Tag Archives: 2020

Looking Back, Planning Ahead, and Changing Our Perspective

photo on top of the sneakers and the inscription comfort zone on the asphalt, the concept of personal private spaceBy Christina Jones, CAPP

Moving to Colorado in 2015 as an introvert who had been out of college longer than I care to admit, I was terrified by the idea of building a social network from scratch. So I challenged myself to try one new thing each month. It could be anything but it had to involve interacting with at least one stranger each time.

Initially it was intimidating going out alone and trying to start a conversation with strangers, so I stuck to things that centered on my interests, like a cooking class or a guided tour. When I decided to stretch outside my comfort zone, I tried a Bollywood dance class, then went on a cruise alone where each night I enjoyed dinner with a new stranger as we chatted about the day’s activities. I was really hitting my stride, gaining confidence, developing friendships, and expanding my network–and then along came 2020.

In looking back at the year of isolation and virtual everything, I was dismayed at a sense I was coming up short in my continued goals to try new things and meet new people. But my perspective was changed today by a comment from a colleague on a video call. He was talking about the challenges of changing the public’s parking perceptions, but it made me realize new experiences and connections were made during the year; they just came about a little differently.

In parking, we often talk about real versus perceived problems and how for many, parking and transportation system perceptions are reality. When things don’t initially appear to be as you hoped, consider changing your perspective and you may be pleasantly surprised. Going into 2021, keep the bar set high on your goals but give yourself flexibility in achieving them. 2021 has a lot of potential and we are all anxious to come out of the gate at full speed, but pace yourself and realize that new challenges may require a new way of thinking.

Christina Jones, CAPP, is a parking analyst with Walker Consultants.

What a Year in Parking and Mobility

Blue box with "2020 Year in Review" on it.2020 will go down as the year lots of us are happy to forget. But like all challenging times, it also produced great innovation, from small organizational changes to big technological leaps. And lots of those things will stick around to make organizations, businesses, infrastructure, and communities better.

This year’s IPMI Year in Review takes a look back at the challenges and innovations of 2020, including those that changed the way our members work–and how we work with them. From virtual meetings and Shoptalks to transitional memberships, to new partnerships, professional development options, and ways to connect, there were some definite highlights of the year–and we’re grateful to have experienced it with the parking, mobility, and transportation community.

Take a look back. You might find some new innovations that’ll enhance your work life and your operation. Read, download, and share it here, and as always, let us know on Forum what you think.

Cookies and Radishes

By Matt Penney, CAPP

There was an interesting social experiment several years ago. Participants were placed in a room with a bowl of radishes and a bowl of freshly baked cookies. One group was told to enjoy all the cookies they wanted. The second group was told to eat the radishes (only) and ignore the cookies.

The cookie eaters were in heaven. The radish eaters were in agony. They were miserable forcing themselves to ignore the warm cookies. One picked up the cookies and smelled them longingly. Another picked up a cookie, then put it down and licked the chocolate off his fingers.

After five minutes, the participants were given a puzzle game. While they were led to believe this would be simple, the task was actually impossible to complete. The cookie eaters were relaxed and calmly started into the task. With each failed attempt, they simply started another strategy. On average the cookie eaters worked for 19 minutes on the puzzle.

The radish eaters grumbled and muttered as they pouted through their efforts. Some snapped at the researchers. Another simply put his head down on the desk, “I’m sick of this dumb experiment.” On average, the radish eaters worked on the puzzle for only eight minutes (60 percent less time than the cookie group).

The purpose of the experiment was to demonstrate that willpower (self-discipline) is a finite resource. Ignoring cookies was hard and required/drained reserves of willpower. The use of that mental energy meant that there was less available for the puzzle task.

2020 has been a year of radishes—for us, for our customers, for the parking industry. With all that has been going on, it is only natural that frustration seems to build up faster. The good news is that while willpower is finite, like other muscles in the body, it can be strengthened.

This holiday season, may your plate be filled with all the cookies of life that recharge the soul.

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

Member News: T2 Systems’ Thomas Wunk Honored with IPMI Chairman’s Award

INDIANAPOLIS, June 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ –– T2 Systems, the largest parking technology provider in North America, announced that Thomas Wunk, T2 Vice President, received the 2020 Chairman’s Award from the International Parking and Mobility Institute (IPMI).

The annual IPMI Chairman’s Award is a professional recognition that honors an individual(s) who have made an impact and driven change benefitting the parking, transportation, and mobility industry.

Wunk is a Vice President and Industry Consultant for T2 Systems. He is a Certified Administrator of Public Parking (CAPP) and teaches a number of sessions for the IPMI CAPP certification process. A product of the State University of New York system, he is an active member of IPMI, and ASIS. Wunk has been in the parking control industry since 1973 and has designed and implemented parking control solutions all over the world.

