Tag Archives: COVID-19

Combos, Cashews, and Calendar Dates

June 17, 2021 Kim Fernandez Leave a comment

By Kim Fernandez

Depending on my ultimate destination, I stop at either the Wawa just past Annapolis or the Wawa just through Easton (about a half-hour past the Bay Bridge) every time I drive through Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The first order of business is topping off the car’s gas tank, and then I park by the side of the store and go inside to wash my hands and grab a bag of Combos. Pizza flavored. Every time. Because they’re my road-trip snack.

If I’m flying, I get to BWI much earlier than necessary, park and shuttle to the terminal, trudge through security, and visit the Hudson News Booksellers in terminal A for a bottle of water and a bag of honey-roasted cashews. Every time. Because they’re my flying snack.

My grocery store carries both pizza-flavored Combos and honey-roasted cashews, but I never–ever–buy them there, nor do we keep them at home. They’re traveling food and I can’t explain why, but having my road and air snacks when I’m heading somewhere several hours away is part of the fun, and picking them up at those specific stops is part of the ritual. Even my taste buds know a trip is afoot. Got my Combos, got my music, got somewhere to be.

I’ve picked up Combos twice since late May and have a date with honey-roasted cashews this fall, and honestly, that feels wonderful. There are other cars around me on the road and plenty of people to watch at the airport, and as much as traffic jams and gas prices and security lines stink, having them back in our lives is a breath of refreshed air. Onward!

I wish you a happy return to the road and the air and hope to see you out there soon. Don’t forget the snacks.

Kim Fernandez is IPMI’s director of publications.

IPMI Blog, Resources

Pants, Post-pandemic

June 14, 2021 Kim Fernandez Leave a comment

By Victor Hill, CAPP

I’ve been thinking a lot about pants lately.

The pandemic put most of our butts in home offices–and in shorts or pajamas–because who needs pants on a video conference? Then we got vaccinated and, after months of sequestering, we’re mostly safe to travel and revitalize our relationships within the industry.

Except I had to buy a new pair of pants and, honestly, I forgot how necessary they are until I scheduled my first customer visit, post-pandemic. I considered things we take for granted when we regularly share space with colleagues and customers. Here are my takeaways:

Don’t judge a relationship by a “good, firm handshake” or any other physical contact in this viral reality we’re in. When in doubt, carry a bottle of sanitizer.
Practice active listening. We have so much to catch up, no matter how many virtual meetings we’ve had. There is more value in the moment and in the same space.
Ditch the drama. I’ve become a follower of Cy Wakeman and her assertions about workplace drama. Check out her videos and writings before you head back to the office. I’m glad I did.
Savor the anticipation. My nervous energy isn’t going away any time soon because I cannot wait to see you again. Channel that energy into solidifying your relationships and renewing old acquaintances. We’ll be in the same spaces soon.

Now I just need to find a shirt…

Victor Hill, CAPP, is an account manager at T2 Systems. He previously served as parking and transportation director at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

IPMI Blog, Resources

A Record-breaking Parking Space and a Parking Lottery for Vaccinations

June 7, 2021 Kim Fernandez Leave a comment

Bright neon signs colourful crowded cityscape Kowloon Hong Kong China In parking news this past weekend is the world record for most expensive parking space being shattered in Hong Kong. An unidentified buyer paid $1.3 million for a parking space in an ultra-luxury development. The previous record for a parking space was $980,000, also in Hong Kong.

Elsewhere, Trenton, Mich., officials are on a goodwill mission to get people to stop parking recreational vehicles (RVs) in neighborhoods longer than the allowed 72 hours. They’re spreading the word, asking people to move their vehicles before being stickered or towed, in an effort to avoid what can be costly measures to drivers. Trenton is one of many cities dealing with RV parking, both because people are living in the vehicles and because RV travel has exploded in popularity.

Finally, Indiana University is trying something different to encourage students, staff, and faculty to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The university is entering vaccinated university community members into raffles to win bookstore gift cards, electronic gadgets, and the big prize–a year-long campus parking permit.

