High-tech L.A. parking meters will take credit and debit cards; sensors monitor when time's up. The days of lugging around fistfuls of quarters to feed hungry parking meters, or circling the block repeatedly in search of a parking space, could be nearing an end for downtown Los Angeles motorists. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation has begun installing 10,000 high-tech parking meters throughout the city that allow for credit-card and debit-card payment, in addition to coins. And next year, the downtown area will host an experimental program that aims to take much of the hassle out of parking. For the full the LA Times click here

Who’s Responsible when Your Car Is Stolen From A Parking Lot or Garage? MEMPHIS, TN – Parking can be fun, but for Allen Battle, it’s become a huge headache. “I came here Tuesday morning about 9:00a.m., parked my car, paid the lot attendant, he told me to park it over here.” Battle says when he came back two hours later his car and the parking lot attendants were gone.  All that’s left is broken glass and no explanation from Premier System Parking, the company that owns the lot at Third and Exchange in Downtown Memphis. “I feel the lot attendant should be responsible because what’s the sense of me paying to park my car here and y’all not securing my car, especially when y’all have attendants on duty.” For the full article from myeyewitnessnews.com click here

Hobart addresses parking problems on narrow streets. HOBART -- Narrow streets coupled with cars parked on both sides are making it difficult for ambulances to get through some streets in the Barrington Trace subdivision, residents say. They asked the Board of Works on Wednesday night to limit parking to one side of the street on Capitol and Independence streets to alleviate the problem. Mayor Brian Snedecor said he met with the Barrington Trace homeowners association and residents couldn't decide on which side of the road they should park. He said he would like to go before the group again with the city engineer and city planner to discuss a solution. For the from the Sun-Times Media click here

Philly's mean streets featured in 'Wreck Chasers'. PHILADELPHIA — The mean streets of the City of Brotherly Love are once again coming to television. "Wreck Chasers" is a reality show about the city's notoriously aggressive tow truck drivers. It's shooting in Philadelphia and slated to premiere in late October on the TLC network. Production crews are following several drivers with one unidentified Philadelphia towing company as they race to beat the competition to wrecks. Jim Kowats, the show's executive producer, says filming started in May. The show is the second series focusing on the difficulties of Philadelphia motorists. "Parking Wars," in its third season on A&E, features Philadelphia Parking Authority employees at work. For the full article from Google.com click here 

Dragon Stadium parking spaces up for auction. An expanded parking lot at Dragon Stadium created another money-making opportunity for the Carroll school district through the online auctioning of 58 parking spaces that football fans can use for Dragon home game. Bidding starts at $100. Auction proceeds benefit the district's general operating fund, which covers salaries and day-to-day expenses. The reserved spaces are near the home-side entrance, district spokeswoman Julie Thannumsaid. For the full article from the Star-telgram.com click here 

Albany parking permit system signed into law. ALBANY -- Downtown residents should soon have an easier time finding parking after Gov.David Paterson's signed into law Monday a bill that establishes a new permit system. The bill hit the governor's desk a few weeks ago, and Monday was the final day the governor could sign the proposed legislation, according to Paterson's press office. The proposal had already been approved by the Senate and the Assembly. The Albany Common Council will now review the matter. For the full article from the Timesunion.com click here

Some TIA board members roll up free parking while considering ending it for Joe Public. It's a good thing that Tampa International Airport officials backed away from ending the first-hour-free parking policy. Why? Because of the potential embarrassment for TIA's governing board. The five members enjoy a little-known perk: an airport ID that gives them free parking at any time, for any reason. So far this year, board member Dr. Joseph Diaco parked for nearly a month in the $20-a-day short-term garage over the main terminal. Not in dribs and drabs, but for two vacations — a 10-day California trip starting Memorial Day weekend and while spending the first 18 days of July in New York. The price for regular folks: $560. For the full article from the Tampabay.com click here

 

