnership with Zipcar allows resident and international students without personal vehicles a way to connect with the greater city and region. Local sponsorships allowed the department to establish these initiatives without expending any financial resources. As a result, more than 20,000 reservations have been

40 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

made since 2015, totaling more than 621,000 miles driven and reducing carbon emissions by 875,000 pounds.1 This has had a tremendous effect on the quality of the student experience for customers without vehicles, who now have access to the greater DFW metroplex thanks to the enhancements made to the UTA transportation system.

Satisfied Customers

The effects of these cumulative changes were immediately apparent even though additional value-added features and future expansion are not yet fully realized. In addition to the financial savings of $1.8 million, key metrics include ridership, permit, and headway data. Shuttle ridership has exceeded expectations, growing more than 86 percent since the changes were implemented. The golf cart security service ridership increased 165 percent, shopping shuttle ridership increased an astonishing 957 percent, and better oversight and technology helped reduce bus headways by 52 percent. Service reliability convinced many more passengers to take advantage of the added convenience of shared campus transportation options. As a result, park-andride permit sales increased 73 percent. This decreased parking demand on priority parking lots by helping spread occupancy across all available lots on the 420acre campus. The overall result is a mobility system that is highly used and reliable and works alongside the strategic parking plan to park cars and move people at UTA. Most mandatory fee increases at state institutions seem to require an act of Congress. UTA’s method of reimagining existing services without increasing fees can be replicated by other institutions without the need for legislative involvement. In addition, campuses with under-developed municipal transit systems should consider public-private partnerships to fill the gaps, connect destinations, and move campus constituents. The result of UTA’s systematic transportation service overhaul is a refreshed and robust mobility system that continuously sets ridership records, expanded daily service miles by 29 percent, and provided a much-needed facelift to a stagnant shuttle system. Even with the significant improvements, there is much more to come! GREG HLADIK, PhD, is director, parking and

transportation, University of Texas at Arlington. He can be reached at hladik@uta.edu.

1. Susan Shaheen, University of California, Berkeley 2016 (one active member removes 1,600 lbs of CO2 annually and one Zipcar removes 13 personally owned vehicles from campus).

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parking-mobility.org/apds

Keeping the M

By Josh Cantor

ANY IN THE PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY talk about how they fell into

it, having never planned a career in this field. My career has evolved in a way I never planned, yet here I am 16 years later. What makes our jobs interesting is the variety of issues, projects, events, technologies, and planning we deal with every day. As a political science major in college, I purposely avoided walking through the engineering quad and architecture building for fear of not being as smart as the students there. Ironically, I now report to the vice president of facilities and spend half my day working with architects and engineers! I also spend a lot of time on information technology issues and projects even though I avoided computer science classes in college. Despite my background, what I—and virtually all university parking and transportation managers—deal with is how to manage chaos; we are always in the middle of a growing campus. Because I’m a part of a unit that has an effect on practically every aspect of the campus, a large part of my job is to find out what is happening and who it will affect. While many perceive parking as an evil entity, we are often doing more than most can imagine to look out for other people’s best interests. I’m fond of saying that although parking doesn’t control enrollment, class scheduling, event scheduling, or construction projects, it has a role in their success.

42 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

Parking Questions First

As universities increase enrollment, one of the first questions people ask is: Where will people park or are we getting more shuttles? Through years of planning, policy refinements, and lots of number crunching and analysis, we prepare for enrollment growth. We drafted a transportation master plan at the beginning of the decade that pushed to reduce single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs) by 10 percent. We accomplished that and more as the number of students with vehicles dropped from 65 percent to 47 percent in 10 years.

Up Pulse

Parking and transportation professionals play multiple roles on growing campuses—even when it’s not expected.

By controlling options for resident students, the percentage of residents with vehicles has dropped from 50 to 33 percent, with only 15 percent of freshman residents having permits. Freshmen can have cars but are only given a few permit options, with most parking in a remote lot. As demand increased with no immediate plans to build more parking because of financial restraints, we pushed through a policy with our parking and transportation advisory committee to reduce the permit options sophomore residents have. By doing so, we reduced how many brought vehicles to campus and pushed them out of closer-in, commuter lots. Next year, we are looking into limiting permit options for freshman off-campus students. These policy decisions were thoroughly vetted with representatives from admissions, housing, university life, orientation, and family programs, along with parking staff. By being able to present data on space occupancy, permit sales breakdowns, and examples from other schools, we were able to make a logical business case to support the new policy restrictions.

Scheduling

While enrollment obviously has a significant effect on parking and transportation, when classes are held also

has an effect. Traditionally, more students are in class on Tuesdays and Thursdays than other days, with peak demand between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. As enrollment has grown and more classes are added, how to provide enough parking and shuttles (and classrooms!) for peak demand has become more of a challenge. The first few weeks of a college semester are even more challenging as more people are on campus than generally will be on a normal class day; students are running around outside of class visiting financial aid, the bookstore, or academic advisers. In many respects, we operate the first few weeks in event parking mode, with added signage and staff in the lots to direct students and employees to the closest available parking, often allowing use of alternative parking areas such as grassy areas or lots not normally accessible to certain permit holders. As the parking department handles the immediacy of high-demand class parking, we have also worked with the registrar’s office to address demand and class scheduling in the long term by seeing if changes can be made to adjust demand during peak hours. More classes have been added to Wednesday, which has helped alleviate the capacity issue. THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 43

Construction

Another common area of concern is construction—an aspect of my job I really didn’t envision when I started, especially given my avoidance of engineers and architects in college. Certainly, as the project owner when building a parking deck or parking lot, we are expected to take an active role in the process and serve as the subject matter expert. What I did not anticipate, but learned to assume a role in, was how construction affects other campus access, mainly roadways and sidewalks. Multiple campus departments have a vested role in access, but there is no true owner like a lot, deck, or building has.

