PT's Parking Blog

First of all, don’t read anything into this post

Did you ever wonder where old parking pros want to be buried when they die? Neither did I, until I received a link to this site the other day. It shows half a dozen or so grave sites, or small cemeteries, that are part of parking lots in strip malls and shopping centers across the country.

Yes, parking lots have been built around the graves, mostly dating from the early 1800s. Some are just family grave sites, but another has a romantic spin. The woman buried there came to this spot every day for 50 years, waiting for her betrothed to come home from the sea. He never showed; she is buried on the site.

Weird? Well, maybe. It seems like it would have been a tad more respectful to have moved the graves, perhaps to a more appropriate location. Can you imagine the surprise on the day of judgment when these folks find they have been spending eternity next to WalMart or behind a Piggly Wiggly or Napa Auto Parts store.

What next?

JVH

What they should have done:

Correspondent Mark continues with this reference to the post below. The city of Savannah, GA, took a more enlightened approach to its parking problems. From the Local TV 3 news cast:

Parking rates will be changing in downtown Savannah, effective February 2, 2009.

The changes, adopted by City Council in December, are designed to help relieve congestion in the downtown area by encouraging long-term motorists to use off-street parking while freeing up spaces for short-term parkers. 

The changes include:

GARAGES/LOTS
• Free parking is available at the Trade Center on Hutchinson Island with decal. A free ferry ride back and forth across the river is included in the package. Contact Jim Gilliamsen at Parking Services at 651-2834 to secure the proper decal/permit.
• The monthly fee in the Whitaker Street Garage has been reduced from $110 per month to $95 per month as a reflection of current economic conditions. Space is available.
• The Civic Center lot hourly rate has been reduced from $1 per hour to 30 cents per hour. Ten-hour parking is available. Parking in this lot may not be available occasionally because of special events.
• Monthly spaces are available at the Liberty Street Garage for $35 per month, which includes a free shuttle to the central core of downtown during the morning and evening rush hours.
• Reduced garage rates are being offered for off-peak hours at the Whitaker and Bryan Street garages, as well as the Robbie Robinson Garage on Montgomery and York streets. Off-peak hours are from 3 p.m. until 6 a.m., seven days a week. The fee is $35 per month.

ON-STREET
Parking meter rates in the central business and entertainment core will increase from 75 cents per hour to $1 per hour. This represents the first rate increase in five years. The goal is to encourage motorists to use garages, and encourage turnover at on-street spaces. The increase will be accomplished in phases through March 23, 2009.

This will entice parkers into garages and off street lots, free up on street spaces, reduce congestion, and most likely increase revenues for the downtown merchants. Those folks in Port Huron (below) simply don't get it. They are befuddled. They don't seem to understand that people act in their own best interest. If it costs less to park somewhere, they will do it. If it's free, they will park there. What's to understand.

JVH

Parking befuddles businesses in Port Huron

This is so incredible that I quote directly from the local paper

Some downtown Port Huron business owners said last year's decision to get rid of parking meters is compounding longtime parking problems, according to the Port Huron Times Herals. Terry Nolan, owner of Irish Rose Gifts and Travel, said the decision is part of a three-pronged problem that is making it more difficult for customers to find parking near her business.

Since parking in the Majestic lot behind her business was made free in October, people living in downtown lofts choose to park in prime spots during the day -- and not the spaces reserved for loft tenants in the back of the four-row parking lot.She said the spots reserved for loft tenants remain empty most of the time while spots customers most desire are filled.

Nolan and several other business owners on Huron Avenue between Grand River Avenue and Quay Street said the parking problems are driving away customers just as the downtown is making strides toward revival. Late last year, the city council voted to eliminate paid parking for most of downtown, a move meant to encourage people to frequent the shops and restaurants.

The meters have been a hot-button issue in the city for several years. Many have argued the meters should be removed as a way to entice people downtown and allow stores to compete with the Birchwood Mall in Fort Gratiot and big box stores, where parking is free and plentiful.

Some business owners said it's not only loft tenants taking up the free spots. Downtown employees and business owners also are parking in the spaces for lengthy stretches.To help relieve the problem, the city gave some downtown workers 60 free passes to park in McMorran Place's lots, but officials there said that is reducing revenue for the downtown civic center.

