What Mobility Means to Parking

The word "mobility" in the parking industry has taken on a life of its own. It holds different meanings in different niches of the industry, and we don’t really understand what mobility means to the parking industry.

We were under the impression it was all about the mobility and independence a smart phone allows us in everyday life, from booking a parking space to gaining admission to a lot. It certainly is all of that. But what’s really behind the concept of mobility is a roadmap for how to transport in a way that reduces congestion, saves energy, and establishes new options to consider.

This good definition summarizes what mobility means to the parking industry:

“While the generic definition of ‘mobility’ can have a multitude of industry meanings, in my world, it’s primarily providing alternative transportation and environmentally friendly solutions and methods to the general public in an effort to help shift individual (single occupancy) vehicle driving behavior.? Also, it’s providing the public with the policies, education, and networks necessary to encourage and promote the adoption of new/alternate modes of travel.” –?Scott Bauman, CAPP, manager of parking & mobility services, City of Aurora, CO

And here is what it all means to Parking Operators:

“Mobility means the collaboration between all forms of transportation, with an end goal being to provide a simple, easy, guided travel experience from current location to destination. And that experience should use multiple forms of mobility, whether it is a personal vehicle, transit, a?mobility hub. It can be as simple as finding that perfect parking space in front of your favorite restaurant. That’s mobility.” parking.net

Parking Operators, mobility is here to stay, and it promises innovative new ways of thinking about the business. It seemed that the whole IPMI Show was all about this subject! Check out the IPMI post-show magazine edition here, entirely devoted to the topic of mobility.

We have learned a lot about mobility and would like to share our learnings with you. We are offering no-cost consulting concerning mobility and how your operation can move into the future. Contact us to get more information.

The parking industry is not what it used to be. Parking trends show that COVID has forever changed how people interact with parking. Organizations within the industry need to adapt to keep up and meet the needs of American drivers in a post-pandemic society, which likely means turning to technology that prioritizes safety, convenience, and user experience for consumers and simplified management for operators.

Yet Parking is growing, but at a slower rate than any of us would like and in sectors such as airport (leisure), sports/entertainment, and local/municipal locations. This has come at the expense of traditional important sectors such as work/office parking and business travel, both at the airport and locally. These sectors have not come back to pre-pandemic levels.

The overall market in USA is growing at about 4%. It has not grown back to pre-pandemic levels as referenced below:

We are approaching the busy holiday timeframe and hopefully will see a surge in travel and other transportation activities. Good luck as we enter this important time.

Reach out to us for solutions on topics of mobility, volume on your local level, or any other parking needs:

David Sparks, Chief Marketing Officer | Email: [email protected]