Being involved in planning, events, and construction, and running a complex business focused on budget, financials, and technology, while providing customer service at a very individualized level is all in a day’s work in supporting the needs of a growing campus. Early in my tenure, knowing we were in a strong position to know what was happening around campus and what any construction impacts might be, our department took on a lead role in construction. A critical part of this is communication: drafting the campus alerts, creating the temporary signage, answering phone calls and emails, etc. While the projects took care of the basics of any closures, I realized that our customer service obligations often required much more hand-holding in assisting the campus community to navigate around the closures and mitigate the effects. Our customers, as are most humans, are creatures of habit, and even temporary changes to traffic patterns and parking can be stressful. How to deal with this aspect of construction wasn’t anything I was taught in parking, but the more you know your customers and what their concerns are, the easier it can be to anticipate and be pro-active in assisting them. Often our roles are to empathize with our customers; as fellow members of the campus community, we’re not immune from the construction effects. I’ve told countless people that if we didn’t care, the easy route would be to do the bare minimum. Balancing the needs of a construction project with the needs of campus is an everyday task. You have to learn to advocate for each side to serve the common good.

Events

As it has become tougher to accommodate the daily academic demand, universities have largely become

44 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

busier event venues, hosting conferences, symposiums, and workshops along with cultural and athletic events brought by off-campus partners. Event planners often find space on campus and then think of parking as an afterthought. Of course, the parking professionals provide data to inform them of what space we have and when we need more support for events. In some respects, handling large events is easier as more resources are usually allocated. Whether it’s a presidential visit, basketball game, or concert, we can send out large-scale announcements to the campus about what is happening and how to mitigate the effects. With smaller events, particularly ones that have unique requirements, it’s often more difficult to get everyone to understand what to expect when on campus. Our goal is to never be caught off guard by event parking. There’s a process for events to request parking for lots and garages, but there’s a responsibility for our office to find out from event organizers who haven’t contacted us about parking arrangements, as those are the ones that do surprise us at times. An event will instruct attendees to park in a garage that is full on a regular basis, forcing our staff to react in real time. The more we know ahead of time and can prepare with alternative parking plans, including signage and maps for attendees, the better the experience is for the event attendees and the less stress on staff.

Everyday Challenges

As those who work in parking at a college campus know, every day brings new challenges in both the short term and long term as universities grow. A large focus of my job is observing and analyzing all aspects that involve mobility and campus access to predict and prepare for the future. It’s very easy to get wrapped up in what is best for my department, or even one set of customers, but lose focus on the bigger mission of supporting the overall needs of the university. Being involved in planning, events, and construction, and running a complex business focused on budget, financials, and technology, while providing customer service at a very individualized level is all in a day’s work in supporting the needs of a growing campus (and I didn’t even get to shuttles, transportation demand management, and other transportation responsibilities!). JOSH CANTOR is director of parking and

transportation at George Mason University. He can be reached at jcantor1@gmu.edu.

short

Highlights from the IPMI Blog

ALTERNATE PROJECT DELIVERY METHODS: BREAKING THE MOLD By Alex Smith, AAE

Capital improvement projects are the lifeblood of maintaining a parking facility. Some projects repair crumbling infrastructure, others offer customers with value-added products, and some have an effect on parking and mobility within a community through planning studies. The vehicle by which these projects ae procured and carried out has remained vastly the same for a number of years. A company will identify a project that needs to be completed, develop a scope for it, put it out to bid, select the most qualified or lowestcost bidder, and construct/conduct the project (this method is also known as design-bid-build). However, this method is not always the most efficient or most cost effective, especially with complex projects. Here are two alternate project delivery methods that may help break the mold for your next project: ●● Job Order Contract (JOC). A multiple-year contract between an organization and a contractor selected through a bidding process, that enables the organization to complete various projects throughout the term of the contract based upon predetermined pricing. The advantage of this type of project delivery method is that by having a contractor under a signed agreement, an organization is able to complete repetitive or recurring construction projects with a predictable and quantifiable cost without having to consistently bid out each project. ●● Construction Manager At-Risk (CMAR). CMAR is an evolution of the traditional designbid-build project delivery method. A CMAR is typically chosen at the beginning of the design of a project through a bid process that selects the most qualified firm. In turn the CMAR works with project engineers, planners, and the owner to design, develop, and complete the project in a fiscally responsible manner. The CMAR provides input at every stage of design from a constructability standpoint that can help decrease project costs. The advantage of this type of delivery method is that the CMAR delivers the project within a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) and the CMAR acts in the best interest of the owner. Why not try something new for your next project? You never know how much it may save you! ALEX SMITH, AAE, is operations manager with Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority.

