WAYFINDING FORUM

Riders want footpath parking for motorcycles in Perth

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:58:00 GMT

In Perth, the Motorcycle Riders Association is calling on the government to allow motorcycles and scooters to be able to park on public walkways in Perth city.

According to ABC online, they are calling for a trial policy similar to Melbourne, allowing motorcycles to park on footpaths and concrete public spaces, providing the vehicle is walked there, the vehicle is parked at least a motorcycle length away from buildings and the vehicle doesn't inhibit pedestrian access.

The MRAWA claims that the system would encourage motorcyclists to commute, which will ease traffic congestion especially at peak hour. In addition to this, they want extra free, all day parking locations to be scattered throughout the city.

Proposals are also under development for motorcycles and scooters to be permitted to use the emergency and bus lanes on Perth’s roads during peak periods.

The City of Perth, meanwhile, has ruled out any plans for footpath parking in the CBD, citing that 75,000 people walk into and around Perth’s CBD everyday; and that motorcycles parked in public spaces would cause obstruction to this free movement. Currently there is a report recommending an expansion and an additional 30 bays at the Mounts Bay Road parking lot due to go to council. If the report is approved, the Mounts Bay Road park will accommodate 102 motorcycles.

Minimum parking to blame for LA’s commercial inefficiency

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:54:00 GMT

Thanks to Paul Barter’s Reinventing Parking blog, we came across an article this week that explored how the minimum parking requirements in Los Angeles have had a negative impact on street life and force property owners to use their blocks of land highly inefficiently.

For us the clearest representation of how the minimum parking requirements affect the businesses property were a number of diagrams to designed illustrate this. From Mott Smith’s original article:

A typical parcel of commercial land will be around 50 feet wide (15.24m) by 150 long (45.72m), or 7,500 square feet (just under 700m2) and is traditionally the perfect size for a small businessperson to build a shop and maybe even housing or office space above. Building right up to the front and side property lines would maximise land-use efficiency and pedestrian-friendliness is encouraged.

But onsite parking rules have made this sort of development nearly impossible. In Los Angeles, minimum parking requirements mandate four parking spaces for every 1,000 square feet of retail space. Using our example above, the largest store you could build on a typical property would be 3,000 square feet - less than half of what was possible before the parking requirements came into play.

For restaurants, the requirements are often even more stringent. In a city that requires 10 spaces per 1,000 square feet of restaurant, the largest building you could construct on a typical property would be 1,600 square feet - less than 25 percent of the potential build-out area before parking-requirements.

It’s a simple and easy to understand demonstration of why the minimum parking requirements in this instance are highly ineffective in stimulating demand. Paul Barter concludes his summation by answering his own question:

Is this relevant to your country? Yes! Don't let foolish parking policies destroy your older commercial districts like the United States did!

Washington DC approves plan to expand ‘performance parking’

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:48:00 GMT

A council committee in Washington DC has approved a plan to allow city officials to manage the demand for parking spaces by adjusting parking prices, taking inspiration from San Francisco’s SFpark program.

Under the plan, city officials would be able to adjust parking meter rates, length and times of operations, parking fines and residential parking regulations. Called ‘performance parking,’ the program has been tested throughout the city in recent years. The Washington Post reports that the parking plan also directs that money raised by the program be used locally to improve bus services and to foster the use of alternative transportation.

According to the DCdot site, performance-based parking manages the demand for parking to achieve three key elements:

1. Protect resident parking: Higher kerbside parking meter rates combined with more stringent parking restrictions in residential neighbourhoods in the pilot areas help preserve kerbside parking for residents in areas where business or entertainment uses draw lots of visitors.

2. Protect businesses: Performance based meter rates and time limits are designed to encourage brief kerbside parking with high turnover while discouraging long-term parking that would deprive businesses of customers. Visitors with long-term parking requirements are encouraged by the higher meter rates to utilize off-street parking facilities.

3. Promote non-automotive transportation and reduce congestion: Higher kerbside meter rates encourage walking, biking and transit use in lieu of auto travel in congested places.

Russian newspaper uses social shaming to stop bad parking

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:46:00 GMT

An online Russian newspaper ‘The Village’ has launched an app and a media campaign designed to try and stop illegal and inconsiderate parking.

Using the app on a mobile phone, the public take photos of the parking offenders, capturing photos of the car and the number plates. Image recognition technology then reads the number plates to identify the driver of the vehicle.

Then, the name of the driver, along with photos of their car, are published to the newspaper’s website, on banners and media placements; as well as allowing people to post the details to their own facbeook pages as well; naming and shaming the drivers; with a message ‘Share to remove’ (the poor parking).

It’s an interesting way of crowd-sourcing and social shaming for poor parking, and will be very interesting to see if it has any effect. We’re not too sure about the name for the application, however – the Parking Douche App. Find out more in the video below.

Is there a worldwide parking problem?

Mon, 14 May 2012 23:58:00 GMT

Following our recent post on Eran Ben-Joseph’s book, ‘Rethinking a Lot’, The Guardian have also picked up on the story. They summarise some of Ben-Joseph’s key recommendations for improving parking lots to make them more ‘environmentally responsible’ and ‘aesthetically pleasing’ as follows:

Better design. Citing Miami’s car park as a prime example, drawing on great design principles would be able to restore cities and spaces to be proud of, and should add joy to the routine of driving, working and shopping.

Using new technology. A wide range of technological developments are constantly improving parking lots; from robotic car parks to parking guidance systems; pay and display to pay by mobile phone.

Reducing environmental impact. One of the key impacts of the parking lot is the heat generated by the asphalt surface of the lots, contributing to the "urban heat island" phenomenon which makes cities warmer than surrounding rural areas. A range of solutions are underway to harness this energy, from covering lots with solar panels, to developing reflective asphalt, to creating energy by heating water running in pipes beneath the lots.