Unpaid tickets for parking in Phoenix pile up for rental-car companies. Rental-car companies owe Phoenix nearly $100,000 in unpaid parking tickets, according to the "boot-and-tow" list used by police to impound vehicles registered to repeat offenders. Individual motorists and other small businesses, such as shuttle companies or town-car services, owe the majority of the $2 million in unpaid fines on the list. But major rental agencies account for some of the largest individual debts and present a serious challenge for city officials seeking the uncollected revenue. For the full article from the AZCentral.com click here

Parking Company of America Thrives Despite Tough Economy. Orange County based Parking Company of America/CA Adds Staff and New Facility. Anaheim, CA (PRWEB) September 1, 2010 -- Orange County based Parking Company of America/CA Adds Staff and New Facility. Providing premium valet parking services at reasonable prices to its patrons, continues to be a proven and winning strategy for Parking Company of America/CA, whose Orange County turnkey parking management operation is steadily thriving in today’s troubled economy. Parking Company of America/CA has recently added staff, and is opening an additional new facility in Anaheim Hills, CA, this week. For the new article from  Yahoo.com click here

 

Parking meter lease fallout looms as Daley pushes privatization. As Mayor Richard Daley looks to narrow the gaping hole in next year's city budget by hiring companies to take over government operations, his last major foray into privatization serves as a cautionary tale. The city's 75-year parking meter lease led to soaring rates and initial troubles with jammed, broken and error-prone meters that angered many drivers. The Daley administration went on to spend most of the one-time $1.15 billion payment in just two years. Now the city faces a record $655 million shortfall, and the mayor is ruling out a pre-election tax hike. So Daley is shopping potential deals to private firms to take over recycling, run the signature Taste ofChicago festival and fix city vehicles. 

For the full article from the Chicago Breaking News Center click here

Hoboken parking utility vehicles, illegally parked in handicapped spaces, towed by police. Around 1 a.m. this morning, police inHoboken ticketed and towed five Parking Utility vehicles that were illegally parked in handicapped spots in Garage B on 2nd Street, according to police and city officials. Police were alerted by a woman who was attempting to park in one of the spaces taken up by a municipal vehicle in the garage late last night. The officer attempted to notify the city parking directors to have the vehicles moved, but no one could be reached, police officials said. Transportation Director Ian Sacs said he was never contacted by police last night. For the full article from the NJ.com click here

City to show mercy on parking meter violators. If you have a vision of a meter maid standing over a parking meter watching the last minute tick away--waiting to give you a ticket--you can banish that image from your mind. Parking meters in downtown Colorado Springs and in Old Colorado City will be reprogrammed to provide a five-minute grace period. Now when the time expires, the reprogrammed meters will display time in a negative mode, until it reaches -:05, then it will flash EXPIRED. The grace period will take effect Tuesday, Sept. 7. For the full article from News First 5.com click here

Can't find parking? New electronic signs will help. While tearing down the Alaskan Way Viaduct will do wonders for Seattle's waterfront, it's likely to put the squeeze on downtown parking. About 800 spaces beneath the waterfront viaduct, which are routinely filled, will be gone when the structure comes down in 2016. For the past few weeks, the Seattle Department of Transportation has been surveying people who park beneath the viaduct. Drivers were asked five or six questions, including how often they park downtown, where they're headed, and how they chose to park under the viaduct. I was surveyed after finding a spot near Yesler Way. For the full article from the SeattlePI.com click here

Jon Stewart Tries to Trick Mayor Bloomberg, Wants a Free Parking Pass. Michael Bloomberg -- the current mayor of New York City -- appeared as a guest on 'The Daily Show' (weeknights, 11PM ET on Comedy Central). While he was on the show, Jon Stewart tried to use a little deceit, in order to get a special privilege. Jon asked the mayor for his autograph on a glossy photo. "Just right on the line there; that'd be great ... that's terrific," he said. Next, Stewart whipped away the photo ... to reveal that the mayor had just signed a "All Access Five Borough" free parking pass that was lying underneath. Nice! Well-played, Mr. Stewart! For the full article from the TV Squad click here

