In this post: we look at how major cities could manage parking issues with smart parking solutions and what regulations can help cities plan future-proof infrastructure.
America’s fascination towards football – especially the Super Bowl LIII – is mesmeric. While the city of Atlanta hosted the latest showdown, the city planners, police and even Lyft had a part to play in ferrying hundreds and thousands of sports fans. More than 1 million people were expected to arrive in Atlanta by that afternoon. Just watch this video to see the impact of people influx on a city’s traffic management.
Some percentage of fans would come from other cities or states, and the rest from Atlanta itself. The question is, if cabs such as Lyft and Uber are bringing people in and thousands who drive down to the majestic Mercedes Benz stadium, where do they park all the cars?
Atlanta, USA – February 2018: Cars drive by the Mercedes Benz Stadium illuminated at twilight.
Most American mega-cities – such as Philadelphia and New York – have excess parking spaces. The trouble is, they are being used inefficiently. If we ask mayors and city planners of each major American city about what concerns them about city planning – they wouldn’t hesitate to point at managing traffic and parking.
Most of human population is heading towards major cities, the urban jungles, so to speak. While many of us move to big cities in search of jobs, business opportunities, hundreds and thousands of travelers arrive for leisure and cultural events and activities. One major factor which influences what people think about a particular city’s infrastructure, is the ease of travel and parking. Either people clog roads to travel to and from work, or the city welcomes millions of tourists, either way, there got be efficient parking facilities available. All of us expect to quickly and efficiently locate an open parking space.
The time is right to implement smart parking management
Every major city around the world is about to face similar challenges. Many cities in the United States alone are talking about implementing smart parking solutions. The idea is to bring a variety of parking spaces under a handful of grids to simplify parking space management on a city level. The issue is not lack of parking spaces, it is to do with efficient management of parking slots.
A recent study conducted by the International Parking Institute in 2018 threw some light on what people expect in terms of parking technology to be implemented across major cities. What people want is intelligent guidance systems built into parking management solutions. Such a feature, when integrated on to a parking lot service app, would guide traffic to empty parking slots quickly and efficiently. Thereby saving time and money (gas) in finding a place to park your car.
With usage of smart sensors and affordable IoT platforms, any parking space can be converted in a smart parking lot. When LIVE data is fed into the parking lot app, then it is easy for people to be guided to the nearest (available) space. Real-time updates with reliable and live information captured from sensors facilitate intelligent parking decisions that are based on data, not luck.
For cities such as Atlanta, which saw a tremendous influx of people arriving for the Super Bowl LIII, such smart parking initiatives would have eliminated most issues in managing traffic and parking.
Parking management insight is a gold mine
The bigger picture city planners should look at is the insights they generate. Once smart parking systems are implemented, it starts collecting massive amounts of data about traffic and parking inflow. Analysts can dig deep to ascertain hourly demand each day. Such data can help city planners make adequate upgrades to existing city infrastructure to tackle future traffic and parking demand. Hang on a minute. How can the traffic management hub of a particular city get its hands on data generated by each and every – privately owned – parking space?
We need new data sharing regulations in major cities of the world
Regulations should mandate every parking space owner to implement smart parking solutions – may be through subsidies to encourage quick on-boarding. This is possibly the only way to boost mass on-boarding in quick time. The second part of the regulation should ensure that each parking lot business to share data with local municipalities. Insights gathered from this data will help cities to better equip themselves to tackle sudden influx of traffic and demand for parking.
How about a parking space management software like Airbnb?
We all know that Airbnb is a prime example of a business which has excelled at allowing people to share resources on-the-go and make money from it. What we have done is take the Airbnb platform, clone it, and redesign it to suit the parking spaces industry.
What you get is an Airbnb like platform where parking lot businesses can register and sell slots on-the-go. Not only that, the in-built map allows drivers to check empty parking spaces and let the app guide them to the desired location.
Synopsis: in this post we look at 6 steps which will help you organize and run your parking lot easily.
#1 Create a free flow of traffic
Most people who visit your parking lot are not aware of the layout. Use sufficient signs to guide people in and out of the lot. This makes easy movements of vehicles and people would love you for making it butter smooth. Using barricades during peak traffic inflow makes for safe car movement.
#2 Put an end to fast driving within your parking lot
When people are in a hurry, they tend to drive incredibly fast. You cannot man mark each car. Place speed bumps and curbs to force car drivers to drive at safe speeds in your parking lot.
If ever you wish to block certain areas of your parking lot, use delineator and bollards and no parking stands to indicate. This makes it easy for users to drive through without causing unnecessary gridlock. Restricting parking in certain areas also makes it easy to fill up parking lots in a phased manner.
As pedestrians need access to walk to their cars, it is wise to use bright markings to define vehicle and pedestrian access. The more drivers and pedestrians know where they should and shouldn’t be, the easier it will be to maintain order in your parking lot. Use pavement marking tools – such as custom stencils and reflective pavement markers – to indicate safety lines that give individuals some direction in your lot.