City leaders said they are working on a solution.

What did they expect to happen, as says correspondent Mark. So the downtown has decided that the reason they can't compete is that malls give 'free' parking. It has nothing to do with the fact that the mall is inside, warm, has great street scenes, good people watching, theaters, bars, clubs, and great stores.

If you build it they will come…If you give free on street parking, you will have chaos.

JVH

City of Beverly Hills goes for 10% Parking Tax

Valet Parking Service's Tony Policella reports:

    As you know, March 03, 2009 is approaching quickly and the vote will take place whether or not to impose a 10% parking tax on the gross receipts of every private parking operation in the city of Beverly Hills. I know that various business and professional entities located within the city are opposing the proposed parking tax and it is very important that we get our point of view across. The increased parking tax means that the parking customer will pay more to park and businesses may/will have to absorb some or all of the impact on their revenues; neither scenario is good, especially during these troubled economic times. Fortunately due to Mr. Jarvis (Proposition 13) all those years ago, this type of new tax must be approved by the voters and we must let the voters know our opinion on the negative effect any increase on taxes can have on them. I plan to address the issue at our parking association meeting tomorrow morning but I also ask that you get the word out as well through real estate, property management companies and other hoteliers within the city you know.

The voters in the City of BH will have to pass this by a two thirds majority, but who knows.

Ok Parking Blog Groupies, pass the word.

JVH

 

Great Photo…

I received this photo today. Is of an 'in car' meter . Its manufactured by "iPark" and a 1000 of them are in use in Miami Beach. Read more about them in PT March…I just thought I would share the picture in advance…it really tells a story – Miami Beach, the in car meter, its location. Good Art.

JVH

 

 

 

Creative Artists Steal Parking

I met today with Sander de Wildt, General Manager of the Westfield Century City. It's one of the most up market shopping areas in LA. They have installed a parking guidance system in the garage and I am working on a story about it. Watch March's PT.

Sander told me that the Creative Artists Agency had moved into the remodeled building across the street. The gazillionaire actors who visit their agents were upset that they had to pay for parking under the building. CAA's solution: – There is now a sign there telling them to park across the street in Sander's shopping center (3 hours free.)

Sander was laughing and shaking his head. "Maybe they'll come upstairs and spend some money while they are here."

Good luck.

JVH

Consumer Confidence Fell to All Time Low in January

Well, Duh…Let's see – The President and Vice President told the country that times are the worst ever and are going to get even worse. Every news cast and headline is screaming that the economic world is coming to an end. No one in the government, wall street, academia, or wherever, has one positive thing to say. And if someone does, guess what, no one is told about it. No wonder people are holding back – they have money, they just don't want to spend it.

Look out your damn window. How is YOUR business doing? We are doing fine. I spoke to an accountant in Florida who can't figure out what all the screaming is about. He says the restaurants are full, the supermarkets teeming, movie theaters are full. I find the same thing here in California. The guy who cuts my hair, a fairly good barometer, says that he can't understand it, but business is good. (Marcy thinks I pay too much to have my hair cut).

Of course, people are tentative. And why not? All they hear is doom and gloom. It has become a self fulfilling prophecy. Some say the 'recession' will be over in April, others Midyear, still others say the earth as we know it has ended.

Balderdash. Housing is selling faster than the banks can fill out the paperwork. Why? Because the price is now down to where people can afford them so people are buying. Makes sense. The free market did what the government couldn't. It has made housing affordable for people who couldn't afford it before. I would suggest that housing prices are pretty close to have bottomed out. Maybe a schoch lower but that's about it. Then they will begin to climb again.

Many companies overextended during the past six years of boom time. Now they have to reset a bit. Those that are cutting are cutting about 10% or so of their work force. We shutter that Citibank cut 25,000 people, but that's about 10%. They had grown too big too fast. Notice how a company's stock goes up just after they announce layoffs. That's because the market knew they were too big.

Auto Companies? What a laugh. Did you know that GM sells 9,000,000 cars but builds or has the capacity to build 12.000.000? I know a guy in Pennsylvania who has an off airport location next to a car lot where GM stores thousands of cars that it built but will never sell. Why do they build them? They have to, the union says so.

