Parking Facilities

How did Princeton evolve to meet the new demand for parking? With a multi-pronged approach, they integrated cutting-edge technology, incentivized alternative commutes, and rolled out transit programs, all while maintaining operations on a 275+ year-old campus amidst major construction. Join the Princeton University team as they showcase how data can drive smarter decisions, ease parking stress, reduce congestion, and ultimately improve the campus experience. 

Do you ever enter a lot and have absolutely no idea what to do? Have you ever entered a lot and witnessed fifteen different signs giving you 27 different pieces of information? Have you ever parked in Los Angeles before? All of the above for me… What is too much and what is too little information? I feel I have seen both. When you are designing the signage to your lot what are you thinking? Is it a minimum number of mobile signs you would like to reach or quiet directions for a seamless transition in and out of the parking lot? I often try to find a fine line between meeting the company minimums on signage while also trying to keep the beautiful features of the lot, the main attraction. I know sometimes we are stuck in a cracked asphalt lot squished between two high rise buildings with a twelve inch by eighteen inch mobile sign plastered on every space but what can we do to beautify the lot. How far do you space your signs to minimize both the cost and distraction of the lot? We have all had parking lots that we either love or hate. What is the discrepancy between the two? Location or distraction? Tate Misiaszek, PTMP is a Project Manager for LAZ Parking. You can reach Tate at TMisiaszek@lazparking.com.

Conway, NC — Portier USA, a leading provider of parking guidance technology, announced a partnership with Precision Technology Solutions (PTS). Through this partnership, PTI becomes Portier’s exclusive installation and servicing partner throughout the New York Metro Tri-State and Mid-Atlantic regions. “We are excited to be partnering with Precision Technology Solutions,” said Steve Gorski, Vice President, Portier USA. “Over the past forty years PTS has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s best parking technology integrators. We are thrilled to be working with them to bring the world’s most reliable and innovative parking guidance technology to parking owners and organizations throughout the region.” Through this partnership, Portier and Precision Technology Solutions will sell, install, and service Portier’s industry-leading parking guidance technology. Portier products include Portier Vision™️, a suite of camera-based guidance solutions for indoor and outdoor parking facilities; Portier Sonic™️, ultrasonic sensors offering space-specific guidance; car counting solutions; Portier Host™️, a powerful platform that manages the technology and provides robust, actionable data that parking owners can use to improve the parking experience for customers while operating parking facilities more efficiently and profitably. Portier also offers Portier Wayfinder™️, an internet-connected application that drivers can use to located available parking via their personal devices or other online technology. The company’s newest technology, Portier AI™️, is an innovative predictive wayfinding tool that can tell drivers how much parking is available at a selected garage or parking lot, predict how much parking will be available when the driver arrives, and suggest alternative parking locations if the selected facility is likely to be full. “We are thrilled to be joining the Portier team,” said Rob Bell, President of Precision Technology Solutions. “Portier is the industry’s most innovative parking guidance provider, and we are excited to be bringing their technology to the New York Tri-State and Mid-Atlantic regions.” About PTS Precision Technology Solutions is the leading parking technology integrator serving the New York Metro Tri-State, Mid-Atlantic, and Eastern Pennsylvania Regions. In addition to installing and servicing Portier parking guidance technology, PTS also specializes in the innovation, installation, and support of parking access control systems and security technologies and is the and the exclusive TIBA Parking Systems VAR (Value Added Reseller) for the markets we serve. Precision Technology Solutions can be found online at www.precisiontimesystems.com. About Portier USA Portier USA is the US branch of Portier, one of the world’s leading and most innovative providers of parking guidance technology. Portier has provided parking guidance solutions for more than 20 years and currently covers nearly 400,000 parking spaces globally. In addition to the company’s industry-leading camera-based, sonic, and counter guidance systems, Portier also offers Portier Wayfinding, a groundbreaking web-based platform showing parkers real-time occupancy information to help direct them to parking facilities with available parking. Portier can be found online at http://portier.host.

When you receive a citation what is the first thing you think? For some of you reading this, you know exactly what you did wrong, for the larger majority, it is a systematic attack to ruin your day. When we are writing citations are we thinking about correcting the incorrect actions of residents and visitors to our city, or has Revenue Generation taken over the tone? Often times at the end of the week or month we are looking at our citation numbers as a revenue generator and we cant wait to report back how well we did. This being said, there is an argument for high compliance and therefore low citation revenue… which would you prefer? The price tag on a citation weighs much more than paying the two dollar parking fees. This also adds to the stickiness of the parking operator in that private or public lot. Is this corrective action or are we kidding ourselves and we are all about the money? There is a fine line between your bottom line and correcting incorrect actions in your private or public lot, city, or jurisdiction. What do you find that outweighs one way or another at your location? Tate Misiaszek, PTMP is a Project Manager for LAZ Parking. You can reach Tate at TMisiaszek@lazparking.com.

