New Los Angeles variable parking rates plan gets approval
Los Angeles has now followed San Francisco’s lead and has approved a pilot program that will adjust the cost of parking based on demand at various times throughout the day and the duration that motorists stay within each parking space. The program, called ExpressPark™, will use sensors and other technology to monitor around 6,000 sidewalk […]
On street parking – Italian style
A guest post from Managing Partner Cristina Lynn You have to love the Italians. Not only are they the G8’s most undisciplined parkers but no one seems to care that much. In Milan the congestion tax has turned the areas surrounding the city centre into gigantic car parks. With on street parking (as well as […]
Sydney’s transport solution may lay underground
Over the past two weeks, we have discussed the new precinct of Barangaroo on the Wayfinding Forum, and the resulting affect of the increased commuter numbers on the infrastructure in Sydney’s CBD. One of the key concerns for the project is the commuter hub of Wynyard; with the existing train station due to reach capacity […]
Barangaroo – errata corrige
During the week, we were contacted by Lend Lease in regards to our blog post last week about Barangaroo, titled ‘Sydney’s Barangaroo precinct faces transportation challenges‘. As a result, we would like to take the time to publish several points conveyed to us by Lend Lease’s communications team in relation to our post. First of all, […]
Traffic management inspiration from New York
This week, we came across a demonstration of how one particular New York intersection is both dysfunctional and more than a little dangerous. For his master’s thesis at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Ron Gabriel created a campaign called 3-Way Street to examine how “pedestrians jaywalking, cyclists running red lights and […]
Solar panels built into roads
Produced by a Dutch research firm, the Solaroad comprises solar panels being installed directly onto roads and cycle lanes, using the extra space for the production of energy. The idea is that a centimetre thick layer of crystalline silicon solar cells is laid on top of the concrete road surface, in turn covered by a […]
Google’s newest engine has no driver
Following our previous post, it seems that perhaps Google might have the answer, with the development of technology for cars that can be driven safely without human intervention – allowing the occupants to send text messages and use their mobile phones whilst behind the wheel. The search giant is currently lobbying for legislation that would […]
Electric motorcycles the future of road transport?
With rising petrol prices and the release of plug-in electric and hybrid cars, the auto industry (as well as this blog!) have given the electric car revolution significant attention over the past two years. However, with all of the attention on the electric cars, a smaller adaption of the technology may have been overlooked – […]
San Francisco switches to demand-based parking fees
The implementation of demand-based parking fees (on city streets and public parking garages), which is an integral part of the SFpark project in San Francisco, is starting on April 21. Sensors installed at each parking space will track where parking is available in real time and uploaded to signs and smartphone applications. According to the […]
The vertical bike hanger
New York architects Manifesto Architecture have developed a concept design for bike parking, an issue which is growing in line with the popularity of bicycle commuting. The Bike Hanger can stack bicycles vertically, along the usually bare building walls along laneways. Bike Hanger was designed and shortlisted for the 2010 Seoul Cycle Design Competition, which […]
Do CBD tenants still want parking spaces?
According to an article published in last weekend’s Sydney Morning Herald, the demand for CBD car spaces is decreasing and being replaced by increased demand for shower facilities as more people either cycle to work, or take public transport. The article claims that this trend is putting pressure on developers to redesign the basement areas […]
“Best of Green” awards for cars and transportation
This week, TreeHugger published their ‘Best of Green’ awards for the cars and transportation category. Whilst we won’t run through each of the winners, we’d like to share those that especially inspired us: Best electric car on the market:Nissan LEAF. The LEAF won the award because it’s a mass-produced family-friendly electric car which sells at […]
Shopping centres in the US debate charging station legislation
In the US, the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC) is debating measures before the New Jersey Assembly that would require developers to provide electric vehicle charging stations at new shopping centres. According to the news article on the ICSC website: This legislation passed the Appropriations Committee this month and now goes to the full […]
Traffic Management Plan proposed for Parramatta Road
The NSW road lobby group presented a plan this week with the aim of turning Parramatta Road – one of Sydney’s most congested roads – into a public transport corridor. The plan, developed by the NRMA and one of Australia’s leading urban planners, Ed Blakely, wants to remove most of the traffic and put it […]
A car park minus the cars
A new Federally-funded car park in Fisher Street, Cabramatta, in Sydney’s West, is top of the range – with electronic parking displays, well-lit, polished and coloured interiors, landscaped gardens, native hardwood exterior panelling, and a 200-panel solar system feeding into the electricity grid. However, according to a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald, it […]