IPMI & Member News

Member News: University of Arizona speeds up COVID-19 vaccine roll-out with Genetec AutoVu ALPR and Traffic Sense

June 2, 2021 Rachel Yoka Leave a comment

University of Arizona speeds up COVID-19 vaccine roll-out with Genetec AutoVu ALPR and Traffic Sense

University drives up vaccination efficiency by analyzing traffic data

MONTRÉAL, May 26, 2021—When the University of Arizona (UA) was chosen as a COVID-19 vaccine point of dispensing (POD), they wanted to put in place a distribution process to get the vaccines out to as many people as possible as quickly and efficiently as possible. To do this, they turned to Genetec Inc. (“Genetec”), a leading technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, and Route1 Inc., a leading data-centric systems integrator.

“We had already heard about how ALPR (Automatic License Plate Recognition) could be used for tolls and monitoring traffic flow, and we were eager to see if the ALPR cameras could help us automatically track vehicles entering and exiting our POD,” said Jim Sayre, Director of Operations – Parking and Transportation Services at the University of Arizona.

To build a solution that would not only offer valuable insights about their POD operations but would also be affordable and easy to set up, UA chose to implement the Genetec AutoVu™ Managed Services (AMS) solution with four ALPR cameras installed throughout the POD. This was paired up with the Genetec Traffic Sense™ Travel Times module within Security Center for added insight and functionality.

Having mounted the poles and set up the cameras beforehand, the actual setup was completed in under two hours on opening day. Because the entire Genetec solution is hosted in the cloud, the university is able to use the software for as long as the POD remains open without draining budgets.

Using AutoVu, the UA operations team can see exactly how long it’s taking vehicles to get through the POD and for people to get vaccinated, and then identify what they can do to get them through faster. All ALPR data is sent back to Security Center, where the Travel Times module automatically analyses data and delivers insights the UA team can act on. This helps them immediately identify if there are random delays or potential issues that need to be further investigated.

As a healthcare-related operation, UA made sure the Genetec solution complies with all Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements. According to Sayre, “The cameras don’t know who the driver is, or the people in the vehicle. And we’ve made it clear that we’re not running this against a motor vehicle database or anything like that, so we’re ensuring privacy.”

Thanks to the Genetec solution, the UA team discovered early on that various team leaders had different processes for appointment check-ins. When UA standardized those processes, they could consistently get vehicles through the POD faster and maximize the number of vaccinations.

The team also noticed that on certain days of the week, cars were taking longer to get through certain points in the POD. After an initial inquiry, they realized those days often had mostly new volunteers who were still learning the ropes. The UA team was then able to adapt the volunteer schedule to ensure experienced personnel were always onsite to assist newbies and keep the throughput of vehicles high.

“This AutoVu™ and Traffic Sense™ Travel Times module within Security Center built by Genetec and Route1 has helped us make the vaccination process more efficient and was so easy to deploy. We’ve been able to increase the number of vehicles through the POD in the same amount of time, and consequently, we’ve given out more vaccinations. And that’s what this is all about— helping our community get vaccinated against COVID-19,” concluded Sayre.

“We never cease to be impressed by our customers’ ingenuity, resilience, and resourcefulness,” said Stephan Kaiser, AutoVu™ General Manager at Genetec, Inc. “The University of Arizona is another shining example of the ways in which our customers are using their security systems as strategic tools to fight against the pandemic, and go beyond traditional applications to deliver more value.”

For more information about the University of Arizona’s use of Genetec solutions, download the full case study at: https://www.genetec.com/customer-stories/university-of-arizona

About Genetec

Genetec Inc. is an innovative technology company with a broad solutions portfolio that encompasses security, intelligence, and operations. The company’s flagship product, Security Center, is an open-architecture platform that unifies IP-based video surveillance, access control, automatic license plate recognition (ANPR), communications, and analytics. Genetec also develops cloud-based solutions and services designed to improve security, and contribute new levels of operational intelligence for governments, enterprises, transport, and the communities in which we live. Founded in 1997, and headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Genetec serves its global customers via an extensive network of resellers, integrators, certified channel partners, and consultants in over 80 countries.

