Parking is no different, and without technology installed in car parks there is no access to in-depth analytics and reporting that provides insight into customer behaviour and how operations can be improved.

The benefits of parking guidance systems (PGS) to improve customer experience have been repeated often: it shows consideration of a customer’s valuable time by making the parking process efficient; and encourages loyalty, particularly during busy periods as the arrival and departure experience are key to return visits and asset loyalty.

For asset owners, a PGS helps to manage overstays and optimise the parking and pricing mix to maximise revenue. Without the data, there is no opportunity to discover unrealised potential or develop strategies to meet the changing needs of the motorist. And in an increasingly tough economy, considering new alternatives to maximising revenue is vital.

In a COVID world, managing the health and safety of employees as they return to workplaces is critical, and the information a parking guidance system collects and reports on is a useful tool to assist with managing congestion periods at the beginning and end of the working day. Heat maps and the SenseIQ Management system help to identify activity and parking patterns that can be used to optimise safety.

As attention turns more closely to climate and sustainable industries to kick-start economic recovery, smart cities are choosing to use all the tools at their disposal to reduce emissions and congestion – whether it be from one carpark to a whole precinct. A parking guidance system is a good investment in future-proofing parking assets by delivering improved customer experience, solid IoT sensor based data, options for expansion and the ability to upgrade and implement sustainable technology as it evolves.

As Australian cities emerge from lockdown and restrictions slowly ease, it is expected that activity and subsequent economic impacts will start to rebound. Now is the time to take advantage of the technologies that will help entice customers back to your business and create operational efficiencies.

To discuss how to leverage your parking asset to its fullest, future potential contact us today.

The NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has advised that public transport was the main reason COVID-19 spread in various metropolitan areas overseas. Yet as lock downs ease, we’re already seeing that people using public transport are breaking physical distancing guidelines.

The easing of lock downs is welcome and necessary economically, and yet creates other tests for our society. Public transport in some of our cities struggled to cope with demand on the best of days pre-pandemic. State Governments now grapple with the challenge of how to get people safely to and from work in the era of physical distancing, where the new rules significantly reduce carrying capacity on public transport. I also suspect many people will re-evaluate the cost of private motor vehicle use, tolls and parking fees when weighing the risks of using public transport; now considered a high-risk activity. Until a vaccine is found, the days of cramming people into public transport needs to be consigned to history.

Taking a car to work is not necessarily an easy choice.

“We are looking at basically ‘carmageddon’, where all the roads are full with the people that were on buses and trains [but are now] in cars,” said University of Technology transport expert Mathew Hounsell in a Sydney Morning Herald article recently.

Despite considerable financial difficulties in recent months, this is the time for parking industry and asset owner groups to step-up. To make better use of available technology to manage congestion, to share space more efficiently and to operate safe, contactless facilities.

The onus is on the government to partner with industry groups to both invest in parking technology solutions and help to make parking more affordable.

Demand for parking will surge in the coming months. Underutilised commercial car parking will soak up some of this demand. Pop-up car parks, temporary bike paths, staggered work hours are part of the plan for various local and state governments to help manage congestion. Some of these measures are likely to be short term and/or limited in scope. Whilst helpful, we should be turning to available technologies and solutions to do more. This is no longer a question of convenience; it is a matter of public health. Technologies exist that can help by:

1. Establishing “contactless” entry and exit to parking facilities with modern Access Control Solutions.

2. Improving the more efficient use of available parking spaces in existing car park facilities with Parking Guidance Solutions (PGS). Note, most drivers think a car park is full even when 10% of spaces are free, unless a PGS is in place.

3. Displaying real-time parking availability data in congested precinct areas with Precinct Signage. Note: past studies have shown that up to 30% of city traffic congestion is caused by drivers looking for parking and a recent City of Geraldton report showed that “there is an incorrect perception of shortage of parking bays with average vacancy at peak demand time being greater than 25%.”

Our Government has shown leadership in a crisis and taken many hard decisions in recent months. Australians too have been remarkable in taking individual responsibility for flattening the curve. Our community response has been a powerful constraint on spread of the virus. Now, despite the immense financial pressures, is the time for the parking industry as a collective to step up, make use of all available measures and technologies in order to help our cities to remain safe as the population returns to work in coming months.

Whether returning to work, enjoying social opportunities in public spaces or heading to the shopping centre, the need for social distancing and restricted crowds remains paramount.

Individual venues all have a part to play, including parking facilities, to help stop the spread of the virus. In addition to straightforward measures such as contactless payment facilities and the provision of hand sanitiser and a high standard of cleanliness, parking guidance and precinct solutions can assist with:

· Dynamic messaging across precinct signage to notify and remind customers of current restrictions and requirements to maintain safety

· Vehicle counting solutions to offer data that can assist with information on approximately how many people are in a building/centre/precinct at any given time

· Occupancy rates can be capped to comply with lock down and distancing measures

· Sensor lights can show bays that are not in use to comply with distancing or hygiene regulations

· Internal signage can continue to guide drivers and provide detours to less congested areas to keep traffic moving and prevent crowded situations from occurring

· As mentioned in a previous blog, taking advantage of under-utilised car parks and precinct areas represents an opportunity to upgrade facilities at a lower cost

The past few months have shown there is no quick or easy solution to the COVID environment, however with a common goal of getting back to work safely and adherence to government guidelines, all businesses can play a role in keeping the community safe and well.

As cities begin to cautiously re-open, we see a renewed focus on local travel and some of our most popular international visitor destinations now look to welcome back domestic trade.

Popular harbour and beachside suburbs, city-based destinations entertainment and shopping districts all have one thing in common: a need for convenient, accessible visitor parking.

Where multiple car park operators compete in similar destination areas, parking availability signage is often confined to outside each asset, forcing motorists to have to know in advance where they’re going and often left hoping there’s an available parking bay when and where they need one.

With Park Agility’s precinct signage solution, whole regions and congested precinct areas can be transformed to provide area-wide, real time information on parking availability in multiple carparks (privately or publicly owned) and/or on street parking with dynamic directional signage placed at key decision points for major traffic flows into the area.

Unrestricted by location due to cloud server access, precinct signage can be updated in real time with dynamic messaging. Parking availability, directional guidance, congestion notifications can all help drivers understand where to go and where to avoid.

Parking availability data can be shared on key access roads leading into a locale, not just outside carparks, to guide drivers conveniently and promptly to available parking. This simple solution contributes enormously to visitor experience, particularly during busy periods, as parking availability is known in advance and directional guidance is provided without the need for drivers to take their eyes off the road.

Congestion eases as cars no longer travel at a crawl speed searching for available bays, or slowly re-orient and re-navigate for alternative parking if their original, known choice was unavailable.

Precinct signage solutions are relatively inexpensive infrastructure investments that can really make a difference for the community and help to get the economy moving again. We know that ease of parking is a key driver when choosing where to shop, eat and visit. Precinct signage takes away the headache of parking in a well-visited destination, creating an enjoyable visitor experience and encouraging return visits, with customers confident in their ability to get where they want to go.

For more information on precinct signage solutions, read about how the Northern Beaches Council and ICC Darling Harbour Precinct incorporated technology to minimise congestion for visitors and residents alike. Or contact us to have a chat about your area’s needs.

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