China’s 3D fast bus update
In August last year we reported on a planned traffic and transportation system from China: a ‘fast bus’ that straddles the street, allowing it to run over cars and under underpasses at up to 40kmph. Last week, TreeHugger reported an update on the fast bus – which doesn’t appear to be progressing very fast at […]
The environmental impact of parking spaces
We have come across two articles over the past week on the environmental impact of parking spaces, based on calculations on the number of vehicles and parking facilities in the US. One study, “Parking infrastructure: energy, emissions, and automobile life-cycle environmental accounting” by Mikhail Chester, Arpad Horvath and Samer Madanat, calculated that there could […]
Urban planner Jan Gehl discusses Sydney’s potential
The City of Sydney recently hosted a series of ‘City Talks’ at the Sydney Town Hall, exploring how the city can become a better place to live in for all residents. This included a presentation by Janette Sadik-Khan, Commissioner of New York City’s Transport Department; as well as a panel discussion and debate on how […]
An environmentally advanced parking lot
A new parking lot constructed at Denver airport claims to be the most environmentally advanced open-air parking lot in North America. The parking lot includes 4,200-spaces and it incorporates virtually every green construction innovation available, including water-permeable pavement, contaminated water treatment, solar-electric energy, wind turbines, geothermal heating systems, state of-the-art LED lighting and electric vehicle […]
Parking Consultants: 2010 in review
2010 was an exciting year for us and, although it seems to have flown by, when we look at what we have achieved it looks like at least we were not idle! Working back, we close the year with a new name “Parking & Traffic Consultants” to reflect our additional service offering. As you may […]
From the blog: Parking news in 2010
Where did 2010 go? As we once again reach the end of another year, we take a few minutes to look back on the main events of the year that was. In 2010 we started recovering from the GFC, with the industry as a whole innovating and searching for new ways to deliver a more […]
China looks for solutions to growing traffic problems
Following our recent report on the ten-day traffic jam in Huailai, China, we note that the country has started to attempt tackling the rapidly increasing issue of car traffic and congestion. With around 2,000 new cars coming onto the roads of Beijing every day, short term measures to try and control the traffic include higher […]
Perth Airport set for $500m upgrade
A $500m program is being deployed at Perth Airport over the next three years to meet growth in demand, giving the airport new and expanded passenger terminals, expanded aircraft parking areas, and greater public access to the terminal. The resources boom in Western Australia has contributed to a 7.5 per cent increase in the 2009-10 […]
Where will the cars and the parking spaces go?
A guest post from PCI’s Managing Partner Cristina Lynn A couple of days after the conclusion of the 12th Australian Parking Convention, a lively debate took place at the Sydney Town Hall as part of the City Talks 2010 series. Hosted by the Lord Mayor Clover Moore, the talk on Thursday 11th November was titled […]
Is Perth the new Melbourne?
On a recent trip to Perth we took the opportunity of visiting the car park under the newly refurbished Condor Tower. Rather than painting the multi level underground car park in the usual regulation grey (or the more unusual bright white) the developer of the site was keen to do something different. And to that […]
Debate continues over high-rise Barangaroo developments
In contrast to the residential sprawl of Sydney’s west, the development of Sydney’s urban precinct Barangaroo is only going up and up. Last week, developers Lend Lease released the plans for the first of three giant office towers for the East Darling Harbour development, known as ‘C4’. According to developers, C4 will be the ‘greenest business address in the […]
Australian Parking Convention day two photo gallery
Following the successful second day of the Australian Parking Convention 2010, Parking and Traffic Consultants’ resident photographer Grant MacLean has supplied additional photographs capturing all of the action from the Convention. In the below slideshow, you can see several of the keynote speakers from day two, including shots from the conference floor and exhibitors stands, […]
Automated car park in Birmingham
A new car park in Birmingham has been made possible by the installation of a sophisticated £2m robotic system that enables cars to park themselves. The car park is situated 20 metres (65ft) below ‘The Cube’, a canal-side office and apartment development, access to which is hampered by nearby shops and bars. The use of […]
Cuts to car parking allowances in residential developments
We noted two instances this week of development applications in Sydney and Melbourne being lodged without any provision for car spaces, highlighting the increasing attitude by Councils that car ownership is a luxury, not a necessity. According to an article in the Australian Financial Review on October 5th, research by the City of Sydney Council […]
The world’s 10 most beautiful parking garages
We came across a fantastic gallery this week of ten of the most beautiful car park designs around the world. Whilst there are some well known sites in the list, there are others which we did not know about. Our favourites include the Greenway Self Park, Chicago designed by HOK, the Michigan Theatre Parking Garage, […]