benefits to pay-on-foot · • car detailing. often a partitioned area where you can have your car...

January 2005 • Parking Today • www.parkingtoday.com 15

The prevalence of ATMs, pay-at-the-pump gas stationsand even self-scanning at supermarkets has changed con-sumer attitudes, he says. “People find that using amachine is quick, easy and preferable to dealing with ahuman being. Plus, there is another factor …”

At Bank of America Plaza, as with many high-rises,there is an exit issue. There simply aren’t enough lanes tohandle the nearly 2,000 cars that leave each evening. Adaily parker looking for their ticket or money or askingfor directions can virtually close a lane for a few minutes.The frustration builds on the monthlies stacked behindthem.

“We found that after the system was installed, tenantsfound that exit times were much faster and told us theyfelt the new procedures had a much higher service level,”Miller says. “That’s a hard sell before the fact, but withexperience at other locations, we are able to do it.

“Owners -- and operators -- are always a bit reluctantto change. They are afraid that their tenants will reject thenew program, find the building less desirable and moveout. We have found that the reverse is true,” he says.

At Bank of America Plaza, Ampco System had the per-fect location for POF. Everyone in the building had to passtwo spots to get into the garage. He put one POF machineat each location. It also had the benefit of many moremonthly parkers than dailies.

“Frankly, we probablycould have gotten by withone machine. But having twodoes give the parker a choice.We have only a couple ofhundred daily parkers eachday, so there is seldom a line-up at the machines.

“I will give one bit ofadvice to those considering POF: If you are going to auto-mate, then AUTOMATE. Get the booths out of the lanes.People see the booths when they enter and assume theycan pay on exit. Also, go with credit cards, both at thePOF machines and at the exits. If you try a mixed POF andcashier, your chances of failure are great. Everyone willuse the cashier.”

In the B of A system, if parkers don’t pay at themachine, they may insert their ticket and credit card atthe exit lane, and within a few seconds, the transaction iscomplete. “Even in the credit-card-at-exit situation, thetransaction time is considerably less than dealing with acashier.”

The easiest part of convincing the owner is dealingwith the cost. With the reduction in staff, the payback onthe system is less than two years, Miller says. Of course,there are other benefits, including removal of all cashfrom the lanes and a decrease in the time it takes to audit.

In a nearby location, the operator has a large VIP valetoperation. “We keep the cashier terminal at the VIP valetlocation to provide the extra service to the valet cus-tomers. They have little to do while they are waiting fortheir cars, so the cashier works there. At B of A, we havevalet, but it’s limited, so we direct parkers to the POF,which is nearby the valet station, or they will pay at theexit.”

Credit card acceptance has been growing rapidly inthe industry. There are locations where fully 80% of thedaily transactions are by credit card. “This takes cash out

of the system and decreases our costs,” Miller says. “It’sexpensive to count and deposit cash. There are charges forarmored cars and bank charges. Taking credit cards is theway to go.”

(When conversion to a 100% credit card facility was dis-cussed recently at a meeting of parking operators and owners,the concept was met with horror. However, when one ownerwas asked the percentage of credit card usage at a certain loca-tion, he said 90%. The group then switched and noted that his

location was at credit card-onlylocation already. He just neededto change the signs.)

Miller notes that whenthese POF systems areinstalled, tenant training andsignage are extremely impor-tant. “We spent the twomonths between orderingand installation holding

familiarization sessions with the tenants. We explainedhow validations would work [bar-coded coupons areused] and how they would benefit from the new system.The vendor helped with this process, providing Power-point explanations for us to use.

“You can’t overdo the signage,” Miller says. “Youmust communicate from the moment the visitor entersthe garage that this is a pay-on-foot facility and to taketheir parking ticket with them.”

(Bank of America Plaza uses Skidata revenue controlequipment.)

John Van Horn is editor of Parking Today. He can be reachedat [email protected]

‘If you are going to automate,

then AUTOMATE. Get the

booths out of the lanes.’