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.

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WHAT IF THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENS—AGAIN? By David M. Feehan

On July 30, 2016, a 1,000-year flood devastated Ellicott City, Md., wiping out sections of the historic downtown, carrying cars down the flooded street, and closing down businesses for months. No one predicted a flood of this magnitude, which dumped a total of six inches of rain on the town in less than two hours. Then on May 27, 2018, less than two years later, an even worse flood dumped eight inches of rain on the town, again flooding Main Street. How could this happen? The only explanation local officials could give was “the effects of climate change.” What does this have to do with parking? Plenty, if you think about it. First, there were many cars parked on Main Street and nearby surface lots that were washed away or damaged so badly they had to be scrapped. Second, Main Street was closed for months while buildings were demolished or restored, meaning parking revenues were affected. And even after Main Street reopened, there were fewer stores and fewer customers, so longer term parking revenues were lost. A few years ago, I helped develop a strategic plan for the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District, in downtown Washington, D.C. One of the key elements of the plan was an emergency preparedness plan. In the District, every organization needs to be prepared for emergencies, natural and man-made. I was just starting my job at the International Downtown Association when a jet flew into the Pentagon and we were told that another was headed for the White House or the Capitol. We had no emergency plan in our office. If you manage parking facilities in your town, how good is your emergency preparedness plan? Or do you even have one? What would happen if your town were hit by a tornado or hurricane? What would you do in the event of a 1000year flood? What would you do if, heaven forbid, someone exploded a truck bomb in your garage? Do you have plans to mitigate human damage? Do employees have clear instructions and training in what to do in an emergency? Do you have necessary supplies—bottled water, blankets, etc.—in the event something unexpected occurs? Expect the unthinkable and develop an emergency plan now before disaster occurs. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. DAVID M. FEEHAN is president of Civitas Consultants, LLC.

ME, INC.

By Justin L. Grunert MSM I am coming up on my first work anniversary at IPMI. After a year of working with great members and great coworkers and working for great bosses, I’ve been reflecting on the fact that I am very fortunate to have a work environment/culture that supports my personal and professional development and appreciates my hard work. With that being said, we should always treat ourselves as a company of one. The best advice given to me recently is that one should think about oneself as an individual company and consider what actions we can take to set ourselves up for success while working for our employers. I want to encourage each of our members to think about your own path. Do you want to get a raise or a promotion, or do you want to switch departments to learn new skills? What actions can you take today, tomorrow, or in the future to make both your employer and your “company of one” a success? I went back to school. Not once, but twice. I had a great retail job but when the economy went south and my old company (Blockbuster Video) started closing stores, I was scared and not sure if my store would be next. With some encouragement, I took the necessary steps to ensure my success. I went back to school and earned my bachelor’s degree. Although I was financially successful, I wasn’t extremely happy in my career and decided to take the next steps and went back to school again for my master’s degree. Now I work for a great organization with fantastic coworkers and members. I encourage everyone to learn a new skill, take a class, earn a certification, and create your own options to ensure the success of your own future. JUSTIN L. GRUNERT, MSM, is IPMI’s LMS and training coordinator.

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Find a Job. Post a Job. IPMIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Career HQ. Discover your next parking and mobility industry job or candidate in IPMIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Career HQ. Reach thousands of parking, transportation, and mobility professionals. New positions are posted daily with opportunities for every level.

Where will you go? Find out at careers.parking-mobility.org

IPMI IN ACTION | 2019 IPMI EXPO

The 2019 IPMI Conference & Expo brings together 3,500 parking, transportation, By Rita Pagan and mobility professionals to connect, learn, and collaborate. Don’t miss your opportunity HEN ATTENDEES ARRIVE AT THE 2019toIPMI & EXPO , one of the highbe CONFERENCE part of it.

COME TOGETHER

lights of the event is the Expo Hall. Check it out, walk the floor, and collect some cool swag, but make sure you take advantage of this amazing community and opportunity. Quite literally more than 200 companies—technology, solutions and service providers—and their many employees stand at the ready to help you and your organization grow.

Learn from the best at2019 the 2019 Highlights Launching this year, plan to visit the IPMI StartIPMI Conference up Pavilion. This pavilion will host the most & Expo. cutting-edge and innovative start-ups from the park-

ing and mobility community. Meet the innovators and entrepreneurs that are changing how we do business. Get a bird’s eye view of emerging technology or get up close and personal, where you can look, touch, and test-drive new products and tech. #IPMI2019 features interactive education on the show floor, allowing you to engage with industry leaders and experts during Expo Hall hours. Learning Labs are designed to provide attendees with essential education on what technology is available, how to implement it successfully, and what’s up-and- coming in the industry. Visit IPIConference.parking. org for the complete lineup. The Expo Connector: Connect with exhibitors

Early-bird registration saves $300 and ends February 15, 2019.