For more information about Genetec, visit: www.genetec.com

Press Contacts: North America, Véronique Froment, HighRez, Veronique@highrezpr.com, Tel: +1 603.537.9248

IPMI Blog, Resources

Silver Linings From the Past Year

May 14, 2021 Kim Fernandez Leave a comment

By Cindy Campbell

Many of the virtual trainings I conduct include a group discussion. This last year, one of my favorite discussion topics has been, “Tell us about something good that’s come out of the disruption caused by the pandemic.” Many of the responses have been incredibly thoughtful and uplifting. Here’s a sample:

Someone who left the comfort of home and traveled over 2,500 miles to assist one of his adult children after a medical procedure. He spent six months helping his son and in return, received the gift of extra time with family members.
A colleague who found herself questioning the current purpose of her professional life in the midst of the pandemic. While talking with an industry friend, she realized she needed help to sort everything out. Through hard work and determination, she found her renewed purpose and is now actively helping others who may be dealing with similar struggles. She believes “it’s all worth it if I’m able to be that help to someone else.”

More cool things: Participation in a campus mentoring program, more time interacting with a young child attending school virtually, learning a foreign language, planting a vegetable garden for the first time, starting a podcast, volunteering at a local food bank, discovering a new appreciation for cooking–the list goes on.

I wanted to share some of these examples with you for a couple of reasons:

As a reminder that there is usually something positive we can discover in every situation. It may not be easy to identify or what you expected to find. It can take time and perspective. The good stuff may not present itself to you–you might actually have to go in search of it.
As humans, we are hard-wired to resist change. When we’re comfortable, we naturally want to maintain that feeling. We also have an amazing capability to adapt and overcome–and we do it all the time.

How many times have you heard (or said), “I can’t wait for everything to go back to normal.” (Believe me, I can relate to that sentiment.) My question is this: How do you adapt when today’s normal isn’t fully returning to yesterday’s normal? When you find yourself removed from the comfort of your normal, consider what you might be missing–are you open to new or adjusted possibilities in this situation?

With or without a pandemic, it is important to recognize that our normal is continually changing. It is natural to find comfort in the normal we know–the challenge is finding it when we experience our NEXT normal.

Cindy Campbell is IPMI’s senior training and development specialist. She is available for customized in-person or virtual training; click here for details.

IPMI Blog, Resources

Ignoring the Elephant in the Room

May 13, 2021 Kim Fernandez Leave a comment

By Roamy Valera, CAPP

I will not mention and/or refer to the significant and major event of the past 12 months or so. In fact, I will treat it as it treated my last birthday (like it never happened!).

I was in a conversation right before writing this piece about why I was suddenly feeling so anxious. I have been in a FOMO (fear of missing out) state since my vaccination, as if the gates had opened and I was still standing by, waiting for a starter gun to go off and announce the race was back on. I have even checked in with some of my travel warriors to hear about their travel scorecards. And so far, they too are waiting for the cannon to go off. In fact, the airline that owned most of my waking time over recent years has, too, sensed I am ready and willing to get on with my travels with an everyday email reminding me how much they miss me (and my dollars).

So as such, I will ignore the elephant in the room and hope you are prepared to welcome me in your conference rooms, your hotels and restaurants, and more importantly, your cities. I have realized that I need human contact and interactions. I need to be engaged in face-to-face conversations and I need to give out handshakes and hugs. I am ready to move about the country and get back to business. We owe it to ourselves and to science!

Roamy Valera, CAPP, is CEO, North America, with PayByPhone.