In this joint roundtable between IPMI and the British Parking Association (BPA), we will discuss the similarities and differences between higher education parking in North America and Great Britain and what can be learned from the experiences of both.

Miami, FL – Get My Parking (GMP), a global leader in smart parking solutions, is proud to announce the successful launch of its flagship product, ExpressLane, at River Landing Shops & Residence. This collaboration introduces a ticketless, AI-powered parking experience for River Landing’s visitors, setting a new standard for convenience and innovation in parking management. ExpressLane delivers a fully digital parking experience, powered by a white-labeled app customized for River Landing. Parkers can now enjoy automated access and payments by simply registering on the app, adding their license plate and payment method, and driving in and out effortlessly. Unregistered parkers can claim their parking session by scanning a QR code or entering their license plate on a web app. They can either add a payment method for a seamless exit or tap their credit card on their way out to pay for their stay. River Landing has also set up paperless validations and permits for their retail and corporate partners, who can assign permits, validate parking, or create validated parking sessions through their self-serve portals. With 18 lanes and over 2,500 parking spaces, River Landing’s fully gated facility now operates with enhanced efficiency, powered by GMP’s AI-driven license plate recognition (LPR) technology. Chirag Jain, CEO of Get My Parking, commented, “We are thrilled to partner with River Landing to bring the future of parking to their facility. ExpressLane streamlines its operations and delivers a superior experience for parkers and partners alike.” Andrew B. Hellinger, Developer of River Landing Shops & Residences, added, “The integration of Get My Parking’s ExpressLane solution marks a significant upgrade for the user experience at River Landing. Our visitors now get a frictionless parking experience, while our tenants love the new validation process. This partnership has made life convenient for everyone who visits River Landing.” Steve Resnick, PTMP, President of Get My Parking, NA, shared, “ExpressLane is designed to transform parking operations without costly hardware upgrades. By retrofitting existing equipment, we’re helping operators like River Landing reduce costs, minimize environmental impact, and deliver a digitized, user-friendly experience.” About River Landing Shops and Residence River Landing Shops & Residence is a premier mixed-use destination, offering a blend of retail, office, dining, and residential spaces. With a focus on creating a vibrant community, River Landing is committed to delivering exceptional experiences for its residents, tenants, visitors and partners. About Get My Parking Get My Parking (GMP) is an award-winning global software company revolutionizing smart parking with IoT, AI, and cloud-based automation. GMP’s hardware-light, CAPEX-light solutions seamlessly connect legacy systems to a unified digital platform, enabling real-time management and interoperability across a vast network of facilities. Designed for the future of mobility, GMP integrates with EV charging, connected vehicles, and shared mobility hubs, empowering owners and operators to streamline operations and enhance user experiences. Today, GMP powers 3,500+ facilities in 20 countries and has processed over 100 million transactions.

I have always been drawn to technology. I remember getting excited about after-school computer club and writing code on an Apple IIe computer. One assignment was a Christmas image. I created Santa on his sleigh with his reindeer flying through the air, delivering presents. Fast-forward many years, and I am still involved in technology and love every minute of it. We all read parking and mobility technology blogs, magazines, social media posts, etc. We attend conferences and hear the latest sales pitch. We get excited at what we see and want it—we want it bad! It all looks great, sounds simple to implement, and solves all our problems… or so it seems. A client came to me and said they wanted to eliminate their gated solution and go gateless. He wanted a frictionless system. He saw the articles and awards from a parking conference and wanted that solution. How hard could it be?  (I know some of you are laughing at this statement.)  We met to document the new system's functional requirements/use cases.  We interviewed parking technology solution vendors. We found the vendor that best fits the use cases. The client was excited. Contracts were signed, and the implementation process began.  The implementation of the solution is going as expected; we did not anticipate the parker's lack of access to technology. Transitioning to a fixed lpr solution requires the parker to use their license plate as their permit or ticket. Did I mention this is a mixed-use garage with over 10 user groups and special events (concerts, roller derby, hockey, etc.)?  As we held meetings with each group introducing the new solution and how it worked, we realized not everyone had a smartphone, a computer, or a credit card to pay for parking. Luckily, none of these were showstoppers; we installed a laptop for staff to create an account to manage their vehicles, and cash payments could be made at the pay station or exchanged for a visa card. As parking and mobility professionals, we get so excited about the latest and greatest technology that we forget about the parker and whether they can actually use the technology installed. This implementation made me rethink my approach to my next technology project. Laura Lierz, PTMP, is the Vice President Education & Municipal Services for Reimagined Parking. Laura can be reached at llierz@reimaginedparking.com.