IPIConference.parking.org

pre-plan to make sureprofessionals you get one-on-one face must-attend event for parking, transportation,and and mobility

IPIConference.parking.org time with specific companies and providers. Access

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the online appointment system to schedule in person meetings with the experts you want to meet. You can do this before you check your bag and take off - just

Expo Hours

Monday, June 10 12:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 11 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 12 12:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. log into the mobile app or Attendee Service Center at ipiconference.parking.org to explore and plan out your time. Visit the IPMI Community Center. Take some time to visit with our staff and be sure to bring new(er) employees to meet us as well. Look in your Program Guide or the mobile app for Engage presentations designed to take your career and your organization to the next level. These quick-hitting sessions, facilitated by IPMI staff, feature short presentations and small group discussion on topics that include training effective teams, making the investment in CAPP, diving into APO, and more. Have a question about the Expo Hall at the 2019 IPMI Conference? Need to sign up for a booth? Reach out to us at exhibits@parking-mobility.org. RITA PAGAN is IPMI’s sales & exhibits

coordinator. She can be reached at pagan@ parking-mobility.org.

Three Tips to Maximize Your Expo Experience

Dedicate plenty of time to spend in the hall. Don’t be rushed in and about with the crowds; this event only happens once a year and you do not want to miss out because you are pressed for time.

Attend the Expo Hall every day for a set period of time during open hours. Wednesday, the final day of the Expo, may be the best time to explore and meet with representatives. Schedule meetings with connections for later in the week in person during the show.

Consider the subject matter experts in the Expo one of your greatest resources in the parking, transportation, and mobility industry— make sure you connect, exchange contact details, and follow up.

NEW! This year, we will spotlight some of the most innovative cities in the Smart Mobility Innovation Hubs. Watch our website for more information coming soon!

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STATE AND REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT | MID-ATLANTIC PARKING ASSOCIATION

Off to a Great Start in the Mid-Atlantic By Howard Benson

HE MID-ATLANTIC PARKING ASSOCIATION (MAPA) had a successful 2018 and is off to a great start in 2019. We elected a new member to our board of directors: Ronald Peck of Colonial Parking, Inc. In January, MAPA hosted its annual strategic planning meeting, which set the programs and initiatives the association will focus on this year.

Website

Last February, MAPA launched a redesigned website to offer better service to its members. The website is now the place to go for existing and prospective members to find information about and register for MAPA-hosted events. The website

is also home to the new MAPA Blog, which highlights industry trends and news from association members each month. Visit us at midatlanticparkingassociation.org. If you would like to submit a blog post or ask a question about an industry issue, send it in.

2018 Program Success

In May, MAPA held its annual Parking & Baseball event at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md. Association members enjoyed watching the Baltimore Orioles take on the Philadelphia Phillies. In August, we partnered with the Washington Parking Association to hold a joint networking luncheon cruise in Washington, D.C., aboard the ship Spirit of Washington on the Potomac River. A speaker offered parking professionals tips to facilitate more effective networking skills. In November, MAPA held its annual fall conference during two days at the Clarion Hotel Conference Center near Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Attendees enjoyed a welcome reception, time with vendors, and exciting sessions to bolster their knowledge of the parking industry. Session topics covered the impact of parking on health care reimbursement; ride-share; adapting to changing behaviors of consumers; parking guidance; and designing downtown for women. An extra benefit this year was that IPMI offered CAPP points for attending the conference. HOWARD BENSON is executive vice

president of national sales with Control Systems, Inc. He can be reached at hbenson@control-systems-inc.com.

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MAPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Mark Pace Montgomery College

Angela Hall University of Maryland, Baltimore

VICE PRESIDENT Howard Benson Control Systems, Inc.

Bill Boyle Federal Parking

TREASURER Brian Simmons University of Maryland, Baltimore SECRETARY Anthony Jacobsmeyer SpotHero Ronald Peck Colonial Parking

Dianne Harris Revenue Authority of Prince George’s County, Md. Chuck Bobby University of Maryland, Baltimore County Parvez Ahmed ParkWhiz

Dawn Marti | MAPA Association Manager admin@midatlanticparkingassociation.org

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Around the Industry Lancaster Parking Authority Installs AEDs in Garages and Facilities THE LANCASTER, PA., PARKING AUTHORITY (LPA) installed eight automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in six garages and offices to help individuals who might experience a sudden cardiac arrest. Anyone can use the devices, and individuals attempting to save a life are covered by the Good Samaritan state statute that protects them from being sued. AEDs can check the rhythm of the heart and deliver electrical shocks—defibrillation—when needed to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest reestablish an effective heart rhythm. If a heart suddenly stops beating, an AED can be used to help prevent death. “In our efforts to be proactive within the community, we added AEDs to potentially save lives in our facilities,” says

Larry J. Cohen, CAPP, LPA executive director, adding that 19 LPA employees have completed the AED training and have also been certified in Red Cross first-aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) courses. The AEDs are available for use by trained individuals and others in an emergency. Housed in white boxes with alarms, the AEDs can be accessed by pushing open the box (alarm will continue until the door is closed). The AEDs come with stepby-step audio instructions for use in both English and Spanish. In addition, the AEDs include CPR feedback advice, for example, telling the person doing CPR to push faster or harder. The AEDs have a visible white AED sign and are located near stairwells and exit lanes in LPA garages.