Using the space above. Either through car parks built underneath existing buildings and developments; or the construction of multi-level car parks; the smaller land usage reduces their impact significantly.

Digging up car parks. Some activists are even determined to go one step further, digging up car parks and celebrating the ‘rebirth of a new greenspace’, creating permeable space instead of paved lots.

Putting some numbers around his research, Ben-Joseph claims that there are an estimated 800 million car parking spaces in the US - one for every car – and amounting to around 9,104 sq km of land space. Covering this whole area with solar panels could generate enough electricity to power 11 million households for a month. Alternatively, he claims that covering 50% of this area with trees could remove 1,260,805 tons of carbon dioxide per year. We are not sure where the cars would go instead!

Read more on The Guardian’s site here.

Citibank sponsors NYC’s bike sharing system

Mon, 14 May 2012 23:56:00 GMT

In New York, Citibank have announced that they are sponsoring and commercialising the bike share system. To be renamed Citi Bike, the system will be 100% privately funded with 600 stations and 10,000 bikes in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

According to TreeHugger, Citi Bike's pricing is listed as $95 for an annual pass, $25 for a 7-day pass, and $9.95 for 24-hour access. But the city of New York has plans to make sure the Citi Bikes are accessible to New Yorkers "of all income levels". A program is being developed, according to the web site, so that qualifying New Yorkers will be able to purchase a reduced annual membership for $60, payable in quarterly instalments.

It’s very interesting to see a commercial entity come on board to run the bike sharing scheme, as inherently they will be running it to set out to make a profit. However the scale of the investment and reach of the infrastructure is more likely to change behaviours than a small investment. Watch this space to see how it performs!

Sustainability in parking

Mon, 14 May 2012 23:54:00 GMT

Sustainability and ‘green’ parking solutions have received a lot of attention in the media of late, with this blog in particular giving the cause solid support. And whilst sustainability has predominantly focused on the environmental aspects of maintenance and responsibility, it’s important to remember that long-term sustainability also encompasses other aspects: economic and social dimensions.

From an economic perspective, sustainability is about much more than green stamp on marketing materials; green investment decisions should have positive and lasting environmental effects without negatively impacting the bottom line.

A post we came across on the ‘Passport Parking’ blog this week talks about how much of the movement in the parking industry towards sustainability has focused on the ‘green’ aspect of the cause, whilst being financially and fiscally unsustainable. Passport Parking claim that the only way to continue to advance sustainability in the Parking industry is a grassroots movement toward sensible innovation that makes “going green” an easy decision for the Provider, through innovation that has long-term responsible environmental impacts while proving to be an easy implementation decision. Solutions that should be cash flow positive from the start.

Parking by phone

Mon, 14 May 2012 23:52:00 GMT

Introducing Park4U: an iOS / Android app that delivers ‘assisted parking’ by remotely parking your car.

According to Engadget, the system is currently available on a limited number of Volkswagen-group models including the Touran, Sharan, Audi A6, Audi A7 and the Seat Alhambra. The company is planning to have 38 models equipped with the tech by year's end. See it in action below.

White Paper on Australia’s CBD car parking

Wed, 09 May 2012 21:31:00 GMT

Colliers International, in conjunction with Parking & Traffic Consultants, have released a white paper into CBD car parks in Australia.

The paper, entitled Australian CBD Car Parking – The Next Decade, examines the current trends and the expected future of car parks in Australia. With the number of car spaces in Australian CBDs increasing only marginally from 141,690 in 2006 to 153,400 in 2011, car parking is a finite product, with the supply of car parking expected to moderate over the next decade.

A key finding of the report was that the ratio of car parking to CBD workers is declining, along with the importance of parking relative to other forms of transport. Since 2005, proximity to public transport has remained the most important driver in attracting and retaining staff by tenants when choosing an office location and has steadily increased in importance over time.

Real estate and property yields for well-established commercial car parks are generally slightly above commercial buildings in the same price range in comparable locations, with a slight risk premium factored in to allow for increased uncertainty surrounding changes to Government legislation, casual parking as a discretionary spend which generally diminished in times of economic uncertainty, and a smaller market for car parking assets.

Parking & Traffic Consultants' own Managing Partner, Cristina Lynn, was a co-author to the report. Cristina said that with changes to technology and the cost of car parking on the rise, owners had to become more innovative in the services they provide. The benefits of new technology coupled with greater awareness of customer’s needs should ensure on going profitability and value maximisation for car park owners.

Click here to view the full white paper.

Car usage in Sydney on the decline

Thu, 03 May 2012 06:53:00 GMT

A recent paper published by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics has quantified an ongoing trend in Sydney – that drivers are driving less every year than the year before.

Since 2005, the average number of kilometres driver per year has been on the decline. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, in 1965, the average Sydney resident drove about 4000 kilometres a year. The figure advanced steadily past 6000 kilometres a year, by the late 1970s. By the mid-1990s, the average Sydney resident was driving 8000 kilometres a year. And by 2005, driving kilometres had crept up to about 8400 a quarter.

Since peaking in 2005, they have since slipped back to 1995 levels and are likely to stay for the next decade or so. The report shows that Sydney residents drive less than those in other capital cities. Residents in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth drive closer to 10,000 kilometres a year.

Congestion pricing in New York in consideration

Thu, 03 May 2012 06:51:00 GMT

Former New York City traffic commissioner Sam Schwartz is proposing a plan that would toll the East River Bridges of New York, while lowering tolls on other, non-Manhattan bound spans in an effort to both reduce congestion and give the city’s transit system a funding boost.

According to Transport Nation, these tolls and other fees (like ending a parking tax rebate for residents of Manhattan, and adding a taxi surcharge on cab rides south of 86th Street) could raise as much as $1.2 billion annually, Schwartz argues — money that would then be spent on improving transit and roads.

The money raised would then be used to reduce transit fares and to launch new transit lines — particularly bus rapid transit — in the outer boroughs where transit service is poor. He’s also proposed a number of pedestrian and bicycle bridges leading onto the island.

