Planning

I’ve stood in poorly lit parking garages on both sides of the Atlantic, and the feeling is exactly the same. That instinctive shift in awareness — keys ready, pace quickened, a quick text to let someone know you’ve arrived safely. It doesn’t matter whether I’m in a UK multi-storey or a parking garage Stateside. The experience is universal.

Workplace accidents are very common, even in the parking industry. But should it be? Workplace injuries are in the tens of thousands each year. Economically, over 50 billion dollars is lost each year in accidents. Human factors are the cause in a vast majority of cases. But often there is a connection between human factors and other causes. Understanding how people work and creating safeguards (rules, safety plans and supervision) can go a long way to prevent deaths and injuries if applied correctly.

One of the most impactful decisions you will ever make is where to cast your hotel loyalty (tongue in cheek). As a frequent flyer, I’m Southwest all day long as that Companion Pass is the best perk in the travel industry. Many years ago, I chose Hilton, despite Paris. Many a high school spring break was brought to the Pinyot family courtesy of Hilton Honors points, and my Lifetime Diamond achievement.

How One City Is Rebuilding Its Parking Program from the Ground Up

Generative AI is moving at lightning speed. Headlines predict sweeping change. Vendors and software companies are promising fully automated agents. Our bosses (and their bosses) are demanding an AI strategy yesterday. But parking doesn’t need more hype. It needs discipline.

In this blog, I hope to present some information and guidelines regarding temporary traffic control. Typically, we think about traffic control in the context of police officers, construction crews or those involved in flagging operations. But as parking professionals we have to consider major events (planned or unplanned) or special event parking also include traffic getting to the parking space.

When you think about using an autonomous vehicle, is your reaction ‘No Waymo’? Or are you curious about the changing technology around us and instead think ‘Yes Waymo’? Being that I live part time in Phoenix, I have become quite accustomed to seeing Waymo on the streets around us for almost a decade now. First as a testing ground in Tempe and then mainstream as one of the first launch cities in the US. About 18 months ago, my husband Nathan transitioned from Uber to Waymo when it was possible, and I quickly followed suit.

In this four-part Parkonomics series for Urban Land, Kevin Bopp, Bernard Lee, and Andrew Sachs, CAPP, examine how parking facilities must evolve to remain viable in a rapidly changing mobility landscape

Shaping the Future of Mobility

In this panel discussion, university parking leaders will explore how institutions can apply the same proven strategies used for football game day to other high-demand events. From staffing and communication plans to pricing structures and traffic flow management, we’ll discuss how best practices can be scaled and adapted across the academic calendar.

Climate risk, particularly severe weather, is becoming an increasingly important factor in how parking and mobility infrastructure is designed and how vehicles are insured and protected. Hail is one of the costliest and most disruptive weather threats facing vehicle-centric infrastructure in the United States. As vehicles with panoramic glass roofs, advanced sensors, and EV components become increasingly technologically complex and expensive to repair, the financial impact of hail damage continues to grow. At the same time, insurers are responding with higher premiums, stricter underwriting, and more stringent requirements for proactive mitigation.

Extreme weather events are becoming a more regular occurrence. As I write this blog, large portions of the country are digging out from significant winter weather events – many of whom do not experience ice, snow and subzero temperatures on a regular (or even occasional!) basis.