Technology has disrupted most industries over the past couple of decades, streamlining and improving service offerings in successive waves. The parking industry is no different, with the current wave of change including customer identification technologies such as Licence Plate Recognition (LPR), mobile phone apps, replacing tickets and RFID cards. We now commonly rely on apps and the web to find, reserve, and pay for parking in an age of on-demand, real time, and touch-free expectation.

As updated access control systems and parking guidance sensors and solutions have been deployed and consumer confidence in using online tools has grown, the amount of data being generated has grown exponentially; allowing insights into usage and behaviours that inform business decisions around availability, pricing, and occupancy expectations.

In short, technology has been helping to make parking more efficient, more customer-friendly, and at the same time, more valuable to the asset owner and associated business(es).

The management and reporting software that accompanies parking technology systems is a huge benefit to operators in terms of their management decision making. Parking guidance has reduced the uncertainty and time taken to find a parking space and improved customer experience and loyalty to the business in the process. When parkers are advised of availability via real-time signage before they even enter a parking facility, they are unlikely to drive elsewhere. Even a gradual improvement to occupancy as a result of a Parking Guidance Solution (PGS) investment can lead to significant additional revenue each year.

The use of parking guidance technology extends beyond just car parks. Any area where space is at a premium and congestion results – such as the loading dock in this example – will benefit from the occupancy information that a PGS can provide, in order to prevent inefficiencies and bottlenecks.

With the uptake of smart cities thinking and planning, utilising the data that parking technology generates can help councils and governments plan future infrastructure based on traffic patterns, behavioural insights, and predictive revenues.

Parking technologies are insightful, adaptable, and agile with an application that will be wide-ranging beyond carparks as we head into the future.

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Parking guidance and precinct signage solutions already tick the box for driving down emissions and reducing traffic congestion in busy areas, simply by making parking faster and easier.

One of our recent projects saw the introduction of solar powered parking guidance signage, upping the ante on green, future-focused technology solutions. Park Agility have worked with Duncan Solutions and Bayside City Council to install ten solar-powered, dynamic wayfinding signs to help guide drivers around a busy shopping and dining precinct to convenient and available parking.

Powered exclusively by solar, the signs have a lower operating cost and are a clean, energy efficient means of providing information on parking availability to the Bayside community. Another advantage is that being solar and 4G enabled, additional signs can be placed almost anywhere, without the need for costly and time-consuming power connections or environmental disturbance.

As the focus on climate intensifies, more and more organisations are looking for environmentally friendly solutions that meet their need to help manage congestion – and parking guidance is an easy win.

For more information or to discuss your needs, contact our team.

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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There are currently many hard, financial decisions to make as our cities slow down. Yet for car park owners there’s never been a better time to set yourself up to improve future yield and congestion. Improving your car park asset is also a worthy infrastructure investment for Local and State Governments looking to stimulate the economy, protect Australian jobs and deliver long term community benefit.

Across the country many car parks sit half empty and normally bustling precinct areas are quiet. We don’t know for how long this will last but the community will start to return to normal behaviours eventually.

At Park Agility we choose to remain positive and productive. With this mindset we recognise that under-utilisation of car parks and precinct areas represents an unprecedented opportunity to implement new Parking Guidance Solutions (PGS) and wayfinding signage solutions at a reduced cost.

The reason for this is simple; empty car parks or precinct areas can have PGS and signage installed during normal work hours and much more rapidly. The ability to shut off entire car park levels, without disrupting operations, accelerates installation saving both time and money. Significant labour savings are garnered by avoiding costly night shift work.

It is also worth noting that the last decade has seen solid industry growth in uptake of PGS and Wayfinding Signage Solutions. There are good reasons for this, customers save time and avoid frustration. The public clearly prefers to use facilities and precinct areas that have PGS and Wayfinding Signage solutions because it makes their daily lives easier. For Councils and asset owners, this preference translates to reduced traffic congestion in precinct areas plus increased customer satisfaction, asset usage and revenues. The Park Agility team can help you achieve these outcomes. And now is a strangely ideal time to invest.

The Park Agility team offers decades of car park management expertise, parking technology transformation and the implementation of hundreds of car park infrastructure projects nationally. As we continue to implement projects, our work methods and safety protocols have been carefully adjusted to ensure stringent safety. We are proudly Australian owned and stand behind our PGS which we believe to be the most accurate on the market.

If you’ve been thinking about parking guidance, call us for a chat about your needs on 02 8488 3333 or send us a message.

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Over 2,500 insurance claims were made to AAMI for car park accidents in December. That’s a 37% increase on other months. January was only marginally better with over 2100 claims. (Source: Parking Australia)

This isn’t a new phenomenon. Stressed Christmas shoppers and frantic families during school holidays mean car parks become more unsafe over summer. Extra demand for parking and increased congestion creates short-tempers. Keeping an eye on a vacant parking bay while driving towards it diverts attention from reversing cars with blind spots, wayward abandoned trolleys or milling shoppers.

Add to the mix the kids on school holidays in the back seat, and distractions to drivers are rife. Car parks become more risky places to drive and walk.

So, what can car parks do to improve both safety and customer experience?

One of the many benefits of installing a Parking Guidance System (PGS) is having real time, accurate bay availability data being shown to drivers. Using dynamic LED signage that indicates exactly where cars can park keeps drivers focused. It also saves them time searching for a park. This makes the decision on where to shop an easy one from a customer perspective.

Way finding signage also reduces congestion. Providing correct information on how to quickly get to a free parking bay dissuades drivers from blindly circling each level of the car park at a crawl speed, slowing everybody down and creating a back-up of traffic.