PT

Benefits to Pay-on-Foot:1. Lower personnel costs.

2. Faster exits.

3. Reduction in cash in lanes.

4. A machine never calls in sick.

5. Better cash control and audit procedures.

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Circle #247 on Reader Service Card


Parking Facilities -- NotJust For Cars Anymore!

By Tim Christle, P.E.

ultipurpose.” As consumers, we all seem togravitate toward this word rather frequentlythese days, since our first thought is typically

“greater versatility and value.” Multipurpose tools, clean-ers, copiers, passenger vehicles, cell phones, clothing, etc.,are just a few examples of this trend.

This trend also has had a growing impact on parkingfacility design for several years, and it appears strongernow than ever before. Gone are the days when most newparking structures are solely for the purpose of parkingcars. Owners and developers of today are constantly striv-ing for ways to capture the best and maximum use ofland, which can often be scarce and expensive. In addi-tion, wise use of alternative space in a garage can actuallycreate a parking “demand generator” within the confinesof the same facility.

Though the need for more parking is clearly the cata-lyst for most parking facility development, an opportuni-ty to include alternative space within the garage oftenpresents itself. This can enhance the viability, usefulnessand attractiveness of such facilities in many differentways.

The following are actual examples of alternative spacethat has been incorporated into parking facility designprojects:

• Retail. Space provided for the sale of goods or servic-es is the most common request we receive forgarages today.

• Restaurant. We’ve designed for restaurant space atgrade, on upper levels of the garage, and as a retrofit

where there was only parking.

• Office. Another very common request, which canrange from a simple parking operator’s office to anentire floor for more tenant workspace.

• Storage. From the traditional “under ramp” storagespace seen in many garages to special-needs archivespace, which included designing for extra-heavyloads.

• Car Detailing. Often a partitioned area where youcan have your car cleaned and waxed while youleave it for the day.

• Bookstore. A popular trend at colleges and universi-ties, located where students most often park theircars on the way to class.

• Ticket Office. Next to stadiums, arenas and theaters.

• Museum Space/Entertainment. We’ve had excitingopportunities to incorporate entertainment-relatedspace into garages as a sense of “destination arrival.”

• Bus Terminal/Inter-Modal/Light Rail. A key integra-tion of passenger vehicles and mass transit, which ismore prevalent today than ever before.

• Green Space. Whether on the top level of a structureor within landscaped “light wells,” this can greatlyenhance the environmental quality of a parkingfacility.

• Athletic Club/Tennis Court/Jogging Track. Incorpo-rated most often on the roof level of parking facili-ties for office or residential users.

M“

Continued on Page 18

January 2005 • Parking Today • www.parkingtoday.com18

• Heliport. A frequent issue for hospitals and medicalcenters, where there’s a need to provide a roof-levellanding area for emergency medical helicopters.

• Medical. Outpatient treatment and medical labora-tory space.

• Auto Bank. Commonly at grade, with convenientteller and ATM lanes like any typical branch bank.

• Greenhouses. An opportunity for a university to cre-ate academic/research space on a parking structure’stop level.

• Solar Panels. Combining the means for collecting anatural energy source with parking.

• Public Restrooms. Convenient for nearby publicvenues and downtown/urban parking environ-ments.

• Rental Car Services. Very popular at airports, butalso found in the central business district.

Tim Christle, P.E., is Vice President and a Regional Managerfor Carl Walker Inc. He can be reached at [email protected].

Parking Facilities -- Not Just For Cars Anymorefrom Page 17

PT


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he customer’s shopping expe-rience begins in the parkinglot. If it is not safe and secure,

especially at night, consumers will notstop, park or shop. That’s why majorretailers establish strict specificationsand monitor the status of their park-ing lot light levels to ensure that noth-ing prevents potential shoppers fromentering their stores. Target Corp. isthe industry leader in this effort.

