Tag Archives: mobility

IPMI Blog, Resources, Transportation & Mobility

Are Parking Minimums a Thing of the Past?

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parking minimums municipalsBy Jonathan Wicks, CAPP

In this time of evolving transportation needs and consumer preferences, municipalities and developers are asking: Are old-school parking minimums applicable to today’s usage? Developers often find them inflexible, frustrating, and costly. The planning community is increasingly opposed to parking minimums, concerned that they perpetuate an auto-centric nature of American cities that dedicates more land to cars than people, housing, and quality design. Transportation planners point out that parking minimums increase the distance between destinations, making cities and towns less walkable and—subsequently—have even more parking.

Cities are beginning to respond to the need for less parking in a meaningful way by reducing or removing minimums near transit, in downtown districts, and even city-wide. In a 2020 IPMI Virtual Parking & Mobility Virtual Conference & Expo panel led by Walker Consultants’ Sue Thompson, Chrissy Mancini Nichols, and me, we’ll dive deep into parking minimums. Expect to learn the current story of trends and data around parking minimums, see real-life case studies and analysis on minimum requirements compared to demand, and build a how-to toolbox of the policies and plans for parking and the curb to take back to your project or town.

Jonathan Wicks, CAPP, is a consultant with Walker Consultants. He will present on this topic during the 2020 IPMI Virtual Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo, June 1-2, wherever you are. Click here for details and to register.

 

Consumer Resources, IPMI & Member News, Outreach and Media Relations, Resources, Safety & Security, Sustainability, Transportation & Mobility

Member News: Heart of the Park Partners Band Together to Feed Baltimore

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May 5, 2020

We’re at our best when we all work together.

Since its late March launch, Heart of the Park, a partnership between Harbor Park Garage and several local organizations and businesses, has distributed about 13,000 meals to Baltimoreans in need and to those on the front lines, serving the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiative includes daily meal distribution at the downtown Baltimore garage, where visitors can head to the third floor to pick up free boxed lunches and dinners, and packages of rolls or loaves of bread.

In addition to the meals given out at the garage, Heart of the Park delivers weekend meals to the COVID units at three local hospitals: Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland’s downtown hospital, and St. Joseph Medical Center. In early May, Heart of the Park also launched “New Medical Center Wednesday,” when it donates 50 meals to healthcare workers at a different medical center each week (starting with Mercy Hospital).

The Heart of the Park initiative is headquartered at Harbor Park Garage but its success is driven by the generosity and creativity of several businesses and organizations located throughout Baltimore City. The garage’s partners include:

Pierpoint Restaurant

Pierpoint_restaurant_logoFells Point mainstay Pierpoint Restaurant, and its chef/owner Nancy Longo, have been the backbone of the Heart of the Park initiative from day one. Chef Longo’s celebrated restaurant has been an integral – and delicious – part of the Fells Point neighborhood for years. She is locally (and nationally) famous for her creative takes on Chesapeake cuisine.

Since Heart of the Park launched in March, Chef Longo and her team have created interesting and healthy meals to share with the community every day. They’ve been working, safely and tirelessly, to make sure the community has healthy and tasty lunches and dinners every day.

H&S Bakery

H&S_Bakery Logo

Starting in May, H&S Bakery is donating loaves of bread and packages of rolls for distribution at the garage – helping locals in need fill their pantries during this tough time.

H&S Bakery opened in Fells Point in 1943; visitors often notice the yeasty scent of baking bread when they’re strolling around the neighborhood’s historic cobblestone streets. In the years since, the bakery, which creates products sold under several brand names, has established itself as a generous community member, donating time, resources and bread products to many local organizations – including directly to Baltimoreans, through Heart of the Park.

Downtown Partnership of Baltimore

Downtown_partnership_baltimore_logo

Downtown Partnership of Baltimore is working with Heart of the Park to solicit, organize and distribute the funds necessary to keep meal distribution going.

The organization is a champion of downtown businesses and events – part of the dream team that coordinates major city happenings like Baltimore Restaurant Week. During the COVID-19 emergency, Downtown Partnership has put its organizational skills to work, acting as a hub for community resources and a helpful collector and disseminator of information and funds.

Italian Cultural Center of Maryland

Italian_Cultural_Center_of_Maryalnd_LogoFood is an integral part of so many cultures but perhaps no cultural group is as closely tied to culinary glory as Italians. The Italian Cultural Center of Maryland, a group that educates and promotes Italian culture and heritage among Baltimoreans, is tapping into the culture’s great culinary tradition, assisting Heart of the Park with food donations.