Is a parking space worth dying for? On Thursday night, a 51 year old San Francisco man was hospitalized after suffering life-threatening injuries in an apparent road rage dispute. Unfortunately, in the United States such incidents are not uncommon: Ricardo Martinez head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has declared road rage to be the number one traffic problem in the nation. According to the NHTSA 66 percent of all annual traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving. In fact, the evidence shows that there has been a 51 percent increase in aggressive driving incidents since 1990; resulting in an average of thousands of men, women, and children injured or killed each year. For the full article from the Examiner click here

Take parking burden off taxpayers' backs. If there ever was a time for the city of Staunton not to subsidize parking downtown, this is it. The fact that taxpayer money — up to $224,000 — is feeding the parking budget each year is more than a revelation. It's absurd. This is not the first time city staff has considered changing how motorists pay to park downtown, but City Council on Thursday heard another report on the topic. The city relies heavily on downtown retail shops and appreciates people living in the area. This support of retail and residential living has led city staff to go easy on parking fees. For the full article from the News Leader.com click here

Former Jersey City administrator gets 3 years for fixing 215 parking tickets for self, daughter. A former administrator in Jersey City Municipal Court received a sentence of three years in prison after she was found guilty of illegally "fixing" 215 tickets that were issued to herself and her daughter. In addition, she must also pay restitution for all of them and is permanently barred from holding another government job, according to an article in today's Jersey Journal. For the full article from the NJ.com click here

Pay parking scheme returning to Baguio. BAGUIO CITY—A pay-parking scheme, which cost a former Baguio mayor his office, is being revived by Mayor Mauricio Domogan, who said such a system would restore order to the city’s snarled traffic.“How can we call ourselves a tourist destination when all tourists complain about is the absence of parking spaces?” Domogan said. For the full article from the Inquirer click here

A Windfall for Investors, a Loss for Chicago. Critics says the Windy City will lose billions over the life of a $1.15 billion contract to run the city's parking meters. Here's a cautionary tale for city officials considering whether to sell off government properties to raise cash in these lean times. Chicago drivers will pay a Morgan Stanley-led partnership at least $11.6 billion to park at city meters over the next 75 years—10 times what Mayor Richard Daley received when he leased the system for a one-time sum of $1.15 billion in 2008. The investors—Morgan Stanley, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and Allianz Capital Partners—may earn a profit of $9.58 billion before interest, taxes, and depreciation, according to documents for the group's $500 million private note sale. For the full article from the Bloomberg Business Week click here

Big Test For Paid Parking. It's not the first day for paid parking in the entertainment district, however, it may be the new systems biggest test to date. Why? Well  Friday night is one of the busiest nights on Dickson Street, especially when you consider the fact that college students are back on campus. So how did folks react to shelling out cash for parking? Confusion would be a good word to use. For the full article from the NWA Homepage.com click here 

Fairfield: Shots fired during argument over parking space. Police arrested a man Monday on suspicion of shooting at someone in a dispute over a parking space at a Fairfield apartment complex. Tom Allen, 58, confronted the victim, a 40-year-old Fairfield resident, when he took a parking space at the complex in the 900 block of Broadway at about 3:40 p.m., Lt. Al Bagos said. There is no assigned parking at the complex, but Allen told the man to move his car because he had taken his spot, Bagos said. For the full story from the Mercury News.com click here 

 Free parking. For most Philadelphia drivers, snagging one of the free parking spaces provided to hundreds of people who work in City Hall, including journalists - or those who merely have friends in high places - would be far better than getting the ceremonial keys to the city. So there may be a bit of envy whenever brickbats are thrown at the system of granting parking privileges in Center City and other key locations. After all, a parking pass means annual savings of thousands of dollars for a driver. But there is good reason to be critical of free, city-sponsored parking passes in some instances. Certainly, that's the case when they're given city workers and others whose duties don't demand quick access to a vehicle. There's even less justification for those who don't work in City Hall. For the full article from the Philadelphia Inquirer click here