New York’s politicians are not enthusiastic about the plan, however, claiming that they will not have the political support to pass a congestion tax program. But with New York Times’ opinion editorial page getting behind the congestion plan, perhaps this may have a strong influence on public perception of the tax – particularly if the benefit goes to public transport and mass transit.

Turning roads into solar panels

Thu, 03 May 2012 06:50:00 GMT

A US-based company has developed a concept prototype for a ‘solar roadway’ – a series of structurally engineered solar panels that can be driven on.

The concept sees roads literally replaced by the solar panels, which when linked together effectively serve as an energy grid itself. Any home or business connected to the Solar Roadway receives the power and data signals that the Solar Roadway provides, with the aim of becoming an intelligent, self-healing, decentralized, secure power grid.

An electric road allows electric vehicles to recharge anywhere: rest stops, parking lots, businesses and homes. Furthermore, it will reduce a significant usage of asphalt – a product made from petroleum itself, further reducing dependency on oil.

As you can see in the video below, the biggest challenge that the solar roadway faces is driving on glass – however from our interpretation of the video it seems the challenge will be more shifting our attitudes towards driving on glass than the supporting science behind it.

Vacuum tube transport system

Thu, 03 May 2012 06:47:00 GMT

In one of the stranger articles we’ve come across this week, the concept of the Evacuated Tube Transport system, from design group et3.com, will see 16ft long capsules of humans traveling at around 6,500km/h and around the world in less than six hours.

According to The Creators Project, the Evacuated Tube Transport features a range of different sized capsules that can carry cargo and people and uses maglev (magnetic levitation) tracks to whisk the human (and other) cargo along to their destination from speeds of 550km/h to 6,500km/h. In the video provided below they claim the tube system can be built for a tenth of the cost of a high-speed rail system, and can travel from the US’s East to West Coast in just 45 minutes.

Sounds like completely out of a science-fiction cartoon, but if it worked as it’s proposed it could be an amazing boon for transport and reducing the environmental impact of air and road travel.

Sydney’s Darling Harbour to be rebuilt…

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:13:00 GMT

The NSW government announced last week that the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Convention Centre and Exhibition Centre at Darling Harbour will be closed for three years while they are expanded or replaced under a $1 billion upgrade approved by NSW cabinet.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the precinct will be expanded with a view to having facilities that are equal or better than those in other Australian capitals.

New facilities are expected to include:

An upmarket replacement for the Entertainment Centre with seating for at least 8000 people
An increase in size of the Exhibition Centre from 25,000 square metres to 40,000 square metres making it Australia's largest exhibition space;
A convention hall with capacity for more than 10,000 people which can host multiple events simultaneously making it the biggest such facility in the country.
Dedicated banqueting facilities for 2000 people, almost double the current capacity.
A hotel with at least 300 rooms

Meanwhile, the government has opened the door for residential apartments, shops and restaurants to be built on Darling Harbour parkland as part of the overhaul. State cabinet has approved a 66 per cent increase in the area of Darling Harbour where developers will relocate and rebuild exhibition facilities and public areas as part of an upgrade expected to cost about $1 billion.

…as Monorail’s planned demolition calls for higher line

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:10:00 GMT

Due to be demolished to make way for the redevelopment of Darling Harbour, Sydney’s monorail has seen significant debate over what should happen to the structure once dismantled.

Landscape architect David Vago has drawn up a plan to take inspiration from New York’s famous High Line (see our blog post about the High Line here!), and turn the tracks into an elevated boardwalk and cycleway. His proposal would involve a three to five-metre-wide deck across the track, creating a 3.6-kilometre public walkway through the central business district.

The High-Lane, as he calls it, could be used by joggers, cyclists, office workers, parents with prams and tourists. The existing pylons would become vertical gardens and Monorail stations would be transformed into pocket parks, cafes and gallery spaces, taking around 12 to 18 months to build.

All the government entities remain non-committal regarding the project, with some scepticism and concerns given the proposed demolition to make way for the Darling Harbour redevelopment.

Space fillers: the dynamics of airport parking

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:07:00 GMT

Airport car parks are huge business, with major airport hubs seeing car parking producing around $80 million to $100 million of revenue each year.

Recent results from the 2012 ACI Airport Economics survey shows that car parking now accounts for around 7% of global airport revenues and is the second biggest source of non-aviation related revenue (equal with real estate) after retail. In 2010, Denver International Airport (DIA), for example, made $118 million in revenue from car parking and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) saw its car parking revenues exceed $97 million.

An article published in Airport World examines what some airports are doing to maximise their revenues.

Variable rates based on the location of the car park, the level of service provided, covered parking vs open air parking, and VIP or valet parking.
Ensuring customer service is at the forefront of their business, making the experience as stress-free as possible. This can include the investment in wayfinding services, advance reservation programs and even loyalty-style programs for business passengers and frequent flyers.
Parking innovation through their infrastructure and services, including online booking systems, and car finding applications on screens and kiosks directing them back to their parked vehicle.
Pricing mechanisms such as discounted multi-day packages, or internet coupon offers.
Upselling additional services, including valet services, oil change, car wash or general car inspection.
A wide range of payment options including ticketless and credit card payment enabling greater efficiencies for customers and the airport.

The full article can be found on the Airport World site here. For any Spanish speaking readers out there, you may also be interested to read a presentation by Parking & Traffic Consultants’ Managing Partner Cristina Lynn, delivered on Airport Parking at the 1^st National Congress of Airports in Argentina, in November 2011. Click here to view her presentation on slideshare.

Car park commercial banned in Australia

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:04:00 GMT

A Suzuki Swift Sport ad has been banned in Australia by health and safety authorities, who believe it portrays irresponsible ‘hoon’ driving and linking speeding and dangerous driving with sex appeal.