What’s Next

As need persists in Baltimore, Heart of the Park will continue to provide meals for hungry locals and healthcare workers on the front lines. Harbor Park Garage management aims to keep the program growing as long as the need remains – and to do that, they plan to expand partnerships with local organizations of all types.

The collaboration between the garage, restaurants, associations and other local businesses has been a bright spot in the midst of a tough battle against COVID-19. By banding together, Charm City’s businesses help keep local residents in need and those on the front lines fed – and fed well.

Harbor Park Garage is located at 55 Market Place in downtown Baltimore. For more information and current news about Heart of the Park, including information about how to contribute to help feed Baltimoreans in need, visit: INFO

Pierpoint Restaurant is located at 1822 Aliceanna Street in Fells Point. For more information, call 410-675-2080 or visit https://www.pierpointrestaurant.com/

IPMI & Member News, Resources, Safety & Security, Transportation & Mobility

Member News: Borough of Belmar, New Jersey, Bringing contactless payments to beachfront parking with ParkMobile

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ParkMobile new logoParkMobile app will allow users to pay for parking on their mobile device.

ParkMobile, the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in the United States, has partnered with the Borough of Belmar, New Jersey, to allow residents and visitors to pay for parking through their mobile devices. The ParkMobile app will be available at approximately 400 spaces along the town’s beachfront area starting May 8th, 2020. With the recent COVID-19 crisis, many city leaders are encouraging residents to use the app to prevent the spread of the virus.

ParkMobile is a free app available for both iPhone and Android devices. To pay for parking with the app, a user enters the zone number posted on nearby signs, selects the amount of time needed and touches the “Start Parking” button to begin the session. The user can also extend the time of the parking session on their mobile device. In addition, the user can dial 877-727-5304 to initiate a payment. Beyond Belmar, the app can be used to pay for parking in over 400 cities across the United States.

ParkMobile has a large and growing audience in the state of New Jersey and in the Tri-State Area. There are almost 1.3 million users of the app across the state including Jersey City, Hoboken, New Brunswick, Asbury Park, Ocean City, Wildwood and more. ParkMobile can also be used to make parking reservations for concerts and sporting events at Prudential Center in Newark. Beyond New Jersey, the app can be used in cities along the Northeast corridor from Washington, DC to Philadelphia to New York City.

“The Borough of Belmar wants to ensure the safety of visitors and residents,” says Mayor Mark Walsifer. “By partnering with ParkMobile to offer contactless parking payments, we are working to provide our community with a smart mobility option for anyone looking to spend time at the beach.”

“We’re excited to bring contactless parking payments to Belmar,” says Jon Ziglar, CEO of ParkMobile. “We have thousands of ParkMobile users in the local area who will now be able to pay for parking on their mobile devices without the concern of spreading COVID-19.”

For more visit https://parkmobile.io/.

 

Free Online Shoptalk: How to Not Suck at Virtual Networking

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Free Online Shoptalk: How to Not Suck at Virtual Networking

Friday May 15, 2020  11 am-12 pm ET

Free to all industry professionals

Access Recording here

 

Networking is such a personal activity—it is not a one-size-fits-all practice. It’s easy to get bogged down in the details and miss out on the foundation of how to build and retain a retain an effective network. At the end of the day, no one cares what you do as much as whether you know and like them and whether you can be trusted.

In an industry built on the power of connecting face-to-face, establishing and growing meaningful relationships is undeniably critical to long-term success. During the current pandemic, networking has shifted from onsite to fully online.

Are you prepared to nurture your network this way? Are you prepared to take advantage of online opportunities to learn, collaborate, and grow through platforms like the 2020 IPMI Parking & Mobility Virtual Conference & Expo and IPMI’s ongoing free industry Shoptalks?

Get registered for this interactive webinar (it’s free!) and get ready to grow your personal and professional network, with lots of takeaway value and strategies you can use right away.

In this presentation, networking concierge Ashley Owens shares ways to nurture your current business relationships to create your own tactical, individualized approach. Save time by recognizing the best strategic partners and effectively engaging contacts through email, messaging, social media, and other digital tools. Dive in and engage with your peers in this highly interactive keynote, and learn how to balance your strengths, network strategically and with confidence, and craft an authentic, powerful, professional networking process to achieve a wildly successful career.