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ParkCloud Hails New City Center HQ as Prime Location for Growth WITH SIGHTS FIRMLY FIXED on market expansion, ParkCloud procured a new Manchester, England, head office at 55 Spring Gardens. Following the announcement of its new ownership structure in 2018, ParkCloud’s new phase of growth spearheaded a need for a more collaborative workspace to accommodate the developing needs of the business, in addition to diversifying the working environment for its expanding team. ParkCloud’s new workspace, operated by Central Working, employs a more interactive way of working, with a relaxed club-style central working area, hot-desking, state-of-the-art technology and meeting facilities, and weekly event incentives for staff. ParkCloud Managing Director Mark Pegler says, “As a progressive technology company operating in a diverse range of global markets, our teams are

paramount to the continuing pattern of success ParkCloud has achieved, and as such, optimizing the working environment to garner more opportunities for collaboration and innovation was the next logical step in our commercial growth plan. “Through Central Working, not only are we able to offer our team a more flexible, interactive, and inspiring workspace, but our prime city center location places us in a prominent position to tap into the wealth of budding tech talent

the city holds,” he continues. In July 2018, ParkCloud expanded its shareholder base with investment partner Mercia Fund Managers, shortly followed by the appointment of a new management team to focus top-line development into strategic areas of the business.  Connecting the world’s drivers with parking spaces, ParkCloud allows drivers to pre-book airport, city, station, and port parking at more than 2,000 car parks in 42 countries.

ParkCloud Managing Director Mark Pegler

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Around the Industry

continued

ParkWhiz Rebrands as Arrive PARKWHIZ INC. HAS REBRANDED as Arrive™ Inc. Arrive’s fully integrated platform helps companies and brands easily offer parking and other mobility-related services to drivers, fleets, and connected vehicles. Using app, voice, and in-dash technology, Arrive’s branded and white-labeled solutions can surface convenient parking options and additional services to drivers at various touchpoints. Arrive powers hundreds of partner-branded experiences in addition to the highly rated ParkWhiz and BestParking mobile apps, which have millions of active users across North America. “When we parked our first car in 2007, route planning and in-car connectivity services were luxuries. Today, these are essential components of consumer journeys, and we are excited to

play an integral role in powering them,” says Yona Shtern, CEO and executive chairman. “While our consumer brands are strong and gaining in popularity, we believe the future of parking lies within vehicles, navigation systems, and other touchpoints.”

Parking Launches into the Digital Age in Alabama HUNTSVILLE, ALA., HOME TO THE U.S. Space & Rocket Center, has taken one giant leap into the digital age of parking with the launch of Passport Parking, a mobile application that allows users to pay for parking through their smartphones. There will be more than 400 spaces available for easy pay-by-smartphone options in the downtown Huntsville area. Currently, the meters are coin-operated only. In addition to using the app to pay for parking, users can: ■■ Monitor their parking sessions. ■■ Extend time remotely. ■■ View payment history. ■■ Receive email receipts. “We want to make it easier for customers to pay for parking and to extend their time without the hassle of returning to a meter,” says John Ashburn, the city’s parking services manager. “The technology provided by Passport will allow Huntsville residents and guests to enjoy our city’s downtown area with more leisure time.” Passport Sales Director Kelsey Owen adds, “Passport is thrilled to partner with the City of Huntsville and introduce our industry-leading mobile pay technology. We’re excited to bring a mobile option to the city that seamlessly combines paying for parking to managing and extending a parking session in just a few taps.”

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More than 40 million customers in 230 cities across the U.S. and Canada have access to the largest transactional parking network in North America through Arrive-powered parking reservations and drive-up, friction-free parking. Arrive provides transactional parking services for hundreds of partners within their own apps, websites, and emails. The company’s partnerships include professional sports teams and venues, events, travel providers, airlines, hotels, automotive OEMs, and navigation systems. “The Arrive brand represents the culmination of our evolution as a company into an enterprise business that powers the full range of mobility services in collaboration with and on behalf of our partners,” Shtern says. Last April, the company acquired Tel Aviv-based Codi Park and launched the Arrive Network, its powerful friction-free parking solution. Any driver using an Arrive-powered app or registered vehicle can experience seamless payments and frictionless entry and exit at participating lots and garages. The company recently completed its latest financing, raising $25 million in new equity funding from investors such as NewSpring Capital, Alate, and Amazon’s Alexa Fund.

Conduent Names Rahul Gupta Chief Technology and Product Officer CONDUENT INCORPORATED (NYSE: CNDT) announced the appointment of Rahul Gupta as chief technology and product officer. Based in Florham Park, N.J., Gupta will be responsible for end-to-end product and platform management, including implementation, maintenance, and innovation. He will also be responsible for product road maps, product marketing, collaborating with lines of business and clients on product strategy, and driving strategic technology partnerships. Gupta joined Conduent in early 2017 as the leader of its information technology services organization. “With more than 20 years of experience in leadership, transformation, and delivery in IT services, Rahul has the experience needed to help us innovate and grow,” says Jeff

Friedel, chief people officer, Conduent. “Rahul will play a critical role in leading the next phase of our technology transformation as we continue to make significant investments to help our clients accelerate their digital journeys.” Prior to joining Conduent, Gupta worked at Capgemini, where he led the application development and enterprise applications organization consisting of more than 6,000 employees. Before that, he held leadership roles at other IT service companies, including iGATE, Infosys, HCL, and Telstra. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Regional College of Engineering, India, and holds a master of business administration degree in finance and marketing from MDI Gurgaon, India.

