Industry News
November, 2018
ParkEMU, the operator of Eastern Michigan University’s Parking system, is implementing significant upgrades to the University’s parking facilities and technology as a result of a parking concession agreement approved by the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Board of Regents in December 2017. ParkEMU is operated by LAZ Parking. In April 2018, LAZ Parking, through its partnership with Preston Hollow Capital and Provident Resources Group, launched operations on a 35-year Public Private Partnership at EMU.
Park Assist has been awarded the Parking Guidance System (PGS) contract for Portland International Airport. The PGS project involves replacing the existing ultrasonic sensors and replacing them with Park Assist’s proprietary M4 camera-based smart sensor technology. The system will monitor and guide airport visitors to over 2,650 covered and nearly 650 uncovered spaces in the parking garage.
Passport announces the launch of a new enforcement platform for the City of Windsor. The city will now have immediate access to analytics that will provide information on parking trends, identify issues in high-ticket density areas and allow them to optimize their officers’ beats. The real-time data transfer functionality allows parking administrators to access parking notices information upon ticket issuance through Passport’s back office platform. New modes of shared transportation, from ridesharing to dockless scooters, require new tools and systems. Passport has set out to partner with municipalities to create a bridge between city infrastructure, like curb space, and private sector mobility companies that interact with people using that space. The company is making a $5M investment to expand the Passport Platform, which helps connect multiple modes of transportation and payments.
The Parking Spot announced the expansion of The Parking Spot 1 at Dallas Love Field Airport. The Parking Spot 1, located at 6900 Cedar Springs Road, added 632 covered parking spaces by taking over operation of the adjacent facility, formerly known as Best Parking. The expanded facility will now contain over 2,700 covered parking spaces.
Amano McGann was awarded the contract for the Park and Shop and LaSalle Court parking ramps in Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Park and Shop and LaSalle Court ramps are family-owned and have been serving Minneapolis for over 70 years. The ramps are centrally located, connected to the Twin Cities extensive skyway system and they are open 24 hours a day, 365 days out of the year. Park and Shop and LaSalle Court has 1,700 parking spaces.
Parking Management Company (PMC), announced the hiring of Matt Cahill as President. Cahill brings more than 25 years of industry experience, including more than a decade leading national parking company Towne Park. “Matt is one of the true rock stars of our industry, starting his career as a valet parker and working his way to the top of one of the biggest parking companies in the U.S.,” said Tee McCarley, Chief Executive Officer of PMC.
Green Courte Partners, LLC announced the promotion of Bill Glascott to Chief Investment Officer. In this position, Glascott, who is already on the firm’s management committee, will assume an expanded role related to strategic planning and investment activities while continuing to oversee all acquisitions efforts. Glascott joined Green Courte in February 2012 as a Managing Director focused on land-lease community acquisitions.
According to an online survey conducted through Google’s survey panel in August 2018, nearly 60 percent of people living in Ontario complain that parking is too expensive and too scarce. Now, ParkWhiz is coming to Canada and providing drivers in the Greater Toronto Area with a solution. Starting in October, Toronto drivers can find, book and pay for parking with their phones, saving them time, effort and money.
OperationsCommander is launching a new, optional, add-on to its ParkAdmin parking management software. The new FinanceAdmin package is designed with streamlined financial tracking and accounts receivable functions fully integrated with the parking management tool. With FinanceAdmin, parking departments have easy administrative controls for monthly rollover billing, prorated permit sales, automatic payments, billing rate codes, and more.
Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto will join Paul Wessel, director of the Green Building Alliance, and Pittsburgh Stadium Authority Board Chairman Stanley Lederman to unveil a plaque recognizing the Gold 1 Parking Garage as the world’s first Parksmart Gold Project. Bordered by Tony Dorset Drive, Art Rooney Avenue, Reedsdale and West General Robinson Streets near Heinz Field, the six-level parking garage was completed a little over a year ago and was designed by the Pittsburgh architectural firm WTW Architects.
Parking is easier and more convenient at Midway City Centre in Houston with the installation of INDECT’s premium multi-function, camera-based UPSOLUT sensor. The sensors have been installed in all three of complex’s onsite parking garages, monitoring a total of 6,000 individual spaces. City Centre is an up-scale retail, restaurant, and entertainment hub in the heart of Houston.
Recently, KDKA-TV held “Pittsburgh’s most innovative networking event” – TechnoVation. The event invited the public to “hear from key corporations, city leaders, innovators, and organizations that are working together to lead the way into the future of technology”. The event was based around a panel discussion on the rise of technology in Pittsburgh hosted by KDKA political analyst Jon Delano.
TagMaster has through its subsidiary CA Traffic Ltd received an order on extension for a Smart City solution in Newcastle in northern England. The order comprises both ANPR products and traffic management software. The order is an extension to an existing structure that have been in place since 2013 and is an important part of Newcastle Smart City development project.
ParkCloud, and European parking operator, Q-Park, utilized their respective influences within the industry to create an initiative that allowed art students from Greater Manchester to get creative with parking. The companies came together on Friday (PARK(ing) Day itself) to host the finale of their highly anticipated art competition. The winner, Saskia Gentile, an art student from Cheadle & Marple College, impressed the expert judging panel with her color tribute to the Manchester worker bee, which symbolized the creativity and individuality of Mancunians.
David Wantman, PE proudly announces that he will be sharing the leadership of WGI with newly hired president, Gregory Sauter, PE and that he will step fully into the role of CEO – a carefully crafted strategic initiative more than a year in the making. The move, identified last year in WGI’s Strategic Growth Plan, as well as under discussion of its Board of Directors for months, promises to deliver on the firm’s aggressive goals that are rapidly coming to fruition.
As SKIDATA continues to expand direct sales, installation, and service operations throughout the United States, the company has identified New York City as a prime opportunity for its business development. Georg Dick, previously the manager of the SKIDATA distributor network has been reassigned as the sales professional for the New York Metropolitan area. Reservation Software has launched a new website. The new website reflects the company’s journey from a parking reservation system to a sophisticated and fully functional plug-and-play parking management software platform featuring smartLUIS technology, a central reservation system (CRS) built exclusively for parking, revenue management functionality, contract/monthly parking, loyalty program and more, all in real time.
Timothy Haahs & Associates, Inc. (TimHaahs) celebrated the grand opening of the 3,400- space parking facility it designed in Springfield, MA for MGM Springfield Casino Resort. MGM features a wide-range of activities including numerous shopping destinations, restaurants, a full-service spa, a bowling alley, arcade, movie theater, and Topgolf Swing Suite. The garage complements the design of the casino, and provides a safe, convenient, and attractive first impression to visitors.
