Presentation; World Parking Symposium 2016
Cristina Lynn, ptc.‘s managing partner, talked about repurposing car parks during her presentation at the 2016 World Parking Symposium in Vancouver, Canada. Register to our Resources area to download the presentation:… Please Register or Log In for more....
Solar car park doubles as research lab
PTC has been following the news of solar car parks since 2010, and their incidence is steadily increasing. Last month, Florida Power & Light (FPL) announced the installation of a new commercial-scale solar array in one of Florida International University’s parking lots, as reported by the Miami Herald. The difference is that this solar parking […]
No place for cars in Oslo development
A new high-rise in Oslo’s centre will give preference to cyclists instead of drivers, according to CO.EXIST. Oslo Solar building will have 500 parking spaces for bikes, as well as end-of-trip facilities such as showers, change rooms and bike repair stations. There will be 10 recharge stations for electric vehicles, however, the high-rise won’t provide […]
What’s the impact of reducing parking spaces?
Conventional wisdom would say that when there is a decrease in the number of parking spaces, the occupancy rates of remaining lots and garages should increase. Another common and related argument is that a reduction in parking adversely affects retailers, causing them to lose customers; after all “no parking, no business”. It isn’t that simple,…...
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 […]
Challenging a parking fine? There is an app for that too
For an 18 year old in North London, new technology and creative thinking, has led to the creation of a website which allows motorists to contest parking tickets in seconds. The volume of parking tickets Joshua Browder was receiving was enough to inspire him to create his own website donotpay.co.uk to fast track the appeal […]
Robotic car parks – how successful are they?
Automatic robotic parking garages have been popping up around the world from Miami to Denmark for many years. Whilst they represent a sign of the times in terms of the development of technology and smart cities, their design and implementation can sometimes be problematic. Take for instance what is considered the perfect car park in […]
Vandalising parking meters: coming to a street near you!
I was recently directed to an article appearing in The Age about how the citizens of a Melbourne suburb literally dealt a blow to the Council’s attempts to manage parking in the district. They resorted to bashing up the meters with hammers and other hooligan-istic practices. I have to say that this is nothing new […]
Cristina Lynn re-appointed as President of Parking Australia
Congratulations to Cristina Lynn for her re-election to the board of Parking Australia and her appointment as President for another term. Parking Australia (PA) celebrates the inclusion of women in 4 key positions – President, CEO, plus two board members (Joy Addison and Sharon Prior). Gender balanced boards make good business sense, according to womenboards.org.au […]
Newsletter Archive
Register to our Resources area and gain access to our newsletter archive. ptc.‘s Newsletter offers a mix of articles on our favorite topics (transport, parking, traffic, civil and wayfinding design) as well as recent news of our business and team…. Please Register or Log In for more....
Salt Lake City: less cars and more bikes = a boost to retail profitability
Salt Lake City leads by example. Retailers are renown for hitting the panic button when there are plans to remove on-street parking and add extra space for bicycles. However, according to Streetsblog.org, a growing body of evidence suggests that the introduction of additional bikes and bike lanes, can lead to a calmer streetscape […]
Belgium takes a leap of faith into green street parking
For the Belgian town of Ghent, population of 600,000, the idea was simple: create a car-free street during the summer months and let the community decide what to do with the space. For a period of two months, 25 streets have been transformed into a perfect playground for kids. The crux of the idea is: […]
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 […]
Melbourne car parks valued at $100m+ up for sale
Two car parks located in Melbourne, have hit the market at a time when the number of purpose-built commercial car parks is rapidly declining. According to Urban Developer, the combined sale of these two car parks will see more than 1,000 parking bays on offer with a value of more than $100 million. This […]
Will Melbourne commuter car parks ease congestion?