Officials say the ad depicts unsafe driving by showing the car sliding about in a car park, and includes footage of hard acceleration. The complaint even goes as far to say that the car has its fog lights on in a multi-storey car park, which is against the Australian road rules.

Pre-booking parking at airports

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:12:00 GMT

We came across an interesting article which explores the pre-booked parking phenomenon and why it is commonplace in the UK – accounting for around 20% of airport parking – but almost non-existent around the rest of the world.

The article’s author, Chris Wortley, asserts that the practice came about from two factors: high prices at airport parking locations and a consumer belief that these prices were too high. Enter a range of competitive players, opening ‘off airport’ car parks at reduced rates. As these competitors had no visibility, hey had to advertise online and in doing so started to take bookings online. Airports started to see their car parking revenue fall and to compete had to introduce their own pre-booking solution.

Online aggregator services (think Webjet) also saw an opportunity and moved to become the one-stop shop for ‘off airport’ car parks – further increasing competition and eroding airport’s parking revenue.

Should operators and airports in Australia be concerned? It seems so, with the UK consolidator sites beginning to spread their reach to Germany and the US as they become part of the online travel booking process, bundling together flights, parking, insurance, car rental and VIP business lounge services all into the one transaction.

It’s certainly an interesting model and may require airports to consider a different way of doing business. Time will tell when and how it rolls out in Australia, but at least there is interesting data and case history available from UK services and operators to draw from.

The cost of parking in America

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:09:00 GMT

During the 2012 Intertraffic conference, the American based National Parking Association released their fourth annual Parking in America report. The study measures monthly, daily and hourly rates in cities throughout the United States and Canada, including parking facilities in hospitals, hotels, educational institutions and airports. It also documents rate trends in downtown parking areas and among institutional parking owners and operators.

According to the NPA’s press release and executive summary, the survey found that in 2011, the average price of a premium downtown space across North America increased by 4.5%, from US$15.92 per day to US$16.64. This is a rebound from the 2010 study which showed a 20% decline in rates. At the same time, the average price of the least expensive space in these markets has risen from US$8.48 per day to US$12.57.

The average cost of a premium reserved monthly space dropped for a second straight year from $240 to $199—after a decline in 2010 from $281 to $240. This suggests continued downward pressure on long term parking contracts post-recession. The cost of the least expensive monthly spaces increased from $142 to $166. Overall, 38% of CBD facilities raised rates, with a 40% increase over 2010, whilst 29% held rates steady and another 29% lowered prices.

Across sectors, Airport On-site operators have faired the best as 50% reported increased revenues, consistent with increasing demand for air travel. CBD on-street parking also fared well, with 46% reporting increased revenues and only 19% experiencing decreases. Only 31% of hospital parking facilities reported revenue increases, with 22% reporting decreases.

Interestingly, one key trend that shows consistency is the narrowing of the gap between the least expensive rates and the most expensive rates. The reduction in top rates reflects the decline in the American economy. Compared to Australian rates, however, the rates are very inexpensive – no doubt a reflection of the attachment to the car and the huge volume of parking spaces in the US.

The full results from the survey can be found on the National Parking Association’s website here.

Display garages

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:06:00 GMT

A new type of garage is on sale from architects EcoSpace which turns the once humble and hidden away parking garage into the centrepiece of your back garden.

The modular garage is designed to be a showroom for your car, with features like ambient lighting, floor-to-ceiling glazing and even modular storage systems available. Security is taken care of with roller blinds, and the garages come with natural materials and insulation as standard.

At a cost of $70,000, the AutoSpace offers tailored, contemporary design to your specific needs - so you can have multiple cars, a workshop or office space built in. Perhaps a bed so you never need be away from your car for too long?

Turning parking lots into better public spaces

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:54:00 GMT

The New York Times recently carried an article by Eran Ben-Joseph, a professor of urban planning at MIT and author of ‘Rethinking a Lot: The Design and Culture of Parking’. In it, Ben-Joseph shares his vision for transforming the parking lot into a space beyond simply providing parking availability and convenience.

He believes that the parking lot needs to evolve to include a variety of other uses, mitigate its effect on the environment and give greater consideration to aesthetics and architectural context.

Environmentally, parking lots come with costs – including increased heat from the exposed asphalt pavement, as well as water runoff from the impervious surfaces. A better parking lot might be covered with solar canopies so that it could produce energy while lowering heat, or may be surfaced with a permeable material like porous asphalt and planted with trees in rows like an apple orchard, so that it could sequester carbon and clean contaminated runoff.

Parking lots are also one of the most utilised outdoor spaces – public spaces that people interact with and use on a daily basis, and one of the few places where cars and pedestrians coexist. Better parking lots would expand and embrace this role, providing a range of public activities such as farmers markets and food stalls, contributing as much to their communities as great boulevards, parks or plazas.

Some great concepts, thinking and questioning of the role of parking lots in our society. Read more on the NY Times website here, or more on Ben-Joseph’s book here.

Shared spaces put squeeze on Auckland parking

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:51:00 GMT

Car parking faces a continuing squeeze in downtown Auckland streets, following a 20 per cent reduction in spaces over the last five years. Auckland Transport says 843 street parking spaces have gone since 2007, leaving 3417 bays compared with 4260 previously.

According to the NZ Herald, the trend is set to continue as more CBD streets are turned into "shared spaces" – used by cars, bicycles and pedestrians. The business association ‘Heart of the City’ considers the lost spaces a necessary price for improving central Auckland’s urban environment, putting more emphasis on the need to build a better place for people, not just for traffic.

Auckland Transport claims a 26 per cent increase in patronage on key central bus routes, such as the inner and outer link services, since these were re-designed last winter. This is a trade off in return for a 20 per cent reduction in parking.

Cars are still a major consideration and access method for many, with cars last year bringing about 34,500 people into central Auckland each morning compared with 36,500 who arrived on buses, trains, ferries, bicycles or by walking.