 

Ashley Owens Bio picPresenter: Ashley Owens

Ashley Owens is the first and only networking concierge who puts you in the right situation or gets you out of the wrong one. Ashley works as a strategic partner, attending events with professionals as an extension and champion of them. Starting her career as a personal and executive assistant to two celebrities in New York City, her experience in networking grew as she obtained positions in customer service, business analytics, and account management. Since 2017, she has grown her business into something she could have never dreamed of. Ashley is a host of two digital TV talk shows on RVNTV and This is It TV, speaking and interviewing on the topic of tactical networking. She has taken more than 700 introduction phone calls with business professionals looking to grow their network, and has made close to 1,000 introductions. She has spoken to over 50 networking groups, organizations, companies, and conferences, including the coveted Pennsylvania Conference for Women. She has been interviewed on the Mel Robbins Show on CBS, produces and hosts a podcast talking to entrepreneurs about their screw-ups, raises thousands of dollars for local nonprofits at her Cocktails and Conversation networking event, has over 185 referral partners,and has keynoted around the U.S.

IPMI Blog, Resources, Transportation & Mobility

Parking, COVID, and Universities

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University ParkingBy David M. Feehan

I have spent the last couple of years working to strengthen a business district organization in Dinkytown, the district adjacent to the main campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. This historic district is the place where Bob Zimmerman from Hibbing, Minn., got his start as a folk singer and changed his name to Bob Dylan.

As with any major university (and this is one of the largest in the U.S.) parking is always an issue. Student parking, staff and faculty parking, visitor and customer parking all must be managed and managed well, or chaos ensues.

Now, however, the university and surrounding areas must deal with a new and unexpected problem: no cars. A decision has not yet been made, but the fall semester may be conducted mostly online; there may be no football season; and most businesses are either closed or in limited operating mode.

So obviously, this presents the university, the city, and private businesses with a whole host of problems. One is obviously the loss of revenue. Football games are a tremendous source of revenue for the university, and parking revenue on game days is substantial. Football season for the business district is like Christmas for shopping centers. Local restaurants and bars can do half of their annual sales during the football season. But loss of customers does not mean expenses go away. Lots and garages still have to maintained, utilities stall have to be paid, and employees are still on the payroll unless furloughed.

Parking for students is another issue. Many students may elect to live at home with parents if classes are online. This represents additional revenue loss for the university. It also means lost revenue for the city, as on-street parking serves commuting students as well as restaurant and shop customers.

How long will the crisis last and what will be the lasting impact on parking? Will, for example, students who drive to campus opt for public transportation or purchase bikes? Will carpooling become more popular? Will more student housing be built so students can walk to campus? There are so many things we don’t know right now. But the “new normal” is upon us, and if you manage university parking or parking near a university, now is the time to get your plan in place.

David M. Feehan is president of Civitas Consultants, LLC.

IPMI & Member News, Resources, Technology, Transportation & Mobility

Member News: CurbTrac Assembles Industry Leaders to Innovate on COVID-19 Response with Clean Driver Program

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PPA CurbTracPilot Grubhub Program Held in Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA, May 8, 2020 – In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CurbTrac, a technology innovator in the parking and mobility industries, has launched the Clean Driver Program in partnership with ParkMobile, ParkOps, and Ballparc. The Clean Driver Program provides turn-key solutions for Transportation Network Companies (TNC), taxi companies, food delivery service providers, and corporate fleets to keep drivers and customers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic through PPE distribution sites and automotive sanitation services.  The Clean Driver Program is made possible through the combined efforts and teamwork of numerous parking and mobility technology partners.  Commenting on the launch of the program, CurbTrac CEO Charley DeBow said, “By combining the technology platforms of industry leaders like Park Mobile and Ballparc, alongside the staffing network of Park Ops and the logistics expertise of CurbTrac, The Clean Driver Program provides  clients with a cost-effective solution to quickly and efficiently distribute PPE kits directly into the hands of their drivers as well as provide a sanitation service for fleet operators.”

“ParkMobile is proud to be a part of this initiative to keep people safe and reduce the spread of COVID-19,” says Jon Ziglar, CEO of ParkMobile. “Drivers can easily use the ParkMobile app to reserve an appointment at the distribution site where they can pick up their PPE kits or have their cars sanitized.”