#5 Set up a lot of lights
Safety, security and visibility are of utmost importance for a parking lot. Especially during night time. Set up adequate lighting in the parking lot to make it easy for users. There are some parking lots who use green lights to indicate empty spaces, which makes it remarkably easy to spot parking slots.
#6 Turn away trespassers
Intruders may cause damage to grounds as well as company property. Post security signs to discourage unwanted individuals from trespassing.
An Airbnb clone for Parking Lot management
Buying or investing on software solutions is a tough ask, especially with multiple platforms offering similar features.
That is why we have built a LITE version of RentPark which can be downloaded for FREE. Experience the platform before you buy it. At Rentcubo, we offer round-the-clock technical support to help you from the day you buy the platform till the day you take it live.
RentPark is completely customizable, use your brand logo, colors, and fonts on both the web and mobile apps. Connect to us on Whatsapp and ask all your questions about RentPark. We are happy to help. At Rentcubo, we begin with you.
Snippet: In this post we highlight the top 5 parking management trends from around the world.
Parking – an unstructured menace
Parking is a menace. We all know that, as we have experienced it first hand, frequently. As our population grows, more of us move towards urban areas. Primarily because there is better access for jobs and standard of living.
City parking spaces – Rentcubo
With this constant influx of people into our cities, managing parking is only going to get difficult. Because the participants in urban mobility are scattered, and are not regulated under one umbrella, it is very difficult for city municipalities to move with changing trends of urban mobility. Hence most cities find it extremely difficult to administer innovative solutions.
Uber and Lyft have changed the way we commute. This concept of shared resources have managed to afflict a shift in thinking. The younger generation is no longer interested in owning cars – what with high buying and maintenance costs. Add to it, highly jammed roads and motorways, irregular parking has rendered car ownership completely redundant.
This is not to say that car makers will shut shop. But, there is a greater need for all players who are part of urban mobility to work together and deliver a cohesive car and traffic management solutions.
Despite the dwindling interest in car ownership, there still are millions of cars – and they need ample, quick, safe parking spaces. And this need is driving tremendous innovations in the parking lot management industry. The idea to find any – or a set of – solutions is to make parking more accessible, affordable, convenient, and efficient.
#1 Urban infrastructure as a whole
Most of our malls, cinemas, universities, and city centers are woeful at providing seamless parking solutions. Add to this, the rapid pace at which our urban living conditions are changing. These factors have made it incredibly tough to plan and build the right infrastructure. Especially an infrastructure which should stay relevant for at least a decade. Building more parking spaces may not be the right answer.
Superblocks: How Barcelona is taking city streets back from cars
However, there are cities and urban municipalities who have taken to the concept of smart city planning. This is a unique way of looking at urban planning from the bottom up. Where all amenities, utilities are considered in the designing phase itself.
Cities such as Singapore, Barcelona, and London are just a few cities who have made great progress in this direction. More cities are in the pipeline of implementing such smart strategies. The remarkable aspect of implementing these smart city projects in a phased manner is that it gives new cities a chance to learn from previous projects and make the necessary modifications. What people in the business world call – being AGILE.
Robots Parking Cars: The Garage of the Future | WIRED
#2 Map guided parking solutions
Imagine you open your app on the phone – even before reach the parking lot. The parking lot app – from your local parking management space – tells you how many empty spaces are available (made possible by IoT sensors which highlights empty slots on the app immediately). You plan your route accordingly. You are now close to the parking lot, and the mobile app with a live map guides you to the nearest slot – without you having to touch your phone again.
Map guided parking spaces – Rentcubo
You come back after a while, drive your car home, and the app calculates the fee and notifies you once the money is paid. Seamless, easy, secure, and most of all hassle free. This is the power of map guided smart parking solutions.
As more people use such apps, it starts collecting more data and helps administrators plan parking lots in a better way.
#3 No more paying cash
The same parking lot app which guided you to the parking lot will have its own e-wallet linked to your bank account. After each parking, it sends you a payment notification. You approve it by tapping YES, and it’s done.
Pay by phone parking systems – Rentcubo
There is another way. You can pre-fill your parking lot wallet and allow the app to deduct the parking charges automatically without your intervention. And the app can send you a weekly spending report for you to monitor.
#4 Everything is now on the mobile phone
The previous two examples bare evidence for the tremendous impact of smartphone on the parking lot industry. Map guided navigation and easy payments are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. In the future we will see hybrid apps which combine the following features in one – single app:
Google Maps like feature with live traffic updates
Urban public transportation services like trams, metros, Uber and Lyft
And parking slot booking and guidance
This is the future.
#5 Managing curbside
Untidy planning and management of curbsides not only affects parking spaces, but it also hinders free flow of traffic. Cars and trucks parked incorrectly means vehicles plying on that particular street will end up driving slowly.
Curbside Parking – Rentcubo
The solution to this is a fresh redesign of curbsides. In 2016, the city of Seattle implemented and enforced new policies that redefine the curb lane as a “flex zone,” instead of a parking lane. Depending on the street type, the lane is divided into priority zones with in-lane stops, dedicated loading spaces, and protected bike lanes.
An Airbnb clone for Parking Lot management
Buying or investing on software solutions is a tough ask, especially with multiple platforms offering similar features.