NFC payments in parking

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:49:00 GMT

Near field communication (NFC) technology allows secure data to be transmitted from a device or object to exchange information or even conduct electronic transactions with a tap. The technology is already embedded in many chip credit cards, and mobile phone providers are moving to roll out handsets which are NFC enabled, allowing users to pay with the tap of a mobile phone. (For more information, refer to our previous Wayfinding Forum posts, ‘Mobile cashless payments by card and phone’, and ‘Google Wallet’s potential effect on parking industry infrastructure’).

Technology site ARN recently polled global mobile industry experts to find that eighty one percent expect that NFC technology will be widely used and adopted for mobile payments in two to five years time. Of these executives, 38 per cent believe consumer concern over security of personal financial information exchanged during mobile transactions is the leading obstacle to large-scale adoption of mobile payments.

They are not wrong, according to UK media site The Drum, which claims that research conducted by VoucherCodes.co.uk has found that most consumers don’t know about NFC technology, and 60% would avoid paying for goods and servies via their mobile even if they were able. A further 17% were interested in the technology but worry about how it works.

VoucherCodes has created a really interesting infographic which attempts to explain the NFC technology and quantify the results of their survey. You can view this in full size by clicking here or on the image below.

Queensland public transport policies

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:42:00 GMT

The recent Queensland State election saw public transport policy as a key point of the campaign and an important issue for voters. The win for Labour has resulted in the first of their election promises becoming a reality: free travel after nine journeys a week.

To commence from July 1, the scheme will see commuters qualify for free travel after nine paid journeys a week. According to the Courier Mail, commuters stand to save as much as $667 a year from the policy. Other promises made that will benefit commuters include more frequent day services on the Ferny Grove line and a reduction in public transport fare increases.

Labour’s key public transportation policies included:

Commuters will qualify for unlimited free trips after taking nine journeys on the bus, train or ferry in any given week, costing $55.7 million over four years.
$19.15 million boost to the Translink Station Upgrade Program over three years, taking the investment to more than $137 million.
$39.9 million to fund 95 new road upgrade projects over three years.
$28 million for a North Brisbane Cycleway, secure bike parking spaces and regional cycling initiatives.

We definitely think that the tenth trip free policy is a good one for encouraging public transportation usage; provided that the public system works and is reliable!

Parking for bikes in private car parks in BA

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:34:00 GMT

In Buenos Aires, a city where bicycle theft is rampant, the provision of secure parking facilities is almost as important as the supporting infrastructure.

The city is currently embracing cycling, under a scheme called “Mejor en Bici”, with a number of laws and construction projects designed to provide several bike parking facilities. Of these laws, perhaps the most significant is the obligation for all private parking lots to offer 8 bike spots for every 50 vehicle spaces, at a rate that can never be higher than 10% of the car parking fee.

According to TreeHugger, the private parking facilities offer a much safer environment than street racks, and will force the structures that rarely offer parking for bikes, to adapt.

On top of this, the government is also building 350 new bike racks across the city, with another 550 to be put to tender. They are also building parking facilities next to train stations, offering whole day parking for just one peso (about $0.25)!

Parking space squatting

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:32:00 GMT

An article published in the SMH recently explored what they considered a new phenomenon: parking space ‘squatting’, whereby drivers returning to their cars will sit in the vehicle to use their phones to talk, text or email.

On the one hand, it’s upsetting the normal ‘order’ of things – with the driver expected to vacate the in-demand space instead causing aggravation to other drivers looking for their own parking space. Following a driver back to their vehicle in a packed car park is now no longer a guarantee of securing the spot immediately.

On the other hand, however, safety advocates are pleased to hear that people are using their phones when the vehicles are stationary, saying that perhaps this is the first sign that attitudes are shifting around distracted driving. Driving and using a mobile phone without a handsfree unit is illegal in Australia, and more and more states in the US are banning drivers from texting, with private companies also forbidding employees to use their phone while driving. Drivers are instead pulling over to a safe place to talk, text and email.

It’s an interesting debate and it’s encouraging to see drivers adapting and becoming more conscious of safety. And besides, if the driver has paid for the time for the parking space, aren’t they entitled to use it in any way they wish?

The new Italian Police Lamborghini

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:29:00 GMT

We received an email from an anonymous contributor this week with images from Italy of the new Italian Lamborghini Gallardo Police car. One of two new high-speed patrol cars designed to catch speeding drivers.

It seems as though the car met an unfortunate end, although one of our eagle-eyed contributors did point out that the numberplates from the second and the last photo don’t match…

Free parking under threat for NZ workers

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:28:00 GMT

A report prepared by the New Zealand Transport Agency has recommended that the government investigate changing the fringe benefit tax to include employer-subsidised parking.

The proposed additional tax is being considered to address concerns that employees are undermining attempts to ‘encourage more efficient commuting behaviour’. According to Stuff.co.nz, more than half of the country’s workforce is estimated to have access to free parking provided by their employer.

The report has calculated the value for the potential tax benefits in $675million annually, based on the value of car parking in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch at around $2,700 per employee.

The NZTA report also recommends that the government explore introducing variable fringe benefit tax rates for company cars based on their size and greenhouse gas emissions.

Melbourne Airport’s Southern Precinct project

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:25:00 GMT

The Southern Precinct project and expansion of Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport is part of a proposed program of investment by Melbourne Airport over the next five years. The expansion project is budgeted to cost in excess of A$1 billion.

According to MICEBTN magazine, Stage 1 of the project is focused on the area south of the existing T3 terminal and around the T4 terminal, and includes the phased development of:

A new domestic terminal facility designed to cater for up to 20 million passengers per annum and an ultimate area of 35,000 square metres;
35 additional aircraft parking aprons and taxi lanes to accommodate future growth;
Two new multi‐level structures for ground transport services, additional car parking spaces and access to other services such as taxis, shuttle buses and public transport and upgrading the airport road network to provide access to the new terminal precinct and also to support the future growth of Melbourne Airport over the next 30 to 40 years.