Target established a corporate pol-icy to maintain standards for light lev-els for its stores’ main parking, periph-eral parking and front-drive areas. Aspart of its store maintenance program,Target periodically evaluates the lightlevels of each of its store loca-tion’s parking lots. That’s whywhen Target believed parkinglot light levels at its Hollister,CA, location were not meetingcorporate standards, it con-tacted Site Photometrics inColumbia, MD, to implementa luminance survey to meas-ure light intensities from fix-tures at various locations within thesite area.

In May 2003, Site Photometrics(SP) evaluated the electrical system,light poles, luminaires, lamps, polesand pole foundations in the 200-spaceparking lot at Target’s Hollister loca-tion. Its study found that the existinglighting system included 1,000-watt,277V Cooper Galleria large-area light-ing luminaires with high-pressuresodium (HPS) lamps, and Type AR(vertical symmetric) optics with abronze finish, mounted on 39-footround tapered steel poles. Moreimportant, Site Photometrics quicklydetermined that only 55 percent ofthe main parking lot area achieved thecorporation’s 3.0 foot-candle stan-

dard, while 95 percent of the peripher-al parking lot areas attained the 2.0foot-candle requirement. In addition,about 85 percent of the front-driveareas achieved Target’s 5.0 foot-candlestandard. SP also found that one of thepoles needed to be replaced.

In July 2003, Site Photometricsprovided three solutions thataddressed both lighting requirementsand budget considerations. Each camewith a computer model and guaran-teed lighting performance. All threealso included changing the lightingsource from HPS to metal halide.

“When we complete an assess-ment and make a recommendation, “

said Jerome Morstein, principal of SP,“we try to use the existing infrastruc-ture as much as possible to minimizeexpenses for our customers. Forinstance, we found that we could stilluse the electrical systems and all butone of the light poles at Target’s Hol-lister location.”

While trying to minimize expens-es and changes to infrastructure, SPdid recommend that Target changetheir light source. “We have found,and retailers and developers agree,that metal halide provides a betterquality of light, compared to high-pressure sodium,” said Morstein.“Metal halide provides white light,compared to the yellow light offeredby high-pressure sodium. Although

both light sources can have the samefoot-candles, it is easier to distinguishdark color under white light. That isimportant when you are looking for agray, blue or black car in a congestedparking lot at night.”

Target Ventures into a Varietyof Metal Halide Lighting Solu-tions

For all of their projects, Site Pho-tometrics specifies Uni-Form pulse-start metal halide lamps from VentureLighting, the leading developer ofmetal halide lighting technology.Morstein said: “We have tested thelamps and have found that they meet

our tight specifications. Thecombination of Venture’slamps and ballasts ensuressuperior lumen maintenance,excellent lamp color uniformi-ty, faster warm-up times and ahigh overall system efficien-cy.”

SP’s first solution toimproving the lighting in the

Hollister parking lot was to continueusing the existing Cooper fixtureswhile changing the light source fromHPS to metal halide lamps. The resultsof the change would have little effecton the foot-candle levels, but wouldimprove the overall visibility in theparking lot.

Its second solution involvedswitching the fixtures to two andthree Gardco HT19 1000-watt/480Vmetal halide luminaries on each ofthe existing light poles. This increasedthe percentage of the main parkinglot area meeting the 3.0 foot-candlestandard from 55 percent to 65 per-cent. However, only 65 percent of themain drive area would meet the 5.0foot-candle standard.

T

PT

Metal halide provides a better

quality of light, compared to

high-pressure sodium.

Surface Lot LightingSurface Lot Lighting

call us at: or visit us on the web:

800-886-6316 (East Coast) www.edc-aim.com877-277-6771 (West Coast) www.parking101.com

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ATTENTION: Universities • Municipalities • Private Operators • Hospitals • Airports



Turning Silver Into GoldBy Leslie McKerns

rban sophisticates shopping for luxury lifestylesare accustomed to all the amenities of a five-star hotel -- branded spas and health clubs, vanishing-

edge pools with waterfalls, gourmet markets, world-classdining and a multitude of personal luxuries, includingconcierge service. In a sizzling hot condominium market,developers pre-marketing projects from sales centers arepreoccupied with capturing the brand experience.

