The focus needs to be on the parking garage
“I would like to first focus on the parking garage”: this is our favourite line uttered by Rebel Wilson in “Isn’t it Romantic”, in which she explains her idea for a hotel project. As expected, everyone in the meeting looks surprised by her choice; after all, car parks are often treated as “out of sight […]
Encouraging cycling in a local community
Lane Cove Council recently organised the Big Family Fun Ride, an event designed to encourage bicycle usage. On the 13th of September, the council invited the community to ride from the Epping Road Cycleway and explore the area. The event embraced all kinds of riders offering two routes, one for newbies and another for more experienced […]
Sometimes the car park IS the destination!
When you plan to attend an event it’s safe to say that the objective of your trip is not going to be the car park. Normally, car parks are just a stage in a journey whose final destination is the shop, office, venue, etc. In Adelaide, the VTWO/CyclingTips Carpark Climb event was hosted in a multi-storey […]
Enforcement procedure, Sicilian style
Cristina Lynn, Managing Partner of ptc., observed curious behaviour from her temporary residence in Modica, Sicily. This is what happens when you commit a traffic offence in Modica: Enforcement officer ambles towards offending vehicle(s); Enforcement officer blows his whistle to advise the drivers that they need to come and move their car; Enforcement officer walks […]
The hidden beauty of America’s car parks
For Baltimore based photographer Ben Marcin, there is more to car parks than grey concrete and cars. Ben aims to identify the hidden beauty and colour of a standard ‘parking garage’, according to citylab.com To what is often considered as just a ‘space’ to park one’s car, Ben is able to see the structure, the […]
Will driverless cars survive the test?
On 8th November, media and key industry personnel were exposed to the first demonstration of driverless cars in Adelaide. The SMH reported a ride in a driverless car was seamless. The feeling was the same – smooth, safe and structured. According to the reporter Adam Carey, the car cruised leisurely along the highway at […]
Design & fashion make their way to the car park
Ask anyone about the definition of a car park, and you will instantly hear words such as: congestion, nightmare, traffic, expensive, hard to use or perhaps “I can never find my car”. But has anyone ever responded with “they are the best place to hold a fashion show”? Perhaps not. Earlier this year the British […]
Happy PARK(ing) Day
Creativity and a forward thinking group of innovative designers, Rebar, converted a single metered parking space into a temporary park in downtown San Francisco. Bingo – a worldwide event was created – PARK(ing) Day. From its humble beginnings in 2005, PARK(ing) Day has evolved into a global movement and it is here in […]
Low cost Dynamic Signage?
No budget for the latest in Dynamic Signage technology to help your customers navigate quickly to that elusive parking spot? Here’s a rather basic version spotted in the US which comes complete with an attendant who updates the sign as required. And another less than dynamic example from Cleveland Airport which apparently won’t require much […]
Adelaide embraces Park(ing) Day 2014
Hats off to the City of Adelaide, putting Australia on the map as one of the southern hemisphere’s most enthusiastic supporters of World Park(ing) Day, set for September 19th. With its origins in 2005 in San Francisco, Park(ing) day is an annual event held on the third Friday of September, which sees parking spaces converted […]
They didn’t even bother to pave this paradise!