Stage One of the Southern Precinct project has an estimated cost of up to A$300 million, and is planned to commence in October 2012, with the new terminal open for operation by July 2014.

Parking in Miami keeps getting grovier

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:23:00 GMT

A new apartment block in Miami has elevators to take residents directly to their units whilst they are sitting in their cars.

The $560 million tower is a collaboration between Germany-based Porsche Design Group and a local developer, Gil Dezer. According to the Miami Herald, after the resident pulls over and switches off the engine, a robotic arm that works much like an automatic plank will scoop up the car and put it into the elevator. Once at the desired floor, the same robotic arm will park the car, leaving the resident nearly at his front door.

The glass elevators will give residents and their guests unparalleled views of the city or the ocean during their high-speed ride, expected to last 45 to 90 seconds. Residents will be able to see their cars from their living rooms.

The 57-story luxury tower will have 132 units. Smaller units will be allocated two parking spaces and larger ones will have four, with 284 robotic parking spaces in total, serviced by three elevators.

Why cyclists are better customers for local businesses

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:21:00 GMT

A recent post on the DC Streets Blog examined the economic effects of cycling, and specifically exploring the notion that an investment in cycling infrastructure generally will limit car parking.

The article quotes a few numbers, statistics and pieces of information around the economic benefits of the bicycle over the car. We’ve summarised some of the key points of the article below:

- One car parking space can fit 12 parked bicycles.

- Cyclists tend to shop closer to home more often – as car drivers are more likely to head to the suburbs or big shopping malls. According to researchers, only 16 per cent of household car expenses (expenditure when utilising the car) stay within the local community.

- Cyclists have an additional $6,000 to $8,776 available for spending that would have otherwise been spent on car registration, petrol and maintenance.

On top of the economic benefits listed above, there are a number of programs being implemented in the US that have seen significant boosts to the income of local businesses through encouraging cycling. Two highly successful examples of programs include:

- Long Beach’s citywide bike discount program – where customers get better prices if they arrive by bike.

- ‘Open Streets’ – closed to motorised traffic – has seen 73 per cent of visitors spend money in a restaurant or store on the route, and 68 per cent became aware of a restaurant or store that was new to them, according to research conducted by Washington University in St. Louis.

We did find it very interesting to see the cycling debate framed as an economic one, and the study provides useful statistics and case studies for those involved in planning or in considering the merits of promoting alternative forms of transportation.

Music video with amazing intersection animations

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:19:00 GMT

Thanks to Andrew Morse, our resident Senior Traffic Engineer, we came across this fantastic music clip, called ‘Got More’, by a band called Eskmo. It’s a stunning animation totally created from footage filmed at a New York intersection. We highly recommend watching through as the animation becomes ever more Escher-like.

Pay by phone may now become a reality

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:08:00 GMT

The NSW government has recently changed legislation for on-street parking, paving the way for the introduction of ‘phone parking’.

After registering their details with a third party operator, drivers would then either use a smartphone application or call a toll-free number to send their car registration details to the system, advising of their arrival in the space. The “meter” is then stopped again by the driver on return, and the parking fees billed to their credit card. The system alerts the driver by text message 15 minutes before their paid parking time expires.

According to Fairfax Media, the NSW Roads Minister, Duncan Gay, said the change has been agreed to by Roads and Maritime Services, with the phone parking to complement existing payment methods.

The system should prove popular with local councils as it will reduce the costs of parking meter maintenance. Proponents of the technology claim that it benefits drivers by removing the risk of overpaying the meter, and reducing the risk of overstaying.

Perth CBD cycling terminus to cater for bike boom

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:06:00 GMT

Perth’s bike boom has led to the proposal from the state government to provide a cycling facility featuring showers, lockers and parking for 500 bikes in the Perth CBD.

The ten-year bicycle network plan, released by Transport Minister Troy Buswell, proposes to spend up to $10million in expanding existing bike paths and creating new paths within a 15 kilometre radius of the city. According to WA Today, the plan is in response to a five-fold increase in the number of people cycling to work or for leisure in Perth: about 300,000 cyclists per month take to the roads and cycle paths across the city.

Among the 12 recommendations of the Government Plan is a proposal for a high-quality 'end-of-trip' terminus to provide parking for 500 bikes, showers and locker facilities which would operate on a fee-for-service basis. The government has suggested a feasibility study be carried out, and suggested the facility could be created by converting existing space within a multi-storey car park.

Meanwhile, the City of Perth is working on its own cycling plan, which will be released in June.

The full plan can be viewed on the WA Transport site here.

Volvo pedestrian air bags a hit

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:03:00 GMT

Volvo has recently announced a world first in the introduction of a new safety technology it calls Pedestrian Detection.

According to ZDNet, it's part of Volvo's IntelliSafe system that, in the first instance, will brake sharply if someone steps in the way. If the car goes on to hit someone, an external airbag on the bonnet inflates to cushion the blow.

The external airbags will be part of the Volvo V40, which already has a number of handy features, like helping drivers stay in their lane, park assist capability to help drivers with reverse parking, and Driver Alert Control to warn when the driver is getting tired.

The only drawback with the external airbags is that they only work effectively at speeds up to 35km/h. However if it prevents injuries for pedestrians, it’s definitely worthwhile technology!

Below are videos showing the operation of the external airbags, and a second video on the Pedestrian Detection technology in general.

Mercedes pushing digital innovation

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:59:00 GMT

We have come across two technological innovations this week from auto manufacturer Mercedes that are pushing the boundaries in parking and driving.

The first sees the integration of Apple’s voice recognition technology (called ‘Siri’) into their vehicles, allowing users to access their iPhone and applications through voice commands. According to Discovery.com, the system will transfer the phone’s screen to the car's system screen so that drivers can listen to music, update social networks statuses and send texts.