Yet, might something vital have been overlooked?“Absolutely,” says Bijan Eghtedari,

President of Park One, a Miami-basedfull-service parking services firm.“Increasingly, professional valet serv-ices are being recognized by develop-ers as a fundamental five-star amenity

for their projects.” Gone are the days of feeding nickels,dimes and quarters into meters. That silver was turnedinto gold when developers began to see valet as a necessi-ty in the luxury market.

“The first person you see is mostlikely the valet and, therefore, is criticalto the brand experience, Eghtedari says.“Not only is it the first impression, it isalso the last impression.” Relying on thevalet service as the front-line ambassa-dor for a completed luxury develop-

ment takes staff with the ability to convey a feeling ofcompetence and trust. “Customers who know us do nothesitate to hand the keys to their expensive vehicle to afully trained Park One employee.”

Consider that the parking for a premium South Flori-da development typically contains more than $8 millionof luxury cars on any given day, with more arriving by theminute, and one can appreciate the importance of such astatement. “We have the best and most qualified group ofassociates in the industry.”

Park One provides valet and otherpremier parking services to some ofthe most luxurious South Florida con-dominium environments and presti-gious real estate developers such asAventura’s newest condominium, ThePeninsula, developed by Boca Devel-opers; Turnberry Associates; Williams

Island Associates; Trump International; Sonesta Hotels;Fortune International Developers; Brookwood Properties;Dezer Development; and the Related Group. On any givenday, Park One employees valet park 25,000 to 30,000 cars.

Park One provides strict training and sustainingemployee standards -- maintaining a car dedicated toemployee training and testing; carefully monitoringemployee demeanor and appearance; and requiring avalid driver’s license, thorough background check anddrug testing.

“Park One turns silver into gold right at the frontdoor,” says Eghtedari. “Valet, door and concierge staff arethe newest front-line diplomats, even wearing the uni-form of the development,” as they are doing with Jade atBrickell Bay, the new Fortune International Developers’338-unit luxury project, where Park One is rolling out acustom project uniform that becomes part of the brandcomplementing the signature Jade color and theme.

U

On any given day, Park One

employees valet park 25,000

to 30,000 cars.

Continued on Page 24

Case Study -- Parking Operator in South Florida

Bijan Eghtedari, Presdient of Park One.


Park One is experiencing excellentgrowth in the last 18 months, dou-bling the size of the firm and toppingoff the more than 80 major accountslanded in the last four years. In fact,according to Ben Launerts, MarketingDirector for Park One, “our employeesbecome integral to the organization ofa condominium. The residents cometo know them well, and the employ-ees reciprocate the good feelings. I amproud of our people and acknowledge

that most of my [marketing] work is done through thetremendous good will and effort of our employees.”

Another trend in the industry is in “smart building”systems, and Park One is at the forefront of the new tech-nology. “Sophisticated smart building technology inte-grated with parking services is becoming the norm,”Eghtedari says. “Park One seamlessly synchronizes withremote parking system activation, bar code activationgates, and smart building systems, such as those allowingcommunication directly from the residence to the valetwith simple touch screen activation.” (Such technologysignals the valet to bring the car around on command oron a pre-arranged schedule, and is a part of premiumparking service amenities.)

Park One offers more than 65years of parking experience, pro-viding valet and transportationservices and significant expertisein development, consulting andmanagement of parking systems.Originating in New Orleans, LA,Park One entered the Florida mar-ket in December 1999. The com-pany operates properties in all ofthe Miami sub-markets, includingMiami Beach, South Beach,Coconut Grove, Coral Gables,

Key Biscayne, Downtown Miami, and Bal Harbour, and ismaking headway north with recent addition of propertiesin Hollywood Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale by theSea and Boca Raton.