“IPMI has advanced the parking and mobility profession over the years, and so has Tom both within T2 and the industry,” said T2 CEO Adam Blake. “We are proud to support them as they encourage professional development, research, advocacy and outreach. We thank IPMI for this recognition of Tom. He is very deserving of this award, and continually drives to improve how we use technology in our operations and customer engagements. Tom helped to launch our PARCS efforts several years ago, and has always made sure we are on the right path forward.”

After receiving the Chairman’s Award, Wunk was asked to provide a list of professional accomplishments to share. He instead opted to thank those who have helped him along the way, highlighting his gratitude for having great friends and family surrounding and encouraging him throughout his career. His acceptance of the award can be found on IPMI’s website.

About T2 Systems 
T2 Systems was founded in 1994 with one simple goal: make park­ing better. We immediately estab­lished a leadership position in the parking industry and continue to pave the way in new technologies that help our customers seamlessly manage parking, mobility, and transporta­tion services. Today, T2 provides the most com­prehensive solutions available to process transactions and leverage data to make informed decisions. Our unified parking management platform puts all the tools needed to be efficient and effective at our customers’ fingertips, with one place to manage their T2 solutions, including Permits, Enforcement, PARCS, Pay Stations, and more. With a strong track record of delivering projects that generate real return for our customers, and by delivering a quality experience for parking patrons, T2 continues to focus on helping our customers move their operations forward. For more information about T2, visit T2Systems.com.

Contact: Katherine Basaran, (317) 524-7412, katherine.basaran@t2systems.com

SOURCE T2 Systems

2020 IPMI Professional Excellence Award- Operations: Carol Yeager

Carol_YeagerCarol Yeager

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE IV
Texas A&M University Transportation Services,
Parking Services

Carol Yeager has been with Texas A&M Transportation Services since 2008, and has single-handedly created a culture of service toward its personnel and is universally admired and respected. Every year she is a top nominee and frequent winner of the department’s Shining Star awards, which recognize selfless service and commitment to the department’s mission. She is known for her characteristic humor and good nature.

Yeager’s duties include serving as the manager’s administrative assistant and assisting with daily office support activities for eight other supervisors and managerial staff. In addition to routine administrative duties, she is responsible for her internal “customers,” the enforcement staff, and orders the uniforms for 56 full-time employees. Additionally, she is active with departmental committees and has served as the unit’s representative for university-wide fundraisers. Every year she is a key committee member and contributor toward the department’s two major awards and years of service recognition events.

On football game days, when work shifts often last up to 18 hours, her excellent prior planning ensures that supplies are available and ready for distribution. She arranges for box lunches, (frequently delivering them to each post) and then a full meal for all officers once the game begins. She assists in serving all meals and cleaning up after. Without Yeager in this role, the department would be unable to function so seamlessly, providing support to over 100,000 football fans and 50,000 tailgaters seven times a year.

Yeager also assists during the annual move-in event, welcoming about 10,000 new students each fall semester. She supports the officers as they often work 12-hour days. Yeager is also the primary expense account holder, making the purchasing decisions for the unit regarding all supplies, equipment, services, and uniforms. She was instrumental in the recent purchase of three T3 mobile systems, working directly with the vendor, the department, and the Texas A&M Finance and Operations Division. When the vehicles arrived, she performed inspections and received user training.

Yeager also recently enabled the Parking Services unit to drastically improve its key control program. She assisted in the selection, acquisition, and purchase of a digital system that enables the unit to track, control, and maintain accountability of about 100 sets of keys for the vehicles, offices, and facilities managed by the unit.

Member News: Populus Releases New Guide to Mobility Data

Populus Releases New Guide to Mobility DataCities around the world are adopting new policies and solutions to more dynamically manage their streets and curbs – we are seeing many of these changes accelerate in 2020. From data standards to shared mobility program design and evaluation, below are a few new resources to help cities and operators align on shared goals to help people and business move safely and efficiently.

A Practical Guide to Mobility Data Sharing

This report presents a basic overview of mobility data sharing practice and policy issues for regulatory agencies, such as cities, and mobility operators, including micromobility services.

While the concept of mobility data sharing extends beyond dockless bikes and scooters, micromobility services accelerated the ability of cities to require vehicle and trip data from private fleets of vehicles in exchange for the right to operate in the public right of way – i.e., the streets, sidewalks, and curbs that cities manage.

This report highlights key city use cases that necessitate mobility data, current standards, and key policy issues.

Download the guide here