The second innovation is called ‘Mercedes TweetFleet’, and sees a fleet of cars that include a new feature, alerting you when there is a car parking space free as you drive past. To make people aware of the new feature, they developed a smart campaign that featured a fleet of cars that tweeted when they came in proximity of a free car space. View more on this video below.

City of Sydney releases transport strategy

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:24:00 GMT

The City of Sydney released its ‘Connecting the City’ Transport Strategy document this week. It includes a wide compilation of figures and statistics associated with traffic and transport movements in and around the city.

These statistics underscore the growing impacts on amenity, lifestyles and costs and reinforce why Sydney needs an integrated transport network.

Naturally, parking is an essential component of the strategy. Two key statistics that we found particularly telling were:

On each week day, 83,000 private cars enter Central Sydney, carrying around 110,000 people. Commercial vehicles make up around 13 per cent of all traffic, and taxis carry a further 13,000 people into the city.

The City has 160,000 parking spaces, or about 1.75 spaces for every registered vehicle – compared to an average of three spaces per vehicle Sydney-wide.

We are in the process of reviewing the document in full, particularly with regards to the impacts on property owners who have parking assets within the CBD. Watch this space – we will be publishing shortly our summary and commentary on the Wayfinding Forum.

In the meantime, if any of our readers is interested in finding out more, the reports, summaries and statistics can be found on the City of Sydney’s website here.

London 2012 sets out venue parking plans

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:22:00 GMT

The world’s biggest transportation and parking challenge (the Olympics) has seen the London 2012 Organising Committee publish proposals for parking management and parking plans around all Olympic and Paralympic venues in London.

According to the Organising Committee’s press release, the proposed plans would see a number of traffic alterations and parking restrictions in the vicinity of venues, including some road closures or restricted access and controlled parking zones when events are on.

The plans have been designed to ensure access and parking for local residents and businesses is protected, while access to London 2012 venues is as safe and efficient as possible. Free parking permits will be issued to residents where restrictions are needed, with extra passes available for visitors and carers. Local businesses will be issued with clear guidelines to outline arrangements with regards to deliveries and visitors.

Quite a logistical challenge, no doubt! For all those parking and transport planners out there who are interesting in finding out more about how London is tackling it, you can see all plans and maps on the London 2012 site here.

Dynamic on-street pricing overview

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:19:00 GMT

We came across a video on the Parking Today site this week that explains how dynamic pricing for on-street meters works. Created by IPS Smart Meters, the company responsible for San Francisco’s SFPark project, the video features contributions from Donald Shoup, John Van Horn and many more.

It’s a simple overview of how the technology behind the SFPark variable pricing system is working, and how it connects the theory of market pricing with reality.

Shrinkable cars are all the rage

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:16:00 GMT

Following last week’s post about MIT’s ‘folding’ Hiriko City Car, scientists have unveiled a similar 2.1m ‘pod’ car that can shrink to fit into tight parking spaces.

The car’s length can be reduced by 50 centimetres by the driver for those tight parking spots, and like the Hiriko, it also features wheels that can turn the car in a full circle on the spot, even turning to move sideways into spaces.

But what really impressed us were the built-in sensors allowing the car to drive itself. Better yet – it can be ‘summoned’ by one button press on a Smartphone – a sort of auto-valet!

The car has a top speed of 55 km/h and a range of 100km when fully charged. Read more on the SMH’s tech section here.

US transit lanes changing to paid permit lanes

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:04:00 GMT

In and around Atlanta, a new scheme putting a price on convenience is being introduced as a way to manage traffic congestion. According to the New York Times, transit lanes are now able to be accessed by solitary motorists, on a user-pays model.

In addition to the usual occupants (car pools of three or more, eligible alternative-fuel vehicles, motorcycles and an expanded fleet of buses), the lanes now also accommodate private single drivers who pay through an electronic transponder. According to the Georgia Transportation Department the ‘value pricing’, which varies according to the amount of traffic in the restricted lane, is between 1 cent and 90 cents per mile.

It appears that the system has not achieved the intended effect of improving commuting time, with some local users claiming that commuting time in buses using the free lane have doubled since the introduction of the scheme.

According to the New York Times, a number of states who have introduced the ‘High Occupancy Toll’ lanes (HOT lanes) are considering a range of criteria for which vehicles are able to access the lanes. In both California and soon-to-be in Virginia, air-quality regulators ended single-occupant privileges for many types of hybrid vehicles, excluding older hybrids like the Toyota Prius in favour of plug-in hybrids and battery-electric cars.

It’s certainly an interesting concept, but as the author points out, reward is given for two different (and opposing?) methods of controlling congestion: free-market and economic-based methods against desirable behaviours such as car-pooling or driving a less polluted car. And is it really proving to be effective? Should governments be encouraging anyone to drive alone?

Parking at Australian universities

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:02:00 GMT

Students at James Cook University in Cairns this week have staged a protest against the university’s parking situation, insisting the university needs to boost the number of spaces and make them free of charge.

According to Cairns.com.au, about half of the campus’ 979 parking spaces have been restricted to permit holders this year, meaning students have to pay $63 for an annual parking permit. Drivers with a permit however are not guaranteed a spot. Assuming that students attend the university 150 days a year this would equate to all of $0.42 per day! No public transport could possibly compete with this and therefore it is not surprising that students would rather drive!

The university said it is supporting greener commuting by promoting public transport, through subsidising student bus travel and investing in infrastructure to encourage students to use public transport more often.

Parking a folding car?

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a concept car that is not only small and compact, but when parked, it folds to reduce space further.

The Hiriko City Car was designed by the MIT’s Changing Places research group to solve the growing congestion problems in cities. The City Car takes up approximately one-third of a normal parking space, meaning you can fit around three and a half City Cars in one conventional space.

The electric car can travel around 130km on one charge, and features electric wheels that are able to spin side to side, allowing the car to spin on the spot.