The land of my forebears never ceases to amaze me… Sicily is a land of contrasts. On the one hand you can book a hotel in Palermo for around 100 euros a night and find yourself in a room with this ceiling: On the other, where else could a beautiful beach like the one above […]
A brief history of the much-maligned parking meter
Parking meter technology has changed considerably in the last 10 years, but not much in the 70 years before that! In case you were wondering (and even if you weren’t), here’s a brief visual history of the parking meter, as told by JNL Parking in the US. The parking meter was first conceived in 1932 […]
Melbourne’s worst parkers in the spotlight
For the last post of the financial year, we thought we would celebrate parking with a bit of light relief. As we all know, the days of anonymity are long gone since the advent of Social media and smart phones with cameras. Back in the day, you could do something really stupid and no-one had […]
Contenders for confusing sign awards
We love this post by 3AW Radio in Melbourne featuring yet another confusing bit of signage found by one of their listeners. Working in the parking industry, initial thoughts were that we could probably figure this out – but no, we have to agree, it’s mighty unclear. Apparently, it means that Standing is allowed for […]
Exquisite beauty of the humble traffic light
We couldn’t resist sharing this post from My Modern Met which recently featured the work of German photographer, Lucas Zimmerman. Using long exposures on a foggy night in Weimar, Zimmerman has managed to turn the humble traffic light into an ethereal masterpiece. Beauty is an experience, nothing else. It is not a fixed pattern or […]
2013 from the rear-vision mirror
Hard as it is to accept it, another year is about to end. When we ask ourselves “Where did it go?”, we realise that we have been too busy working to notice the passing of time! Appreciating Our Regular and New Clients 2013 has been a very successful year for us at Parking & Traffic Consultants. […]
Hillary Clinton gets unexpected extra at awards event
All in a day’s work! Reported last week in the International Business Times, a Westminster City Council parking warden rather courageously slapped an £80 penalty notice on the car of former First Lady, Hillary Clinton, while she was attending an event at Chatham House. No fewer than five Secret Service minders jumped out of nearby […]
Parking prize at Melbourne Airport
Forget lotto – here’s a prize you might actually have a chance of winning! Promoting its Short-Term Car Park and online booking service, Melbourne Airport is running a competition that will score 12 lucky winners a permanent, private car spot – not for a month, or a year, but until 2020! Patrons of the car […]
Pedal power cleverly promoted
We came across this great infographic recently, which we have already shared via our newsletter. Created in the US, this visually appealing work entitled “Pedal Power” gives some interesting statistics on the growth of cycling, as well as some of the many benefits to our health, our economy, and of course, our planet…Enjoy! Source: http://onlinemastersinpublichealth.com/
Putting the “Park” back in Parking
Mark your diaries – World Park(ing) Day will be celebrated around the globe on Friday, September 20th. This annual, worldwide “open-source” event gives people the opportunity to demonstrate their creativity and have some fun while “greening” our cities for the day. The concept is credited to the Rebar Group, a San Francisco design studio who […]
Bi(re)cycling
Love your old bike but can’t seem to part with it? Another gem from Treehugger brings us an innovative way to keep your trusty companion with you forever. Austrian designer, Andreas Scheiger has created a recycled product that is sure to be a hit with the cycling community, who may be looking for ways to […]
Cyclists take over the streets of Colombia
Bogotá, Colombia is the second most populous city in South America and one of the highest capitals in the world at a lofty 2625m above sea level. From Monday to Friday it is not unusual to hear ‘Bogotanos’ complaining about heavy traffic, pot-holed roads and an overburdened public transport network. However each Sunday and most […]
Some comic relief
Parking lot humour can sometimes be hard to come by, but here’s something recently “dug up” by one of our long term subscribers. Enjoy the rest of your week, from all of us at PTC!
A wild roo chase at Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport is clearly in the midst of a kangaroo population explosion. Following the news of one getaway kangaroo in the Melbourne Airport car park in late October, another kangaroo was chased through the car park by police this week. As police hopped the rescue, the kangaroo skipped away, eventually being sedated with a tranquiliser […]
Denver holiday parking presents
A nice story from Denver in the lead up to the holiday season, where the Denver Public Works decided to hand out 250 vouchers for $5 worth of parking. In a nice twist, the parking officers, whose job is usually to dispense the fines, were tasked with handing out the vouchers.
Parking and Traffic Consultants – 2012 year in review
2012 has been another eventful year for PTC. Many new clients joined the prestigious names in our portfolio, including Perth Airport, Health Infrastructure, Adelaide University and Leichhardt Council. Many other previous clients engaged us to do new work. Just to give you an idea, during the year we worked for these airports: Adelaide, Gold Coast, […]
Unofficial street photography gallery in Sydney
A ‘guerrilla gallery’ has been installed by photographers on Sydney’s Elizabeth Street, on the wall beneath Goulburn Street Parking station, with more than 40 works by six photographers. Sydney’s Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, has thrown her support behind the project, and will call on Monday night’s council meeting to take all necessary steps to ensure […]
13th Australian Parking Convention is a resounding success
Following in the steps of the November 2010 Convention, the Parking Association of Australia held its 13th event at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre earlier this week. The event was characterised by a high level of local and international speakers that had the delegates particularly riveted to their seats. The exhibiton, in Hall 6 […]
King of the car park
Lost no more?! More than 500 years since King Richard III was killed in battle, archaeologists believe they have finally found his skeleton buried beneath a council car park. Experts said a fully intact skeleton matched much about what they knew of the medieval king, including his reputation as a “hunchback”, and are hoping that […]
Mayor turns his parking space into a park
A nice story this week that perhaps takes some inspiration from the annual Park(ING) day. The mayor of Ithaca, NY, Svante Myrick, has given up his car to join the estimated 15 percent of the city’s residents who walk to work. According to the Grist List, the mayor is entitled to a reserved parking spot […]