T2 Systems Adds Eight New Parking Professionals to its Customer Advisory Board. (INDIANAPOLIS, IND.— August 25, 2010) T2 Systems is happy to announce the newest members of its Customer Advisory Board (CAB).  The eight new members are representative of T2’s customer base including a mix of cities, medical centers and universities of all sizes.  The T2 CAB serves as a channel for feedback about the state of the parking industry and current trends and needs.  The CAB is also very active in shaping future T2 initiatives, as one of the main responsibilities of its members is to provide input on the quality of T2 products, services and support.The following parking professionals are the newest members of the T2 CAB:  Victor Garcia, Alberta Health Services; Melinda Helton, CAPP, Arizona State University; Liliana Rambo, CAPP, City of Houston; Brad McKendry, CU Boulder; Chuck Landis, Duke University; Josh Cantor, George Mason University; Gary Means, CAPP, Lexington & Fayette County Parking Authority; Shi Brooks, Mississippi State University.“We are so excited to have this group of experienced parking professionals join our Customer Advisory Board,” said Irena Goloschokin, Executive VP of Strategy and Products.  “Our Customer Advisory Board is key to helping T2 maintain its customer-focused strategy.  The continual feedback, honest communications and relationships established with our customers – and those established among our customers – is what makes T2’s approach to product development and support so unique in the industry.”T2’s leadership and management teams meet regularly with the CAB to discuss pertinent, timely issues and exchange information.  The CAB also has an important role in the planning of T2’s User Group conference, the annual gathering of all T2 customers for in-depth training and networking opportunities.  Since 1994, T2 Systems has delivered proven parking solutions that meet the ever-changing needs of the parking industry. This commitment is evident in T2’s quality products and services, thought leadership and strong customer relationships. With its broad range of technology-based solutions, T2 Systems is trusted by more than 300 organizations in the US and Canada including universities, cities, towns, hospitals and airports. T2 Systems is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and has virtual offices throughout the United States and Canada. For additional information about T2 Systems, Inc. products and services, visit 

Standard Parking Corp.  announced its 2010 second-quarter results on Aug. 4 in Chicago. Net income attributable to the company increased 7%, compared with the year-ago quarter, to $4.5 million, or $0.28 per share. Earnings per share increased 4% over the second quarter of 2009. In mid-June, the company also announced that Nationwide Realty Investors (NRI) had extended its contract to manage NRI's Arena District Parking Portfolio. The Arena District contains more than 10,700 parking spaces in 10 garages and seven surface lots in Columbus, OH. The district's parking facilities service more than 2 million square feet of commercial office and retail space, 150 residential condominiums, and 100 apartments. 

The three-story, solar-powered Old Town Garage, opened earlier this year in Temecula, CA, provides more than 450 much needed parking spaces for visitors to the city’s Historic Old Town District. The structure also will serve  the new Civic Center next door  slated to open this month. Public Works Director Greg Butler told The Californian newspaper: “We did not want to create just this block structure. We wanted to mask it a bit so that it blends in with the (area’s Mission Revival) architecture.  … It’s one of the best-looking parking garages I’ve seen.” Watry Design partnered with Nichols, Melburg & Rossetto Architects to meet the challenges of this project. Butler said the $15 million garage had come in roughly on time and under budget. 

Lee Anne Dixon, P.E., has joined the Walter P Moore Traffic Engineering Services Group in Houston.  She brings more than 13 years of experience in transportation planning and traffic operations, focusing on solutions that improve safety and mobility.  Her strong working knowledge of traffic operations software  has been applied to multimodal centers, airports, downtown cores, as well as suburban environments.  

Do you really need two parking stalls? PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK: OK, I can deal with the fact that lines in the parking lot may be covered by snow, but there is no excuse for motorists to take up two parking stalls during the summer – or at any time of the year for that matter. For the ful articlec from the Wetaskin Times.com click here

Spancrete, the leader in the precast/prestressed concrete industry,  recently promoted Jim Clapper, J.P. Nolan and Scott Bertschinger to key leadership roles. Spancrete says the promotions reflect its focus on changing market dynamics and internal improvements, and realign the company on key business segments related to building, transportation and infrastructure. 

