Tag Archives: Las Vegas

IPMI Blog, Resources

Tackling TNCs: Curb and Congestion Management in Las Vegas

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Car sharing driver showing destination to passengers on smart phone.By Brandy Stanley, CAPP

TNCs are not a new phenomenon, but handling them effectively to reduce the congestion they cause and move people through the downtown core is quite a challenge.

The City of Las Vegas is taking a two-pronged approach to helping TNCs do business downtown:

  • Using large kiosks with visual cues to help TNC drivers understand where to pick up and drop off passengers and how long they can stay there is proving to be a highly effective strategy for managing precious curb space in busy areas.
  • To get TNCs out of traffic circulation while they wait for the next ride, the city has identified empty parking assets to offer to these drivers.  Providing a place to use the restroom, access WiFi, and rest keeps the drivers happier as well as clearing up the streets.

These two programs have been evolving since prior to COVID and continue to evolve as the city emerges from the pandemic; they involve extensive technology, marketing, stakeholder involvement, and partnerships with the TNCs and local businesses.  There are also plenty of lessons learned and “back to the drawing board” moments, as is often the case when blazing a trail.

Brandy Stanley, CAPP, is parking services manager for the City of Las Vegas. She will present on this topic at the 2021 IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo, Nov. 29 – Dec. 3, in Tampa, Fla. Click here for details and to register.

IPMI Blog, Resources

Curb Management in the Real World

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By Robert Ferrin and Brandy Stanley, CAPP

Everyone hears a lot about curb management, congestion mitigation and data gathering, but sometimes finding solutions in action can be difficult. Join us for a free, online, IPMI Shoptalk June 2 to learn more about the real-life solutions two cities are testing to manage the curb.

In late 2019, the City of Columbus worked with partner curbFlow on a six-month pilot to reimagine how loading zones could be established, evaluated, and monitored by testing innovative strategies. The program is all part of a broader culture of innovation and testing born out of Columbus’ Smart City Challenge award and work program implementation.

The City of Las Vegas has launched a program aimed at helping TNCs operate in the downtown area.  The program consists of both on-street and off-street components:

  • A loading and unloading zone managed by 8-foot digital displays, including countdown timers by individual space and enforcement notifications.
  • An off-street staging area where TNC drivers can use a restroom, get access to Wi-Fi, and rest while waiting for their next ride.

Launching these two programs required a lot of collaboration with many different stakeholders, including elected officials, business and property owners, TNC regulatory agencies, Uber and Lyft, taxi companies, TNC drivers themselves, etc.  It also meant creating new and expanding existing partnerships with private companies to develop the hardware, software and support needed to put the solutions in action.

Join us online June 2 to learn more about these pilots, lessons learned, and how these two cities are moving from pilots to scalable solutions for curbside and loading zone management programs. Click here to register, and bring your questions.

Robert Ferrin is assistant director, parking services with the City of Columbus, Ohio.

Brandy Stanley, CAPP, is parking services manager with the City of Las Vegas, Nev.

IPMI & Member News

Member News: City of Las Vegas Partners with Flowbird to Unveil Frictionless Mobile Solution

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July 24th, 2020

What APPens in Vegas…saves drivers a lot of time

Moorestown, New Jersey – The City of Las Vegas, in partnership with Flowbird Group, has launched a new mobility solution, combining on-street and off-street parking into a personalized, seamless experience. The Flowbird App, a multi-solution application, combines an advanced user interface, congestion optimization and off-street parking reservations to offer the ultimate one-of-a-kind mobile solution.

The City of Las Vegas takes entertainment seriously. Residents and visitors to the downtown hub enjoy world-class dining, shopping, concerts, comedy shows, and much more. As the City begins to reopen amid recent closures, it is now more important than ever to venture out with a plan. Using the Flowbird App platform, drivers can easily find, reserve, and pay for parking long before they arrive at their destination, avoiding circling the block in search of the ideal parking space.

Flowbird’s enhanced mobile experience allows drivers to pay for their on-street parking or reserve off-street parking with a platform powered by Arrive, a leader in the parking reservations space.  The combination allows the City to increase the visibility of parking options and optimize parking occupancy downtown. The result – a frictionless parking app that is simple to use and uniquely customizable.

Users can view real-time inventory and pricing displayed on a searchable map or list on the app. Results can be filtered according to individual preferences, sorting by various features such as price, EV charging, covered parking, security, and more. The ultra-intuitive platform even allows users to search by event, pinpointing the venue and highlighting the best options for parking on that specific day.

“We are very excited to continue to improve the parking experience for Las Vegas customers,” said Brandy Stanley, CAPP, Parking Services Manager for the City of Las Vegas.  “The Flowbird app will cut down on the time it takes to pay for parking, and customers will now be able to use the app to pay and reserve parking in the city’s parking garages.”

Flowbird is also proud to announce that the City of Las Vegas is the first to upgrade its Strada Pay Stations  with the new S5 upgrade kit, bringing the latest pay station technology to the parking operation in Las Vegas. The Strada S5 features a 9.7” touch screen providing an enhanced user interface on the existing pay station housings.

“The start of our conversion to the enhanced meters is in full swing with more than 100 meters to be upgraded over the next two weeks,” said Stanley, “These new screens make the meters so much easier to see in full sun and interact with.”

The City of Las Vegas has been a partner of Flowbird since 2013 when they implemented a Pay-by-Space parking system throughout their downtown core. The importance of customer convenience then, holds true to the City’s values today, as they enter into a new era of mobility with the Flowbird App and digital platform.