Another technology component of the Clean Driver Program is Ballparc, who will utilize their scanning validation functionality to track driver reservations that are redeemed within their reservation window. Ballparc’s CEO, Taylor Chapman said, “Ballparc is honored to be a part of this program and with partners that are willing to step up and think outside the box when called upon during these unprecedented times. This program is a great example of how vital innovation will continue to be in our rapidly changing industry.”

During the initial pilot for the Clean Driver Program in Philadelphia held this past week, CurbTrac distributed personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to food delivery drivers, courtesy of Grubhub.  The initial pilot program was also supported by the Philadelphia Parking Authority who provided the space for the distribution site. “Ensuring the safety of our community during these times is incredibly important, especially as delivery is one of the only ways restaurants are able to stay open right now,” stated Eric Ferguson, Senior Vice President of Logistics at Grubhub. “While we’ve already extended an easy way for our driver network to access PPE, our partnership with CurbTrac’s Clean Driver Program further extends our efforts and gives drivers in Philadelphia a quick and easy way to pick up the supplies they need – and at no cost to them.”

International Parking & Mobility Institute CEO, Shawn Conrad, also weighed in, stating, “IPMI firmly believes in addressing mobility at all points of a journey – from the first mile to the last, and addressing all aspects along the way. Customer safety and the patron experience remains the first and most important priority. We are proud of all of our members who are innovating, pivoting, and changing the way we handle disruptions to public and private transportation and operations in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The Clean Driver Program by CurbTrac represents the best of our industry – applying creativity, spurring innovation, and bringing communities together. This program, and others like it by IPMI members, serve to achieve big picture goals: protecting public health during the crisis; creating new employment opportunities for those in our industry and beyond; allowing us all to travel more freely and carefully as we reopen cities, campuses, and destinations; and helping our economy recover by getting us all moving again.”

For more information on the Clean Driver Program, visit www.cleandriverprogram.com.

About CurbTrac

Founded by leaders in the mobility payment vertical, CurbTrac is a Philadelphia-based technology company creating innovative solutions for the parking and mobility industries.  The company’s leading product, a centralized parking payment database, provides municipalities, universities, and private parking operators with a fully integrated, multi-app payment system.  The Clean Driver Program is CurbTrac’s latest product and leverages its flexible software, and vast network of partnerships across the US, to quickly scale customized solutions to providing COVID-19 safety measures for Transportation Network Companies (TNC).  The Clean Driver Program launched in Philadelphia to support GrubHub drivers in partnership with the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

About Grubhub

Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as more than 22 million active diners. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features over 350,000 restaurants and is proud to partner with more than 165,000 of these restaurants in over 3,200 U.S. cities and London. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, AllMenus and MenuPages.

CurbTrac:
Lisa DeBow, Principal, Cloudburst Advisory Group
(202) 262-4261
media@curbtrac.com

Grubhub:
Natalie Gerke, Senior Manager, Communications
(850) 554-5416
ngerke@grubhub.com

Education & Training, Management & Human Resources, Operations, Resources, Safety & Security, Transportation & Mobility, Webinar

Free Online Shoptalk: Leadership on Their Terms to Ease Stress and Enable Focus

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Wednesday May 6, 2020- 2:00 PM EST

Free Online Shoptalk: Leadership on Their Terms to Ease Stress and Enable Focus

Free to all Industry Professionals

Access the Recording here

IPMI invites all industry professionals in parking, transportation, and mobility to discuss how the COVID-19 crisis has impacted your various mobility programs and options, including how we plan for municipal on street operations post COVID-19.

Now more than ever, empathy, self-awareness, and sensitivity are key aspects to leading teams and maintaining healthy relationships (just ask any celebrity busted on social media for complaining about cabin fever from their palatial home). Meeting employees where their heads are to communicate change, celebrate success, and break bad news are the leadership qualities that win the day in today’s environment.

If you’re leading others and, would like to go from good to better or haven’t really had to lean on these aspects of leadership until now, this online Shoptalk will be well worth your time. Join Colleen Niese and Vicki Pero from The Marlyn Group for a highly interactive session to discuss key strategies and take away easy-to-implement tactics to ensure your leadership from a distance will:

Objectives:

·        Make decisions that consider team members needs in a COVID-19 world.

·        Help manage stress for your team and you(!).

·        Support all in accomplishing the work at hand with as much focus as can be expected.

 

Speakers:

Niese headshotColleen M. Niese, SPHR understanding of what makes a business tick comes from her nearly 25 years of parking industry experience, and her insatiable curiosity about high-performing business.