WGI Acquires BIG RED DOG NATIONAL DESIGN FIRM WGI is pleased to announce it acquired Texas-based BIG RED DOG, INC. (BRD), a firm with a reputation in the industry for intelligent disruption and a provider of civil, MEP, structural, traffic, and transportation engineering for public and private clients. With nearly 600 professionals in 18 offices spread across Florida, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, and Texas, WGI has its sights set on affirming its national trademark: Tomorrow’s Technology Today. WGI invests in the cutting-edge efficiencies and solutions that forward-thinking clients demand. The combination of industry veterans with decades of experience and an ambitious group of youthful visionaries will further grab the market’s attention. Together, their combined talents enhance both

firms’ market leadership and progressive status, delivering revolutionary, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure in smart, connected communities. Founded in 2009, BIG RED DOG is a deliberately unconventional group, led by Will Schnier, CEO. Its leadership team—Schnier; Matt Stewart, chief operating officer; and Brad Lingvai, civil

market leader—and all key principals, executives, and associates will continue in their current roles. WGI CEO David Wantman says, “We were first introduced to the BRD team several years ago, carefully watching the growth and development of a hot firm in hot markets. Combining two great firms with such a broad range of services is

certain to result in an exciting future.” Will Schnier, CEO of BRD, says, “We’ve been watching WGI from afar with great admiration for several years. For the past five years we’ve both been among the fastest-growing firms in the industry. By combining forces and creating a national footprint, we expect to create a lot of opportunities for our clients and our team members and ultimately for our communities.” Combined, the firms serve an active client base in more than 30 states and three countries. With this fourth acquisition in four years, WGI is executing its strategic plan with a vision of market leadership via innovative excellence. Infrastructure demands are evolving at a previously unimagined pace, focusing on autonomy, smart and connected cities, resiliency, and sustainability.

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Around the Industry

continued

Savannah Partners with Flowbird FLOWBIRD GROUP PARTNERED with the City of Savannah, Ga., to replace its existing pre-paid smart card parking system with new cloud-based validation software. The Validation ePurse system allows drivers in Savannah to purchase individual validation codes from the city’s department of mobility and parking services at a discounted rate. The code can then be used in the future to pay for parking at the city’s Flowbird Strada pay stations. In early 2018, the Flowbird development team met with Savannah officials to make a change with the antiquated Smart Card system. For many years, drivers would purchase pre-paid cards and the dollar value on the card would get debited down with each parking transaction. The Flowbird team was able to develop an electronic system to suit the needs of the city and drivers, releasing the Validation ePurse system. When customers purchase an ePurse Validation code, they provide their name and phone number for code tracking. Once the code is given to the customer, they may use that code to pay for their parking time on-street at any designated pay station that the city assigns to that code. After the code is entered into the pay station, the user can choose how much parking time they need. Once the time is selected, the customer confirms the transaction, their ePurse gets debited down accordingly, and the transaction is wirelessly communicated to the enforcement handheld devices. The Validation ePurse

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eliminates the need for any new hardware, running exclusively on software and cloud hosting. There are no more pre-loaded cards to buy, nor the need for reloading stations that city staff have to operate. This provides a cost savings to the city and eliminates the need to manage an inventory of smart cards. When the validation code is created by the city, the city has many controls over how it may be used, such as: ■■ The pay stations where it will be used. ■■ Number of uses per day. ■■ Number of hours that may be used on any given day. ■■ The time of day it may be used. ■■ The days it may be used. The Validation ePurse system launched in Savannah in September 2018. Since then, more than 1,600 codes have been used, resulting in approximately $10,000 in pre-paid parking revenue.

University of California San Diego Picks Park Assist THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (UC) San Diego awarded Park Assist the parking guidance system (PGS) for its new Osler Parking Structure. Over the next few years, UC San Diego will be expanding campus parking facilities, and Osler is the first of three M4 system installations.

UC San Diego was originally searching for an ultrasonic PGS for new structures until learning about the advantages of camera-based, smart-sensor systems. The university decided to invest in Park Assist’s patented M4 system because it offered more valuable features and benefits. To ensure a seamless, efficient parking experience, UC San Diego was interested in Park Assist’s digital signage that displays space availability and guides drivers to different parking zones. Park Assist’s Find Your Car™ feature directs visitors to their cars when they return to the structure. Visitors will be able to find their vehicles by entering their license plate numbers into a future web portal, a benefit

made possible by Park Assist’s integrated license plate recognition technology. UC San Diego also included Park Assist’s Park Alerts™ software feature in its PGS system to effectively monitor space utilization and enforce policies. Park Alerts will notify parking compliance staff of any parking policy violations by offering either time-based or license-plate-based alerts. “We are excited to deploy our M4 solution in the San Diego area through our relationship with UC San Diego. UC San Diego has been well-known for its commitment to innovation and excellence on campus, and we are overjoyed to be a part of their vision in the new Osler Parking Structure,” says Vince Balsamo, general manager, North America.