Is building multi-level car parks at train stations the best way to encourage the use of trains by commuters? This question was presented in a recent article in the Melbourne Age, whereby Metro (Melbourne’s rail operator) proposed to build a multi-storey car park at some of Melbourne’s busiest railway stations and potentially charge commuters to […]
Adelaide Car Park Value Hits the Roof
As reported in the Financial Review, a six level car park close to one of Adelaide’s major entertainment and higher education areas has sold to a local private buyer for $27 million. Located close to Rundle Mall and the University of Adelaide, the car park enticed a high level of interest due to the potential […]
VIC Legislation Impacts on Retailers
In the June news released by the peak industry body for the Parking industry, Parking Australia, the association has expressed concern around the lack of consultation regarding the introduction of legislation by the Andrews Government in Victoria. This new legislation removes the ability for a private property owner to reasonably identify and seek to recover […]
Dump The Pump Day – celebrating 10 years
A community initiative developed by the The American Public Transportation Association celebrated the 10th annual National Dump The Pump Day last week. Dump The Pump aims to raise social consciousness on how to save money (and the planet) by forgoing a visit to the bowser. APTA are encouraging people to take public transport and consider the potential to […]
The hidden cost of parking
Have you ever budgeted for the privilege of a car parking space in your apartment block? Probably not, because this cost is usually well hidden into the price of housing, land, construction, and maintenance. Over time this can certainly add up to a large proportion of your rental cheque or purchase price. According to Reinventing […]
BMW unveils “predictive parking”
Take the frustration out of finding that elusive parking spot with BMW’s new “predictive parking” feature (iPark), unveiled during the recent Detroit car show. According to Fortune in the US, “drivers waste an average of 55 hours a year looking for parking, costing consumers and local economies nearly $600 million in wasted time and fuel”. Not […]
Car Parking – Where is it headed?
We are proud to announce the release of the 2015 Whitepaper on CBD Car Parking, a joint project between Parking & Traffic Consultants and Colliers International. The focus of this report is the changing landscape of CBD car parking and the resulting challenges and opportunities created in the car parking business. In our CBDs, supply […]
Would London’s Congestion Charging work in Australia?
If you had to pay $20 to enter the CBD by car, would you take public transport instead? Apparently, if London’s experience is translatable, the answer is yes! In 2003, in an attempt to improve the untenable congestion and pollution that plagued Central London, the government introduced “Congestion Charging”. All private and commercial vehicles entering […]
Mexico City promotes “less parking”
We love this short animated video from ITDP Mexico which provides a simple (subtitled) case for “less parking, more city”. Paul Barter of Reinventing Parking draws a link between the work of recently retired parking guru, Prof Donald Shoup, and the movement away from minimum parking requirements. Makes sense! Here is the link to “Menos […]
Creepy car parks – no thanks!
In terms of parking structures, it is likely that every person who drives will have at least three ready examples of “really bad car parks”, because unfortunately, they are commonplace. Whether they are “bad” in terms of design, signage, ease of use, traffic flow, safety or amenity (sometimes all of the above), these are the […]
Amsterdam runs out of bicycle parking
It’s a problem that most cities can only imagine…to have exhausted the supply of bike parking! It could only be Amsterdam, a city of 800,000, whose inhabitants own an estimated 880,000 bikes — four times the number of cars in their garages. The ridership statistics are impressive – reportedly 58% of the population use a […]
Decluttering Confusing Signage
The City of Sydney has been presented with a motion to simplify parking and traffic signage across the city. As reported in The Daily Telegraph, Cr Jenny Green presented the motion asking the Council’s CEO to investigate what other cities and local councils are doing to simplify signage. Mosman Council is undergoing a plan to […]
School Traffic Safety: why won’t parents learn?
In NSW the Police and school principals are appealing to motorists and parents to refrain from dangerous driving behaviour in and around schools. In just the first four days of this school year, there has been a 17% increase in the number of motorists caught speeding and a 24% rise in illegal parking infringements issued […]
School traffic targeted by Brisbane City Council
Brisbane City Council plans to target school traffic in 2015 by deploying parking officers in school pick-up and drop-off zones. The Council has commissioned eight marked cars for use by parking officers to enable them to enforce school zone traffic rules and deal with parking issues around the city’s schools. Council will also work with […]
London: Cycling now considered mass transport
Transport for London’s new Cycling Design Standards Policy begins with the words “Cycling is now mass transport and must be treated as such”. Councils in London boroughs are now requiring developers to integrate this approach into their development plans. A recent example is the 250 City Road project which was required to include ample parking […]
New York: Parking Grand Central style
So you’re spending a lazy Sunday in New York browsing through the options for an apartment upgrade and you come across 443 Greenwich in Tribeca, New York offering (among the “amenities”) a car park inspired by Grand Central Station complete with valet parking, convenient bike racks and a dedicated entry ramp for cyclists. The following […]