With a background in leading an international shared services center to then consulting in strategic HR and customer service to now overseeing new business development, sales and client relations for Zephire, the people-first complete monthly parking solution, Colleen is well versed when it comes to a parking operator’s priorities in managing seamless monthly parking.  She possesses a unique skillset to listen to a client’s needs and connecting Zephire’s holistic solution to each individual’s expectation.  In her spare time, Colleen is a hopeless Cleveland Browns fan (there’s always next year!).

 

 

Frontline, IPMI & Member News, Operations, Resources, Safety & Security, Sustainability, Transportation & Mobility

Member News: Penn Parking Develops More than 3,000 Face Shields for COVID-19 Healthcare Workers

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Penn Parking logoMay 7, 2020- Penn Parking, a Maryland-based parking management company, recently wrapped up the Herculean effort of handcrafting 3,300 PPE face shields for healthcare workers throughout Maryland, Virginia and DC area. The shields are to assist in the fight against COVID-19. Penn Parking leadership, staff and friends worked together to create these vital personal protective equipment resources and donate them to those on the front lines.

Penn Parking delivered the shields to numerous area hospitals and nursing homes. This important project dramatically exceeded the initial goal of 1,000 shields.

Penn Parking CEO Lisa Renshaw stated, “We are on a mission to get our health care workers and first responders the vital equipment they need to keep them and the public safe. We all need to pull together in this crisis.” Lisa went on to challenge every business that is in the position to do so, to please find a way to help in the effort to “slow the spread”

About Penn Parking

Penn Parking is the Only women owned parking management company in US history. She started it by living in her first garage for 3 ½ years. Today Penn Parking manages over 50 facilities in the Maryland, Virginia and DC area. Penn Parking offers a wide range of parking management and consulting services and has provided tailored and budget-friendly parking solutions for over 35 years. For more, visit www.pennparking.com.

Contact

Lisa Renshaw
President
Penn Parking
lisar@pennparking.com

 

Education & Training, IPMI & Member News, Management & Human Resources, Resources, Safety & Security, Sustainability, Technology, Transportation & Mobility, Webinar

Member News: ParkHub Launches ‘Attendant Academy’ to Support Industry Advancement During the COVID-19 Crisis

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Parkhub Attendant academyThe company’s online courses aim to help prospective parking professionals develop skills for future employment.

DALLAS, May 7th, 2020 — ParkHub, the leading B2B parking technology company, has launched online courses designed to support the professional advancement of parking attendants during the COVID-19 crisis. The curriculum, coined Attendant Academy, provides in-depth training on ParkHub’s mobile point-of-sale technology, covers industry best practices, and offers certification to registrants who complete the virtual courses. The training is free of cost and available to the public at large.

“As our team witnessed the pandemic taking its toll on parking operations, we became driven to find a way to give back to the industry’s workforce,” said Jake Edsell, ParkHub’s Chief Operating Officer. “The training program we devised reflects the service we strive to provide our partners – comprehensive, forward-thinking, and ultimately, designed to empower. Additionally, we are excited about the prospect of providing our customers with highly trained employees that will decrease onboarding time as well as increase efficiencies once lanes and gates reopen.”

ParkHub serves over 300 professional sports teams, entertainment venues, universities, and State parks across the United States. The company’s mobile point-of-sale device, Prime, processes credit card and mobile payments, digitizes cash transactions, and authenticates prepaid parking passes supplied by numerous ticketing and parking reservation partners. All transactions are stored in Suite, ParkHub’s business intelligence tool, which provides real-time data and robust analytics.

By facilitating contactless payments, mitigating cash, and delivering timely data insights, ParkHub’s solutions are well-positioned to help clients adapt to operations in the aftermath of the Coronavirus. In the meantime, the ParkHub team plans to continue adding enrichment tools to the ParkHub University platform.

Find out more about ParkHub’s Attendant Academy and sign up for courses at this link: https://parkhub.com/parkhub-university/

 

About ParkHub

ParkHub is a Dallas-based technology company that provides software and hardware services for the parking industry. The company’s products provide multiple payment options, real-time reporting of parking revenue, support for dynamic pricing, and inventory availability and control. ParkHub technology integrates with many prepaid parking and ticketing providers. Founded by parking industry veteran, George Baker Sr., ParkHub has effectively fast-tracked traditional parking operations into the digital age. For more information, visit parkhub.com.