PayByPhone Names Carmen Sevrens Vice President of Sales, West PAYBYPHONE, A GLOBAL LEADER IN MOBILE PARKING PAYMENTS, announces Carmen Sevrens has been named vice president of sales, west. A longtime parking technology sales leader, Sevrens joins PayByPhone from T2 Systems, where she was a regional sales manager. In her new position, she will oversee business development throughout the West Coast of the United States and Canada. “PayByPhone is in the midst of extraordinary growth throughout the U.S. and Canada, and Carmen Sevrens will be a tremendous addition to our team,” says Roamy Valera, CAPP, PayByPhone’s CEO, U.S. and Canada. “Carmen is a gifted sales leader who is well-known and highly respected throughout the parking industry. She’ll play an important role in our continued expansion throughout the United States and Canada.” Sevrens is a veteran parking technology sales professional with more than 10 years of experience. She has a proven track record building successful sales teams and mentoring team members. In addition to creating and implementing a regional sales strategy for PayByPhone, Sevrens will oversee the expansion of the company’s Western sales team. “This is an exciting time for PayByPhone, and I’m delighted to be joining the company,” Sevrens says. “PayByPhone is wellknown throughout the world as the leading mobile payment technology brand, and it is poised to become the unchallenged leader in innovation and customer service. I’m excited to have an opportunity to play a key role in PayByPhone’s continued growth in Canada and the United States.” THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 57

Around the Industry

continued

Paris Site Furnishings Introduces the Verve Family of Site Furnishings PARIS SITE FURNISHINGS INTRODUCES Verve Benches and litter and recycling receptacles with warm contemporary styling and maintenance-free design. Constructed of aluminum and Ipe hardwood, these 20-gallon waste containers are available as single, stand-alone units or as tandems for waste and recycling receptacles. They include built-in anchor holes for secure mounting to a solid surface such as concrete or an optional surface mount pedestal. Aluminum components are available in standard colors, including red, blue, white, grey, green, yellow, and beige. When paired with stylish and comfortable 6-foot Verve benches, these site furnishings provide years of trouble-free service for any indoor or outdoor envi-

ronment. They are ideal for parks and recreational areas, streetscapes, green spaces, schools, universities, sports arenas and public places, transit facilities, restaurants, hotels and other hospitality industry venues, or wherever durable, stylish waste collection and seating is desired.

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#winning

FlashParking Welcomes Jeffrey Johnson FLASHPARKING ANNOUNCED the appointment of industry expert Jeffrey Johnson as vice president of enterprise solutions. As a part of Johnson’s new position at FlashParking, he will design, build, test, launch, and manage enterprise solutions for current clients and new prospects, expanding upon the company’s current services. Johnson will focus on driving FlashParking’s revenue and profit growth, as well as educating companies on how they can gain more value and increase return across a broader range of their portfolio with FlashParking. “As a leader in the parking industry, Johnson brings more than a decade of experience, and we are thrilled to have him on the FlashParking team,” says Juan Rodriguez, CEO of FlashParking. “With our continued growth in the United States, the addition of Johnson to our leadership team allows us to continue our expansion while delivering quality customer solutions to businesses.” Johnson joins FlashParking from Towne Park, where he served on its executive team and rose to the role of senior vice president, operations, western group. He was responsible for leading all field operations for the Western U.S. He also focused on providing a path for employee enrichment and development and led the client development road map. Before joining Towne Park, Johnson was a director of rooms division for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. During his 15 years in the hospitality industry, he worked in a number of executive-level leadership roles, where he oversaw departments such as guest services, housekeeping, and the front office. “I am excited to join the FlashParking team,” Johnson says. “I’m bringing my expertise in soft relationship-based selling with insider insight from my time in hotel and parking management, which will allow me to have better value-based conversations with asset managers and operators. I look forward to helping our clients with our industry-leading parking technology.” FlashParking has expanded into new territories and diversified its product offerings during the past year. As FlashParking continues to grow and evolve as a leading parking technology provider, Johnson will play a critical role in supporting and advancing these efforts. In particular, Johnson will use his hospitality knowledge and extensive network to enhance the FlashParking customer experience. Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from the University of Kansas.

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Advertisers Index Aims Parking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 aimsparking.com 800.886.6316

IPS Group Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C3 ipsgroupinc.com 858.404.0607

Toledo Ticket. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 toledoticket.com 800.533.6620

CHANCE Management Advisors, Inc. . . . . . . 61 chancemanagement.com 215.564.6464

Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . .7, 60 kimley-horn.com/parking 919.653.6646

Walker Consultants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 walkerconsultants.com 800.860.1579

DESMAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 desman.com 877.337.6260

Parkmobile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 http://parkmobile.io 678.681.9433

Walter P Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 walterpmoore.com 800.364.7300

Flexpost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 flexpostinc.com 888.307.6610

PayByPhone Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . .C2 paybyphone.com 877.610.2054

Watry Design, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 watrydesign.com 408.392.7900

Hörmann High Performance Doors. . . . . . . . . . 5 hormann-flexon.com 800.365.3667

Rich & Associates, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 richassoc.com 248.353.5080

WGI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 WGInc.com 866.909.2220

International Parking Design, Inc.. . . . . . . . . .60 ipd-global.com 818.986.1494

Southland Printing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 southlandprinting.com 800.241.8662

Knowledge is Power. Shared Knowledge is…

MAGIC The Parking Professional is IPMI’s award-winning monthly magazine, featuring articles and insights from industry experts on the latest in technology, design, and management. If your company is an IPMI member, your entire staff receives a digital subscription. Read now at parking-mobility.org.

