Tag Archives: driving

Member News: ParkMobile Mobility Study Shows COVID-19 Will Have a Significant Impact on Consumer Behavior

ParkMobile - New LogoSurvey results indicate changing outlooks about where people will go and how they will get there

Atlanta, GA, – June 24, 2020ParkMobile, the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions, released a new research study today showing the impact of COVID-19 on consumer behavior. The survey, conducted with over 2,000 ParkMobile users in the month of May, reveals that people plan to make significant lifestyle changes as a result of COVID-19 over the next two years, including less travel, less commuting, and attending fewer events. Additionally, people plan to use mass transit and ride sharing less often and use their personal vehicles more often.

The complete survey results are posted on the ParkMobile website at parkmobile.io/covid. Below are some key highlights.

  • People say they will work about 50% fewer hours in an office environment
  • 29% of respondents expect to use their personal vehicles more often
  • 46% of respondents will take public transportation less often and 29% of respondents expect to use ride sharing options less often
  • Over 40% of respondents plan to attend fewer concerts, sporting events and other large gatherings.
  • 30% expect to do less personal travel and 34% expect to do less business travel

 

Additionally, survey respondents expect to increase usage of contactless payment options, allowing them to pay without needing to hand someone cash, a credit card, or touch physical payment hardware. According to the survey, 40% expect to increase their use of contactless payment options in the coming year, while only 4% expect that use to decrease.

“It is clear that COVID-19 is creating a ‘new normal’ for people everywhere,” says Jon Ziglar, CEO of ParkMobile. “This study shows that people are being extra cautious when it comes to the places they are going, how they are getting there, and the way they are making payments. These behavior shifts will most likely continue until there is a vaccine.”

 

About ParkMobile

ParkMobile, LLC is the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in North America, helping millions of people easily find, reserve, and pay for parking on their mobile device. The company’s technology is used in thousands of locations across the country, including 8 of the top 10 cities as well as college campuses, airports, and stadiums. People can use ParkMobile solutions to quickly pay for on-street and off-street parking without having to use a meter or kiosk. Additionally, ParkMobile offers parking reservations at stadium venues for concerts and sporting events. Reservations are also available in metro area garages, allowing people to drive into the city without having to worry about finding parking. ParkMobile has been named to the Inc. 5000, Deloitte Fast 500, Smart Cities Connect “Smart 50,” and the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Top Workplaces. Additionally, the company won the 2020 Stevie Awards for Product Innovation. For more information, visit ParkMobile.io or @ParkMobile on Twitter.

 

ParkMobile Contact:
Jeff Perkins, CMO, jeff.perkins@parkmobile.io

Time to Consider Non-city Transportation Issues

By Courtney Turner

I hate driving. Aside from emptying the dishwasher and folding clothes, it’s my least favorite thing to do. However, I’m finding that I spend more time in my car than anywhere else–and I’m not even commuting for work.

Because my kids aren’t eligible to ride one of the 43 buses that serve their high school, I spend 45 minutes to an hour round trip every morning to travel 12 (total) miles to get them to school and then get myself back home. It takes me another 45 minutes in the afternoon to pick them up; this time, the time suck is not due so much to crazy traffic but rather the lack of well-thought-out after school pick up procedures to allow for the departure of above-mentioned 43 buses coupled with hundreds of cars all trying to use the same egress (the result is a complete logistical nightmare and it is really only a matter of time before an angry parent decides griping on Facebook isn’t enough and takes matters into his or her own hands). Once I get everyone picked up from school, we head home and, less than an hour later, it’s time to run the baseball shuttle, which could include an hour drive north or south in rush hour traffic for a game or a 45-minute trip back to the high school for practice.

Writing this, I realize that I don’t hate driving in and of itself. I hate driving because I don’t have any other options. I used to love to drive–windows down, music blaring, cruising along. I did my best thinking while driving. Unfortunately, my current reality is windows up to drown out the blaring horns, I can’t hear my music, and I’m constantly seeing red thanks to the glare of brake lights from the gridlocked traffic all around me. The only deep thoughts going through my head center on whether or not my current situation is good for my blood pressure. While my husband can take a bus and then Metro to work, relaxing the entire time, I don’t have that same luxury. As a result, I’ve become resentful of having to spend so much time in the car simply because other options aren’t available in my area.

The Metro and buses do a great job of getting people into and out of the city every day, but it’s time to focus on the transportation issues that arise when neighborhoods and schools are overcrowded. I, for one, would like to hear my music and enjoy driving again.

Courtney Turner is IPMI’s member engagement and special projects manager.