 At the invitation of the UN Project on Governance, Timothy H. Haahs, PE, AIA, President of Timothy Haahs & Associates, recently spoke at a UN conference in South Korea hosted by its Ministry of Environment. The forum, featuring the theme “City Development for Green Growth,” gathered representatives from 37 countries, including Russia and China, as well as from throughout Southeast Asia and the Middle East. 

Smart Marketing Concepts launched the first-of-its-kind embedded centralized reservations engine in June at A1 Express Airport Parking near Tampa International Airport  in Florida. It enables Tampa Bay-area residents and businesses to go online and reserve parking space in advance at the best available rate. The company says its software preserves many of the benefits of travel websites such as real-time rates, space availability and instant confirmation. Revenue management features are designed to allow an operator to compete at a higher level while offering additional products and services – carwash, car detail, oil change – in a single transaction.  

TRMI Systems Integration (TRMI) was awarded a $1.9 million contract to replace the automatic vehicle identification (AVI) system at Los Angeles International Airport. It will develop and install an all-new ground transportation system to collect and process data from more than 9,500 daily commercial vehicle trips to the airport. The data will be used to monitor commercial vehicle traffic and invoice operators.   The TRMI system also will provide a website where operators can view and manage their accounts.

Two precast concrete structures fabricated by High Concrete Group received honorable mentions from the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) in its 48th annual PCI Design Awards:   in Best Parking System, the Lancaster (PA) Central West Garage, an $11.1-million, 151,000-square-foot garage  “accommodating 405 spaces of discreet structured parking” in historic downtown; and in Best Custom Solutions, the Lewis and Clark Memorial Towers in Hartford, IL, a $4.8-million, 4,220-square-foot project comprising two 190-foot observation towers “overlooking the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers” where the explorers’ expedition started.  

In expanding its Service Department, Skidata Inc. has added David Garner as a Senior Service Engineer. William Herman, Service Manager at Skidata, says: "We’re all looking forward to … taking advantage of the 10-plus  years of field experience he brings to our Technical Support Department.” That experience includes installing and servicing CCTV, access control, security, and parking and revenue control equipment. 

McCain Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of parking, traffic and transit management solutions, has entered an agreement to install its Parking Guidance System at the University of San Diego (USD). It will refurbish 611 spaces in USD’s Mission Parking Structure with the system, which the company says monitors parking space occupancy and communicates that to motorists, directing them to open spaces by electronic guidance signs indicating availability by level and row, and by LED indicator lights in each parking bay.

 AMAG Technology has promoted Mike Taylor to Vice President of North American Sales. Taylor, who will manage the daily operations of its regional sales managers and sales engineers, will continue to report to Matt Barnette. AMAG also has hired Daniel Stevens, P.E.. for its growing Professional Services Department. ProServices is designed to help customers meet timetables and plan for complex installations. He reports to Professional Services Manager Wayne Schwierjohann. 

Ace Parking Management has been selected as Parking Operator for the city of Phoenix parking facilities.  Brian Gansert, President of Operations, and Keith Jones, Managing Principal for Ace Parking, were on-site July 1 when the operation was handed over. “I am confident that Ace Parking will provide outstanding customer experiences,” Jones said, “and (that) Phoenix and its visitors will see an immediate difference in operators. In addition to our industry-leading auditing practices, our high level of customer service is what makes (us) superior and what we’re most proud of.” 

High Concrete Group, an affiliate of High Industries Inc., has introduced a new website for architects, general contractors and building industry professionals. The site, www.highconcrete.com, is designed to provide important information and tools for planning, designing and constructing buildings with precast concrete.

Seven One Seven Parking Enterprises, a provider of parking management and valet parking and transportation services, has announced an agreement with Perkins Rowe to provide valet parking services. The upscale retail, office and residential development in Baton Rouge, LA, “(now has) a new partner that strives to provide the highest level of hospitality services available.” Rick Balow, General Manager of Perkins Rowe, said:  “With this partnership … we are convinced we have found the perfect operator.”

Digital Monitoring Products (DMP) has named Diane McFarlin as its Regional Sales Manager for Texas.  She will be responsible for developing new sales and providing on-going service to DMP-authorized dealers throughout Texas, said Mark NeSmith, Vice President of Sales.

The Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program -- a business-intensive curriculum that rewards successful students with a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in CIM – has announced Mohamed Mahgoub as the new CIM Program Coordinator at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.  

Richard N. Best Associates, a leader in systems integration and innovation for the parking and access control industry, has launched its new website With www.RNBest.com, said Vice President Jeffrey M. Best, “now we can provide our broad client base with instant access to the products, services and emerging technologies that suit their needs, while incorporating a feedback component to help us remain at the forefront of creative innovation in the parking services industry.”

Impark has been awarded multiyear contracts to manage parking operations at five buildings within the Washington, DC, portfolio of Brookfield Properties Corp., a commercial real estate organization that owns, develops and operates landmark office buildings in high-growth North American cities. The five facilities total 986 spaces, and include self-park and valet-assist parking operations.   

CVPS, the scalable valet parking software from Service Tracking Systems, is now servicing several Miami Beach boutique hotels on South Beach. The Delano, Shore Club and Mondrian, which are operated by AAA Parking, are using CVPS to manage valet staff, revenue control and overall valet parking operations. “With CVPS,” said AAA Parking VP Bryan DeCort, “we know precisely how many cars are parked, who parked and retrieved them, and how long it took.” 

Ampco System Parking has been awarded a multiyear contract to manage parking operations at North Carolina's Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). Under the terms of the three-year staffing agreement, the company will operate and oversee RDU's approximately 18,000 parking spaces, as well as nine shuttle buses to and from remote parking facilities. About 50 Ampco employees will be engaged in providing parking services at the airport. RDU handled about 9 million passengers in 2009.  

 John E. Barrett, P.E., S.E., Vice Chairman of engineering consulting firm Bowman, Barrett & Associates, was honored with the John F. Parmer Award from the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois. The award was presented at its annual Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards banquet June 5 in Chicago.  The award recognizes a structural engineer whose distinguished career is acknowledged by peers as an example of excellence.

 

 

 

City OKs $581K for digital parking meters. Digital parking is here to stay. That’s what city parking officials said on Wednesday after the Board of Estimates voted to spend $581,250 on 75 additional solar-powered digital parking meters for Baltimore streets.  For the full article from the Daily Record click here

City To Pay $580K For Digital Parking Meters. BALTIMORE -- Baltimore's Board of Estimates has voted to spend more than $580,000 to buy 75 more solar-powered digital parking meters. Wednesday's vote means the city will have nearly 800 digital meters, called EZ Park meters. Drivers can use coins or credit cards to pay for parking. The meter prints out a small receipt that lists the expiration time, which drivers put on the car's dashboard. For the full article from the WBALTV.com click here

 ‘Big Mama’ Closes Cuisine, Blames Pittsburgh Parking. PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Brenda ‘Big Mama’ Franklin said she closed her House of Southern Cuisine in the Cultural District because she was targeted by the Pittsburgh Parking Authority. Franklin, who is known around town for her signature southern cooking and soulful personality, said she shut down her eatery on Liberty Avenue because of the relentless parking violations. For the full article from the Pittsburgh Channel.com click here

L.A. Tests High Tech Parking Meters That Message Ticketers When Your Time Is Expired. LOS ANGELES -- The L.A. Department of Transportation has begun installing high tech parking meters that not only take coins, but also credit and ATM cards. 10,000 new meters will be installed in the downtown area by next year as an experimental program that that L.A. officials hope will make parking in the downtown area easier.. For drivers looking for parking, the hassle of looking for quarters will be gone and they will be able to pay with a credit card. But the new meters will contain sensors that will alert parking enforcement officers which meters have expired. For the full article from KTLA.com click here

 

 

Cab drivers lament shortage of parking bays. Having had enough with public complaints about illegal parking by taxi drivers, some of them in the trade have decided to set the record straight by telling their side of the story. One of them, GUY, claimed that they have always been easy target of the authorities when it comes to committing traffic offence. Speaking to Actionline, he said he could understand the situation but at the same time wondered if there was room for consideration, even sympathy. For the full article from the New Sabah Times.com click here