62 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

CALENDAR

2019 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII MARCH 4

Mid South Transportation & Parking Association Spring Conference & Tradeshow Lexington, Ky. mstpa.org

MARCH 20

Accessible Parking and Placard Abuse IPMI Webinar parking-mobility.org/webinars

MARCH 21

New York State Parking Association Professional Development Seminar: Parking in Rhythm nyspa.net

MARCH 28

Southwest Parking & Transportation Association Mid-year Training & Conference Tucson, Ariz. southwestparking.org

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII APRIL 3

New England Parking Council Annual Conference Hartford, Conn. newenglandparkingcouncil.org

APRIL 10

RIding the Micromobility Boom: Reinventing Urban and Suburban Parking Structures in the Age of Mobility Networks IPMI Webinar parking-mobility.org/webinars

APRIL 22

Texas Parking & Transportation Association Conference & Tradeshow Houston, Texas texasparking.org

APRIL 24

Parking and Transportation Association of Georgia Conference Stone Mountain, Ga. parkingassociationofgeorgia.com

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII SEPTEMBER 25–27

Southwest Parking and Transportation Association Fall Conference Las Vegas, Nev. southwestparking.org

MAY 1

SEPTEMBER 29–OCTOBER 2

MAY 10

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Watch Your Assets! How to Monetize Most Effectively IPMI Webinar parking-mobility.org/webinars Pennsylvania Parking Association Spring Conference & Tradeshow Philadelphia, Pa. paparking.org

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Campus Parking and Transportation Association University of Missouri, Columbia cptaonline.org

OCTOBER 3 –4

IPMI Leadership Summit Pittsburgh, Pa. parking-mobility.org/100

OCTOBER 16–18

JUNE 9–12

2019 IPMI Conference & Expo Anaheim, Calif. ipiconference.parking.org

Parking Association of the Virginias 2019 Annual Fall Workshop and Tradeshow Williamsburg, Va. pavonline.org

OCTOBER 23-24

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII JULY 9

Parksmart Advisor Online, Instructor-Led Training begins parking-mobility.org/parksmart

Abrapark International Conference Sao Paulo, Brazil abrapark.com/br

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII DECEMBER 2–6

JULY 24-26

Pacific Intermountain Parking & Transportation Association 2019 Conference & Expo Boise, Idaho pipta.org

Florida Parking and Transportation Association Conference & Tradeshow Clearwater Beach, Fla. flapta.org

JULY 31

How to Cater Excellent Customer Service on a Multi-building Property by Maximizing Shuttle Routes IPMI Webinar parking-mobility.org/webinars THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG 63

WWW

. PARKING -MOBILITY. ORG

In Case You Missed It... ON THE BLOG ➚➚Five Autonomous Trends on the Way. ➚➚Changing the Narrative, by Chelsea Webster. ➚➚The Hype Cycle, by David Hill, CAPP, MA. ➚➚Alternate Project Delivery Methods, by Alex Smith, AAE. ➚➚Me, Inc., by Justin L. Grunert, MSM. these and more (and submit your own posts) at parking-mobility.org/blog and in your daily ➚➚Read Forum email. AT THE FORUM ➚➚Combatting snow and ice. ➚➚Black History Month and parking. ➚➚Adjudication methods. ➚➚Parking value for the IRS. ➚➚Garage roof tailgating guidance. ➚➚Disabled placard abuse. your own questions, offer your expertise, and network with colleagues from around the world at ➚➚Ask forum.parking-mobility.org. ON THE #IPMI2019 WEBSITE ➚➚2019 IPMI Conference & Expo full schedule of events. ➚➚Pre-Conference courses, including registration. ➚➚FAQs. ➚➚All the networking events and how to get tickets. ➚➚Our keynote speaker, autonomous vehicles expert Lawrence Burns, PhD. ➚➚Interactive Expo Hall map and list of exhibitors. ➚➚Attendance justification toolkit ➚➚Don’t miss it. IPIConference.parking.org All from your desk, on your time, at parking-mobility.org. 64 THE PARKING PROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2019 | PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG

Nicole Ybarra | IPS Customer

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE SIMPLE Parking should be too. Meet the IPS Group Meter: Intuitive. Fast. Easy … Smart. This simplicity is backed by one of the most advanced, scalable, fully-integrated parking management platforms available in the industry. The IPS Group Smart Meter is designed to make your citizens happy today, and your community the Smart City of the future.

Smart Meters | Enforcement | Sensors | Permitting | Big Data Request a demo at ipsgroupinc.com/demo

MARCH 2019 The Parking Professional ● REVIVING A TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ● LPR THREE YEARS LATER ● INBOUND MARKETING TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR ● PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION’S CAMPUS ROLES