Sorry, just venting. More later

JVH

Religious Maxine deals with God, and Parking

Maxine was driving down the street in a sweat because she had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place.

Looking up toward heaven, she said, 'Lord, take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life and give up sex and tequila.'

Miraculously, a parking place appeared.

She looked up again and said, 'Never mind. I found one.'"

Hat tip: Correspondent Linda

Good Samaritan Costs City Money - Proves Space Sensors are a Necessity

The entry below reminds me. It is very important that cities have the new space sensor technology. You put a "hockey puck" style sensor in each space which connects to the meter and then provides information to the passing enforcement officer. Why?

When Don Shoup and I went to Pasadena to take some pictures last week we parked in a space on Colorado Blvd. As we walked to the Pay by Space meter to pay our fee, a fellow stopped us and said "I'm parked in the space in front of you and have an hour left on the meter, why not just pull into my space and not have to pay." Of course we did.

That little bit of good Samaritanism by the parker cost the city of Pasadena a couple of bucks. If they had sensors, not only would they have much better information about length of stay and cars that had overstayed their welcome, but the meter could have been 'reset' when the fellow left and we would have had to pay the fee, just as in an off street lot.

My buddy at DCA in Australia, Declan Ryan, claims that the increase in revenue both from citations and meters, is so much with these little beauties, that they are paid for in just a few months and cities seem to swear by them.

Think about it. How can you know if people are overstaying the time on the meters? Surveys show that about 90% of all parking violations are never written. That means that most people don't get tickets. Think about it yourself. If you park and don't have money for the meter, don't you run into the cleaners or drugstore and then come back and drive away and most of the time you don't have a ticket. At least nine times out of ten. Well if it's true for you, why not everyone. Space sensing helps cities know that they have a problem in a certain area and they can focus their enforcement. It also helps to understand parking length of stay and enables staff to make proper decisions about parking rates and rules.

JVH

Can’t run the Meter, it’s the Meter’s Fault

The city of Indiana, PA, seems to have a problem. They bought pay by space machines and according to what I read in this letter to the editor, they haven't done a very good job training people how to use them. I repeat the instructions given in the letter here:

• Check the number on the street as you are exiting your car or on the sidewalk next to your car.
• Go to the meter and get your money ready. Do not put the money in yet.
• Press your number. Read if there is time in the lower window. If there is time, determine if you need more time. If not, go on your way. If so, go to next step.
• Press your number again. The number should be flashing and the instructions should say "Insert coin." Insert your coin(s) now. The time it is giving you will show in the bottom window. Absolutely do not re-push your number while the number is flashing. If you re-push your number the meter will reset and your money will be lost.
• If you want to check if the meter recorded your time, wait until the screen again says, "Welcome." Then push your number and look at the time window.

Secondly, if you feel you have received a ticket in error due to a faulty meter or some other reason, you may appeal the ticket by filling out a form at the office in the borough parking garage.

Thirdly, the red meters are 20-minute meters. This means that no matter how much money you put in them, you will only receive 20 minutes.

Confused. Well so am I. First of all, this shop owner is telling her patrons how to cheat (see the third item listed). Aside from that, my guess is that her description of what to do is probably correct. Which means that the equipment is not intuitive and hard to use. I have no idea whose equipment it is but it would appear they need some help in product design.

Don Shoup and I went to Pasadena, CA to take some pictures for this month's PT and he attempted to use the pay by space machines. They were not easy to use. If you hit the wrong button, you were dead in the water. This university professor and parking expert couldn't figure them out. (Well, OK, I can understand that.) However they were difficult. I'm guessing that if you were over 15 years old, you had no chance.

Can you imagine the frustration of this merchant in Pennsylvania? Her clients weren't coming down town because they couldn't figure out how to use the parking meters. Bad parking folks in Indiana, PA, Bad product designers.

Come on vendors. If you want to provide a product, it has to be intuitive. You should be able to use it without knowing anything in advance. Instructions must be clear AND yhey must be easy to read, even in full sunlight or dark shadows.

Period.

JVH