Park One is community-based and community-involved, actively participating in leading industry andlocal organizations, with board member status in CAMP(Condominium Association Management Professionals),the exclusive organization for condominium managers;the Advisory Board of the Florida Builders Association;National Parking Association; Greater Miami Conventionand Visitors Bureau; Greater Miami and the Beaches HotelAssociation; Greater Fort Lauderdale Lodging and Hospi-tality; Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce;the Aventura Marketing Council; and the "I Have aDream" Foundation.

Turning Silver Into Goldfrom Page 23

PT

Circle #129 on Reader Service Card Circle #252 on Reader Service Card



ith its garage in chaos, the KaleidoscopeCourtyards shopping and entertainment ven-ue in Mission Viejo, CA, decided to make

some major signage changes. The project began in August 2004 after Summit

Team Inc., the venue’s property management firm,retained Sign Clemente to improve signage and trafficflow in the parking garage.

W

‘Good Sign


“The general consensus among our tenants andpatrons was that the parking garage was not only darkand ominous, but also difficult to navigate,” said MikeIsraelsky, property manager. “In addition, it was nearlyimpossible for our patrons to figure out where to parkbased on their final destination. As a result, many ten-ants had started posting their own signs, making thesituation even more confusing, and possibly deterringpatrons from the center.”

To develop and implement a signage and trafficflow plan that would boost patronage and encouragerepeat visits to Kaleidoscope, Bart Dellinger, Presidentof Sign Clemente, collaborated with Grant Bjorn ofInstallation Services and John Michael of JMann Stu-dios to bring order to chaos and brighten the once darkand gloomy garage.

“After surveying the property, taking photos fromall different angles and evaluating the traffic flow, wefelt that while this would be a huge undertaking, thegoal of improving signage and traffic flow was well

within reach,” said Dellinger. “Good signs equal goodbusiness, so Grant, John and I went to work on a planthat has ultimately extended the bright color schemesand bold architectural features of the Kaleidoscope’smain structure into the parking garage, and hasbrought the entire property together in a manner thathas been well-received by both tenants and patrons.”

Phase 1 of the project included installation of over-sized directional signage on 14 pillars in the parkinggarage. Employing a series of old and new signage tech-niques in order to achieve the desired improvements,JMann Studios used Adobe Illustrator 10 and AdobePhotoshop 7 to create each of the designs for the ninepillars. Installation Services then hand-painted thearrows, and the lettering was computer-generated andcut on Avery high-performance adhesive vinyl by SignClemente. After the installation was complete, eachpillar was laminated in an anti-graffiti coating.

“We are very pleased with the results of Phase 1 ofthe signage project,” Israelsky said. “Bart and his teamof signage experts were very responsive and took toheart what we were trying to accomplish. We look for-ward to working with them on the next phase of thisproject.”

The garage was not only

dark and ominous, but

also difficult to navigate.

PT

ns = Good Business’

TECHNOLOGY• Pay and Display/Space

• Parking Meters

• Pay on Foot

• Software for Revenue Control

• Software of Onstreet Operations

• Contract Parking Controls

• What about simple “one in, one out”

• Valet Support

• The Internet

The Program includes:PARKING OPERATIONS• Revenue Control

• Auditing

• Personnel Selection and Vetting

• Customer Service

• Training

• Marketing your Location

• Rate Setting

• Operator Selection

• Contract Management

DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION/

MAINTENANCE• Cost-Effective Maintenance Programs

• Lighting and its relationship to Security

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REGISTER ON LINE AT WWW.PARKINGTODAY.COM/PIE

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September 27-29, 2005Baltimore Convention CenterBaltimore MD

Held with the

Intertraffic/Parking Industry Exhibition

benefits to pay-on-foot · • car detailing. often a partitioned area where you can have your car...

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