That is why we have built a LITE version of RentPark which can be downloaded for FREE. Experience the platform before you buy it. At Rentcubo, we offer round-the-clock technical support to help you from the day you buy the platform till the day you take it live.
RentPark is completely customizable, use your brand logo, colors, and fonts on both the web and mobile apps. Connect to us on Whatsapp and ask all your questions about RentPark. We are happy to help. At Rentcubo, we begin with you.
In this post: this post is meant for someone who is interested in the parking lot management business or is managing one such business already. We look at the statistics of car ownership in developed countries and the current scenario of parking lot solutions available. This post addresses the main challenges faced and offers a customized solution – RentPark – which is affordable and cutting edge at the same time.
Statistics show great potential
On average, motor vehicles are parked 95 percent of the time – source
The car ownership numbers are growing at a steady pace in developed countries. In the USA, Europe and Australia, the car culture has been part of daily life for a large part of the modern age. Here are some car statistics:
USA: 276.1 million vehicles (44% are cars)
Europe: 298.9 million vehicles
UK: 38.4 million vehicles
Australia: 19.2 million
The question we need to ask is this: are there enough efficient parking spaces to accommodate millions of these vehicles? Let us look at the number of parking spaces available in the same countries.
USA: between 105 to 2 billion individual parking slots (per NY Times)
It’s easy to look at how large, expansive countries like the US, Europe, and Australia have way too many parking spaces. The odd man out is the UK, which has been facing severe parking space shortage for many years.
What do these trends tell us?
They tell us that either the developed countries have too many parking spaces – meaning a lot of businesses who are managing car parks – some manually, others by the meter. And in case of the UK, there is potential for innovative parking spaces to be created – meaning more businesses would crop up.
The business of parking lots are highly unstructured in many countries, especially private parking spaces. Just try and find the latest reports on the total number of parking spaces available in the USA, UK, Europe and Australia and it is very difficult to find the latest info. Herein lies the potential for innovative parking solutions (be it spaces or software).
Fundamental challenges faced by private parking slot businesses
Understand demand: there are certain days and hours which demand more parking spaces. Whenever people look for a parking slot on your website or mobile app, you will begin to understand the when and how demand is generated. This allows you to capitalize on the demand and price your slots a little higher when the time is right. Price optimization can help you generate more revenue.
What to do when slots are empty: the opposite of a crowded parking area is bad for business too. How to generate traffic and revenue during those dull Wednesday afternoons? An intelligent software should allow you to understand when demand goes down. That’s the time to offer discounted rates and run special schemes for your loyal consumers.
How do you collect payment: consumers always want to get to and get out of parking spaces as quickly as possible. We think that gas stations and parking lots are places people hate to spend more time at. So, make sure you accept payments online, especially via mobile devices quickly and securely.
How to drive efficiency – with software
A lot of problems can be solved by software and end up saving capital expenses. An intelligently designed software should work on both the web as well as mobile (both iOS and Android) platforms. This way, it becomes easy for consumers to transact with you.
Let consumers book parking spaces on mobile devices in the last minute
Make it easy to re-book or renew parking slots (if needed for a longer duration)
Make it easy, secure, and fast to make payments via mobile devices
Let the mobile app guide consumers to the parking slot via live location mapping
Have you used Airbnb’s website or mobile app to book a room or a home for vacation? Isn’t the platform easy to use, find properties, and pay securely? This is what we have brought with RentPark. RentPark is an Airbnb clone designed specifically to manage parking spaces of all sizes in countries such as America, Europe, UK, and Australia. Here are some of the features of RentPark:
Feature highlights or RentPark – A parking management software
An Affordable Parking Solution: Manage all slots and multiple facilities with RentPark
Keep Track Of Everything: Easily sift through vehicle license plate numbers, visitor names and tags on the easy-to-use dashboard
Managing Visitor Parking: Say goodbye to papers and clipboards. Allow users to register from any device within seconds
Real-Time Navigation: Allow users to re-book slot(s) with just a few clicks or touches and let the app guide them to the parking space via live mapping
Manage Time Limits For Visitors: Set time slots for any day of the week. You can schedule a variety of time limits for different time slots.
Manage Free and Paid Parking Hours: You get complete control to manage free or fee based parking to match demand.
Dynamic Pricing: Demands don’t stay the same. The app allows you to set a variety of prices to cash in on weekday or weekend/holiday demands.
Inventory Management: A single location with a few slots or multiple locations with varied slot sizes, RentPark allows you to manage all your inventory on a single dashboard.
One Touch Payment: Make is easy and secure for users to avail parking slots and pay you with one touch.
Buying or investing on software solutions is a tough ask, especially with multiple platforms offering similar features.
That is why we have built a LITE version of RentPark which can be downloaded for FREE. Experience the platform before you buy it. At Rentcubo, we offer round-the-clock technical support to help you from the day you buy the platform till the day you take it live.
RentPark is completely customizable, use your brand logo, colors, and fonts on both the web and mobile apps. Connect to us on Whatsapp and ask all your questions about RentPark. We are happy to help. At Rentcubo, we begin with you.