IPMI Blog, Resources

The Challenge of Reopening

May 11, 2021 Kim Fernandez Leave a comment

By Chris Polk, CAPP

Many states are now beginning to allow businesses to reopen due to the decrease in COVID-19 deaths and the increase in vaccinations. As states have begun to reopen for business, the demand for parking services has increased, and so has the demand for staff. How that is managed will be the next big parking challenge.

There are millions of Americans out of work, yet the applicant pool is still low. When hiring new employees, you are competing with other employers to offer the best pay, culture, and experience. Now you are not only competing with other businesses that are reopening, but you are also competing with current unemployment benefits–it’s said some Americans may be making more money to stay home.

Technology will be our saving grace. The industry was headed in the direction of modifying the way they operate by increasing automation, and moving to more app-based technologies, but this new struggle will thrust this move to technology into overdrive. While this might ultimately lead to a lower job pool when employees are ready to return to work, it is necessary to reopen.

Chris Polk, CAPP, is general manager with REEF Parking.

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On The Road Again

April 15, 2021 Kim Fernandez Leave a comment

By Matt Penney, CAPP

For the first time in a year and a half, I was on the road again. I ventured outside of the Baylor University bubble in search of parking knowledge. For me, visiting other people and locations is a highlight of our parking industry. Zoom is O.K., but in my opinion, good people and walk-throughs are always better in person.

So I jumped on Texas Highway 6 for a short hour and a half drive to Bryan College Station. Peter Lange and his always friendly Aggie cohorts welcomed me back to Texas A&M University. Wow, their new offices are stunning! And innovative! I got the tour and saw several friendly faces I haven’t seen in awhile–even did that awkward half handshake/half fist bump COVID combo that is currently a part of our new normal.

There were discussions about COVID, parking demand, revenue, and what the future might bring. It may be the group sidebar conversations that are missing from video conferences. These “rabbits” from the professional jargon help you understand the personalities in the room. From the personal to the humorous, these tidbits make up the personalities we connect with.

It was a good visit. The onsite observations provided the exact information I was looking for. The 6-foot distance still seems a little forced and I miss smiles unblocked by masks. In all, I probably wasn’t on campus for more than a couple of hours.

I hope you get the opportunity to connect in person sooner than expected!

It was good to be on the road again.

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

IPMI Blog, Resources

Are Flexible Work Arrangements the New TDM Tool?

April 13, 2021 Kim Fernandez Leave a comment

By Perry Eggleston, CAPP, DPA

Rahm Emanuel said, “You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.”

I started as executive director of UC Davis Transportation Services on January 2, 2020, and while I was still learning my way around the campus, the COVID crisis struck. The industry suddenly faced unprecedented difficulties that challenged the most senior mobility experts.

March 16 came and suddenly, there were discussions of campus closures, distance learning, and teleworking. Until that time, telework was a wish for many in the transportation industry but not considered plausible due to supervisor and management reluctance. Within a week, these discussions made campus-wide telework a reality. When this COVID thing lasted longer than a few weeks, the campus started to look at how we could use the lull to continue the momentum of flexible work arrangements (FWA–the term our campus now uses for telework and compressed work schedules), and our department pushed the campus to continue planning using them past the pandemic.

To address all the issues for making FWA an ongoing TDM strategy, I am co-chairing a university committee: “Reimagining the Workplace.” Stakeholders from human resources, technology, planning, safety and ergonomics, employee/union relations, communications, legal, and finance are all involved. The committee has already identified several advantages to FWA: recruiting the best talent, employee well-being, more campus space for students, and reducing traffic congestion and air pollution. However, there are challenges to be overcome to arrive at the advantages.

Join Ramon Zavala and me April 21 when we host the IPMI webinar, Teleworking: An Alternate Mobility Mode. We will look at what institutions should consider when creating their own FWA program and planning lessons learned.

Perry Eggleston, CAPP, DPA, is executive director, transportation services, at UC Davis. He and Ramon Zavala, the university’s transportation demand manager, will present on this topic during an IPMI webinar, April 21. Click here for details and to register.