”We are very excited to reinforce our strong partnership with the City of Las Vegas and to bring a unique mobility solution to residents and visitors for an easier and frictionless parking experience,” said Benoit Reliquet, President of Flowbird North America.

Flowbird’s app platform has over 2.5 million users worldwide, and offers an easy, fast and secure option to make mobile parking payments. Las Vegas joins other popular U.S. tourist destinations such as Atlanta, Niagara Falls, Lake Placid, and Virginia Beach on the Flowbird app platform.

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About Flowbird

Flowbird_LogoFlowbird operates in over 5,000 cities and 70 countries, using a cloud-based solution to help clients ease traffic congestion and efficiently manage their transit systems.  Our significant expertise and strong investment into research and development allow us to deliver products and digital services that will help us improve individual journey experiences and make our communities better.

Flowbird US Media Contact: Sean Renn – Vice President of Marketing and Communications

sean.renn@flowbird.group

www.flowbird.group

IPMI Blog, Resources

NYE on the Strip: Party with 300,000 of Your Closest Friends

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Editor’s Note: The IPMI Blog is re-posting some of our biggest hits from 2019 through the holidays. New posts will resume on January 2.

By Bruce Barclay, CAPP

It is 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Freeway off ramps leading to the Las Vegas Strip are being shut down to vehicular traffic. By 6:15 p.m., all major east/west arteries that access the Strip will be closed. By 7 p.m., there will be a hard closure of all inbound roads from Sahara Avenue to the north and Russell Road to the south. Hotels are at full occupancy and the parking garages are overflowing.

Approximately 300,000 adults are expected on the Strip this evening. No one under the age of 18 is allowed on the Strip after 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. All backpacks, strollers, glass containers, and coolers are prohibited.

One new addition this New Year’s Eve are the 1,600 bollards placed along the Strip to protect pedestrians. Revelers will see Nevada National Guard members, an increased amount of Metro police officers, K-9 units, and may even spot overhead police snipers. All efforts to maintain a safe, peaceful and enjoyable evening have been deployed.

Fast forward to 11 p.m.:  The parties continue at bars, clubs, and hotels up and down the Strip, but as midnight approaches, the crowds congregate along Las Vegas Blvd,. so they can get a glimpse of the fireworks that will be lit atop seven hotels along the Strip at the stroke of midnight. The spectacle lasts almost 10 minutes, and everyone heads back to parties or home for the evening.

At 3 a.m., the cleanup begins, and tons of trash and party favors clutter the street. By 6 a.m., it is back to normal on the Las Vegas Strip. Overall, a calm night with only a few citations for public intoxication.

Happy New Year from Sin City!

Bruce Barclay, CAPP, is vice president, parking operations, for MGM Resorts International.

IPMI Blog, Resources

EasyPark Trades Parking Fines for School Supplies

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EasyPark, which operates parking in Anchorage, Alaska, is accepting school supplies in lieu of parking fines to help local kids in need. Under the program, drivers can donate 200 #2 pencils or 100 black or blue pens to pay of a $20 parking ticket; one per license plate and the parking citation must have been issued in the past 30 days.

The school supplies will be distributed by Helping Us Give School Supplies (HUGGS), a program of the Lutheran Social Services of Alaska. School supplies for parking citations programs have grown in popularity, both among communities and the media. A similar program in Las Vegas was featured on CNN and in People magazine.

If your parking organization has a donations-for-citations program, we’d love to hear about it. Email editor@parking-mobility.org with the details.

IPMI Blog, Resources

Parking Hits People Magazine–in a Good Way

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Las Vegas Parking Services got national attention this week when it started accepting donated school supplies as payment for parking citations. People magazine ran a story about the effort, approved by the city council. Through July 19, people can drop off school supplies of an equal or greater value than their parking fine to clear their tickets. All the supplies will be donated to a local nonprofit that distributes them to schools and teachers in need.

Well done, Las Vegas! Read the whole story here.

IPMI Blog, Resources

NYE on the Strip: Party with 300,000 of Your Closest Friends

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By Bruce Barclay, CAPP

It is 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Freeway off ramps leading to the Las Vegas Strip are being shut down to vehicular traffic. By 6:15 p.m., all major east/west arteries that access the Strip will be closed. By 7 p.m., there will be a hard closure of all inbound roads from Sahara Avenue to the north and Russell Road to the south. Hotels are at full occupancy and the parking garages are overflowing.

Approximately 300,000 adults are expected on the Strip this evening. No one under the age of 18 is allowed on the Strip after 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. All backpacks, strollers, glass containers, and coolers are prohibited.

One new addition this New Year’s Eve are the 1,600 bollards placed along the Strip to protect pedestrians. Revelers will see Nevada National Guard members, an increased amount of Metro police officers, K-9 units, and may even spot overhead police snipers. All efforts to maintain a safe, peaceful and enjoyable evening have been deployed.

Fast forward to 11 p.m.:  The parties continue at bars, clubs, and hotels up and down the Strip, but as midnight approaches, the crowds congregate along Las Vegas Blvd,. so they can get a glimpse of the fireworks that will be lit atop seven hotels along the Strip at the stroke of midnight. The spectacle lasts almost 10 minutes, and everyone heads back to parties or home for the evening.

At 3 a.m., the cleanup begins, and tons of trash and party favors clutter the street. By 6 a.m., it is back to normal on the Las Vegas Strip. Overall, a calm night with only a few citations for public intoxication.

Happy New Year from Sin City!

Bruce Barclay, CAPP, is vice president, parking operations, for MGM Resorts International.