An added bonus of a PGS is the rich data that provided in its reports. For example, a heat map highlights car park areas that are busiest by time of day. This data allows car park operators to manage their assets more effectively ahead of time via directional signage, amended pricing structures, overflow parking areas and so on.

A behavioural economist for AAMI suggests in this article that drivers should adjust their mindset and expect to be in the car park for a longer period at this time of year. Yet we know that ease of parking and travel has a bigger impact on choice of shopping location than store reputations and promotions.

A parking guidance system is a powerful marketing tactic that influences a customer’s choice of where to shop. A PGS with accurate, real time data and dynamic way finding signage offers the benefit of easy and efficient parking meaning customers can spend more time (and money!) in the shops.

For more information or trusted advice on how to reduce the risk profile of your car park contact us today.

The uptake of parking guidance systems (PGS) among asset owners has grown substantially in recent years, and given the benefits they provide, it’s easy to understand why. As a result, there have been some new market entrants providing parking guidance solutions. Regardless of who you choose for parking guidance here are our tips on what to look for when selecting a parking guidance system to invest in for your asset:

1. Asset Yield – research shows that 10% of car park bays are empty when customers think they’re full*, depriving asset owners of additional custom and the opportunity to optimise revenues. Furthermore, studies tell us that the ease of parking is more important than store promotions when consumers are choosing where to shop*.

By investing in a PGS you’re creating customer loyalty. Returning customers are great word of mouth promoters of your asset and increase the yield of your car park facilities. For optimal results, it is necessary to ensure that what the customers sees is simple, easily understood and timely.

2. Accuracy – accuracy matters. Customers love parking guidance but when they see a green bay availability indicator light above occupied parking bays their experience quickly turns sour. There is also little point having way-finding signage in place if the display data is several minutes behind in updating. Your parking guidance signage and indicator lighting needs to be correct and updating in real time. The lack of accuracy or update performance will only serve to create more complaints and waste the time of your asset managers. Check the update frequency, reporting and notification features of any system to ensure that the data supplied is going to be of use to effectively manage (and improve) your operations.

3. Equipment – Ensure that the hardware that is being installed in your asset is one that is robust and reliable. A parking guidance system is generally in operation all day, every day and situated in an environment that demands durability.

4. Maintenance – Check the maintenance programs of your provider to ensure your investment is going to be looked after for at least 5 if not 10 years. Software in particular but hardware also will inevitably require maintenance to ensure ongoing functionality and smooth operations.

5. Customisation – No two car parks are the same; and if your car park has specific or unique requirements it is critical to ensure that you have flexible and dynamic signage messaging capabilities. Specialty bays; time variant availability; the combination of commercial and residential parking areas are different for each location. It is also important to ensure that your parking guidance system can be customised and easily tailored.

6. Signage – A parking guidance system without excellent way-finding signage is a poor investment choice. Ensure that the signage installed is sufficient to make the way-finding and customer experience smooth and stress free.

7. Installation – check that the installation method and processes will minimise disruption to your daily operations during the project phase. Check that the installation Project Manager has considerable car parking industry expertise. Most people underestimate how complex these assets are.

Improving yield and customer experience are often the key drivers to install a parking guidance system and your car park will reap rewards from a PGS only if the above 7 factors are tailored to the unique requirements of your asset. But if it’s done well, it’s a compelling ‘win-win’ for asset owners and car mark managers and a great experience for your customers.

For site tours, quotes, technical specifications and trusted advice from experienced parking industry professionals, contact us.

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* Sources: 1. Cormack, L. (2016) Sydney Morning Herald 2. Brantley, D. (2015) Parking Today

Our devices, our internet usage and our shopping habits – all provide data to organisations who use it to understand how best to refine and improve their service offerings.

The parking industry is not immune. With a plethora of articles and research considering the future of parking, the industry is poised for adaptation …without knowing exactly what that change looks like.

Trends that are widely tipped to influence the need for parking include a generational change in the attitude to, and demand for, cars; driverless vehicles; the sharing economy; environmental concerns; and an increasing bike culture.

How then can the parking industry prepare for and leverage these trends that are shaping the future of parking? The answer is data. Using the data available from parking guidance systems to understand utilisation trends over time and optimise the management of parking assets means owners use relevant information to inform their current operations and have the tools to be more agile when it comes to future change.

Just like hotels and airlines, the parking industry relies on selling its bays as many times as possible for the best price, and an empty bay represents lost revenue. In the short term, using data to understand things like peak periods, seasonal cycles, customer types (casual, long term etc) and overstays means operations can be streamlined to optimise utilisation of the asset and maximise revenue .

Many asset owners already use parking guidance technology to enhance their service and customer experience. As this case study shows, Dee Why RSL use their PGS technology to allocate specific parking bays to local business according to time of day.

Adapting usage within parking assets is not uncommon where residential and commercial buildings share common space. The trick is to manage it effectively for the benefit of all users – and having access to real-time data is an essential enabler.

In the long term, as this article suggests, there is an increasing need to review parking policy to ensure it is efficient and equitable. Concepts such as market-based, adaptive pricing for on- and off-street parking; bay rental and transference of ownership are all possibilities for the future of parking as a service offering.

Studies already occur using statistics and algorithms to predict and optimise parking outcomes, cementing the idea that data has a large role to play in the future of parking. Those who don’t consider their capacity to collect and effectively use the information at their disposal, do so at the risk of future responsiveness to a changing business landscape.