Below is a video from The Boston Channel, showing the Hiriko City Car in action. The first assembly plant is reported to begin production next year, with 9000 vehicles planned by 2015. Is this a look at the future of parking?

Incompetent bike thief caught on camera in NYC

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:58:00 GMT

We came across a great video this week on TreeHugger, showing a hooded bandit’s unsuccessful attempts to steal the handlebars from a locked bike in New York. Watch the video below.

Should car sharing be required in developments?

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:43:00 GMT

Fairfax media published an article this week exploring the range of benefits that a car share scheme is able to provide to residents, developers and councils of a city.

The car-sharing model is one that’s growing rapidly in many countries, and reflects a shift in the way that people are using their cars. In recent years, the increase in car ownership has slowed in Australia, and the distance we drive in each vehicle has begun to decline. Meanwhile, public transport usage is on the rise.

Car sharing is a key player in greening cities, reducing congestion and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Operators of the scheme tend to purchase energy-efficient vehicles – as petrol is included in the cost of the hire, there is an added incentive to run the cars as cheaply and efficiently as possible.

Research by consultants Frost and Sullivan in the US found that in 2009, every shared car replaced 15 private cars, and car sharing members drove almost one-third less than they would if they owned a vehicle. Widespread growth of these schemes would mean fewer cars, used more efficiently.

Car sharing company GoGet says that the penetration of their ownership in Sydney’s Surry Hills has now reached 2 in every 10 license holders. The company is increasingly providing shared utility vehicles at residential developments, working with councils and developers to reduce the minimum parking requirements through the provision of access to a shared vehicle.

Townsville introduces greater minimum parking requirements

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:41:00 GMT

Meanwhile, in Townsville, the City Council has won a battle with the State Government to force developers to allocate more car parking spaces for multi-unit developments.

According to the Townsville Bulletin, the council has approved amendments to the city’s planning scheme to require new developments to provide two car spaces for units of two bedrooms or larger on any new multi-unit development in the city.

The changes also require one parking space for every five dwellings in any development on the mainland and one dedicated car washing bay for all developments.

The changes were sought following complaints about the number of multiple dwelling residents utilising the roadway for long-term resident parking. Council claims that the residents of Townsville are more likely to need a car to commute than people in southeast Queensland, blaming a poor public transport system and high private vehicle ownership rates.

San Fran parking plan undergoing reappraisal

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:38:00 GMT

After a strong pushback from the residents and business owners in neighbourhoods planned for parking meter expansion, San Francisco transportation officials have said that they will gather more data and work more closely with each neighbourhood to refine the parking management proposals.

According to SFGate.com, the plan to add about 5,000 new meters across a range of council areas appeared headed to quick approval as recently as last month, but organised neighbourhood opposition persuaded the council to reassess their approach, working on greater public outreach to explain why they think the meters are needed.

According to transport officials, the neighbourhoods were chosen due to poor street parking which could lead to further decline unless something is done to control the problem. Meters, they believe, will force turnover to free up the spaces more frequently, or get drivers to use alternative transportation.

We would venture that the transport officials from San Francisco are very welcome to refer to our recommended steps for introducing paid parking in local council areas. Likewise, for anyone interested, you can view our steps on our site at this link.

How green are EVs in China?

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

A recent study by researchers at the University of Tennessee has explored the impact of electric vehicles on China’s air quality and particulate matter emissions (the most likely to result in health issues).

According to the study published in TreeHugger, the particulate matter impacts per passenger-km in most Chinese cities are greater for e-cars than for petrol cars (3.6x on average), lower than for diesel cars (2.5x on average) and equal to diesel buses.

The key reason for the increased particulate matter and environmental performance of the electric vehicles is highly dependent on the source of electricity. With around three quarters of China’s electricity coming from dirty local coal, fairly lax air-quality regulations, densely populated coastal regions (many cities are located near very dirty coal plants) and the life cycle impact of electricity, it is clear that electric vehicles in China are going to result in negative environmental outcomes.

The good news is, however, that China is very much at the extreme of the situation, and when compared to countries such as France and Norway, where almost all electricity comes from very clean sources, the results are very different, with electric vehicles having a positive impact on air quality and emissions throughout their life cycle.

California gets more transport sharing options

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:58:00 GMT

The residents of two major cities in California have recently seen the introduction of car sharing and bicycle hire operations, thus increasing their choice of transport.

In Los Angeles, the US’s largest car sharing network, Zipcar, has recently opened for business, placing over 125 vehicles throughout the city. The ‘car capital’ of the US is already exhibiting adoption trends and usage patterns similar to the other major markets across the US.

Meanwhile, it seems that one of the biggest stumbling blocks to bicycle sharing in San Francisco has been overcome. The recent addition of electric bicycles to the City CarFleet’s existing car sharing service, will allow users to deal with the city’s steep hills and terrain without facing exhaustion.

According to TreeHugger, the program will be trialled to find out how many car-share trips will be replaced by electric bicycle trips, and what factors influence the switch. 45 e-bikes will be added to the fleet in 2012, with an additional 45 to be added in 2013.

US town residents to build an off airport parking facility

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:56:00 GMT

Residents of Decatur in Indianapolis, US, have received approval to open a paid parking lot near the local airport, with revenues going to the community rather than the airport authority.

The private group of residents were successful in defeating strong opposition from the mayor’s office and the airport who claimed that parking is not the best use of land, with a significant portion of the existing airport’s parking facilities currently underutilised.

According to wthr.com, the parking facility will supply covered parking for over 3,700 vehicles, with the revenue being used to help fund the fire department, poor relief, and all township government entities.

This is a really interesting issue and raises a lot of questions: Who is going to fund the construction project? How much will it cost to park there as opposed to the car parks within the airport? How will passengers get from the car park to the terminal and back? How will this affect the already low occupancy of the airport’s facilities? According to the Airport’s website there are many parking options available on site so it will be interesting to follow how this project develops!