Transforming Unused Municipal Space through Collaboration

The homelessness crisis in America is real and has far-reaching economic and community impacts. Parking and mobility owners and operators are facing issues on both the operations and enforcement fronts, from people sleeping outside in and around the garages to those seeking shelter in automobiles using parking garages and lots as places to sleep for the night or longer to stay safe.

Organized by the European Parking Association (EPA) from its new base in Brussels, the 21st European Parking Conference & Exhibition is the next edition of the sector’s flagship biennial event.

We are all aware of the famous Benjamin Franklin quote “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”, yet again and again we are reminded how true that is.  As Parking Professionals, we are often tasked with creating plans and having a plan for an abundance of programs like; Standard Operating Plans, Emergency Action Plans, ADA Plans, Customer Service Plans, Revenue Control Plans, the list goes on and on.  However, Facility Maintenance and Capital Improvement plans seem to take a back seat to the more “parking operational plan” types when in reality, Maintenance and Capital Improvement plans need to be on the top of every parking manager’s priority list.  Failing to prioritize these areas can result in costly repairs and disruptions to parking operations, which ultimately could lead to lost revenue for the owner. As we know, parking often forms the first and last impression a guest has of a building or business, influencing their overall perception.  Yet, many owners fail to implement proper facility maintenance or capital improvement plans for aging parking facilities. Post-tension repairs, concrete repairs, and membrane repairs are rarely considered "exciting" projects that owners are eager to showcase. These projects are typically dusty, noisy, time-consuming, disruptive to parking operations, and VERY EXPENSIVE, so they often get pushed aside in favor of more visually appealing upgrades to the main building or guest entryway. As parking professionals responsible for parking operations, it’s crucial that we communicate with ownership/stakeholders and advocate for a seat at the table to contribute to the discussion on a preliminary capital improvement plan. While most of us may not be engineers by trade, it’s important to familiarize ourselves with the types of parking structures we manage and recognize signs of deterioration. Keep in mind, it will be far more costly to completely rebuild a deteriorating parking facility than to allocate funds annually for ongoing repairs and maintenance. Vincent Campagna, CAPP, is a Manager, Parking & Ground Transportation for Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. Vincent can be reached at vcampagna@mitchellairport.com.

Vancouver, BC — Parking Base, the leading provider of customized cloud-based parking management solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with EasyPark. This collaboration brings Parking Base’s advanced Destination Manager platform to EasyPark-managed facilities across Vancouver, making parking more convenient and accessible for residents and visitors. As part of the partnership, Parking Base’s Destination Manager platform will be white labeled with EasyPark branding, delivering a seamless experience tailored specifically EasyPark customers. The integration will allow drivers to effortlessly make parking reservations at EasyPark facilities directly through the EasyPark website or Google Maps, eliminating the hassle of searching for parking and ensuring a stress-free journey. “We’re thrilled to partner with EasyPark to elevate the parking experience in Vancouver,” said Parking Base Senior Vice President Chris Perry. “By combining our state-of-the-art technology with EasyPark’s commitment to exceptional service, we’re making parking more convenient and efficient throughout Vancouver.” By utilizing Parking Base’s Destination Manager platform, EasyPark can now easily manage rates and inventory as well as create custom reservation workflows tailored to the needs of their tenants, clients, landlords, customers, and employees. “Our mission has always been to simplify parking for our customers, and with Parking Base’s Destination Manager platform we are making parking in Vancouver more convenient than ever,” said Ravinder Bains, Director, Client Services at EasyPark. “At the same time, this is a powerful digital tool that will allow us to manage our parking facilities more efficiently. Our partnership with Parking Base represents a win/win for both EasyPark and our customers.” The integration with Google Maps is a key feature of the Destination Manager platform, offering unparalleled ease of access for drivers who can now plan their trips and reserve parking spaces in advance through a platform they already use daily. This alignment of technology and service reinforces both Parking Base’s and EasyPark’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction. About Parking Base Parking Base is the leading company offering cloud-based parking management solutions to handle all aspects of parking operations. Its comprehensive suite of products includes Permit Manager, Valet Manager, Destination Manager, and Access Manager, and it delivers a seamless and customizable digital, cloud-based solution in a single platform. Parking Base’s tools are designed to optimize efficiencies for parking owners and operators, while enhancing the customer experience. For more information about Parking Base, please visit www.parkingbase.com. Parking Base-EasyPark Digital Parking Program Release About EasyPark  EasyPark is a leader in parking management services, dedicated to providing innovative solutions and excellent customer service across Vancouver. With a strong focus on sustainability and technology, EasyPark continues to evolve the parking experience to meet the needs of the community.