Parking space optimization and innovation are two phrases that should absolutely be put together when considering a new parking management solution.
Whether you are looking for parking software, parking guidance systems, parking access control, optimizing parking revenue or simply streamlining parking operations… your parking system should be innovative and future focused.
For example, the urban organizational workplace continues to change. What used to be a ‘bottoms on seat’ mentality has evolved into a hybrid model. This has changed the parking solution considerably. Peak times change, dynamics have changed, surge pricing strategies & revenue models have changed.
Many organizations are searching for advanced strategies, and parking systems, to optimize their parking spaces using limited resources. Similarly, the need for smarter parking is more prevalent than ever.
Here are our thoughts on two of the major trends we have observed with our customers.
Automated Parking Systems
Are 100% the answer to creating a future-focused and innovative parking solution. There is no doubt about it. Sometimes these are called smart parking systems and you should definitely be saying hello to a new era of integrations, IoT technology, open API’s and smart devices. It’s a clear standout to streamline your entire parking system, using your own data, with a few clicks of your mouse.
When we say this, we mean things like full Parking Access & Revenue Control Systems (PARCS).
Think about an employee accessing a parking lot. Picture this…
They drive into their carpark, barrier arm lifts, and their license plate automatically recognized. They go to their allocated parking space and their parking permit is automatically applied. Or perhaps employees need to simply validate on exit? No problem with an automated parking solution, as when they leave, it’s seamless.
On exit, they simply enter their license plate into a FrogMobile solution and pay any additional fees due. Alternatively, they can simply do it at a FrogKiosk parking payment terminal. Best yet, if no fees are due, they literally drive out of the car park as the barrier arm will raise automatically (through recognition of their license plate).
We cannot express enough, how unbelievably smart and sophisticated these systems are. They are the answer to speeding up entry/exit, reducing congestion and makes parking space optimization easy.
Eco-Friendly Parking Initiatives
As the sustainability movement continues grows in momentum, we can see a significant shift to encourage eco-friendly modes of transport to/from workplaces. This is an easy way to help manage your parking assets supply and demand conundrum.
For example, organizations are looking to create specialized carpooling car parks. Likewise, specific EV vehicle stations. Usually, these are placed in red spots, or hot zones, to encourage employees to consider greener transportation modes.
These usually go hand in hand with some form of parking compliance software or parking permitting software. This helps with compliance rates and overall employee satisfaction.
Another highly sought-after piece of software is a transport hub. For example, it shows employees all the different modes of transport to/from their workplace. Furthermore, Frogparking build our live car parking availability into it so employees can make a decision (before they even leave their home), on whether to drive or to utilize other transportation methods.
The Rise Of The Old Fashioned “Gravel Pit”
We are also seeing a remarkable number of businesses lately, take space in an area that is unused, and essentially create ‘pop up’ parking areas to help with parking space optimization.
For example, a customer of ours are in the process of building upgrades. As a result of this, there is land that is eventually destined to be a new building. In the interim, our customer essentially ‘hijacked it’ as it isn’t due for development until 2026. They have created a pop-up parking lot.
The creation of the classic ‘gravel pit’ parking lot, or by using rooftops, is helping organizations to help manage overflows. Likewise, we have also seen a dramatic increase in the need for ‘on-peak’ and ‘off-peak’ solutions – more recently, two separate permits for one parking space for 24-hour operations.
However, we regularly observe that many of these organizations simply need to understand their data better. It’s amazing the incredible insights that FrogHub provides, all using their own data (that our customers own, and remain owners of, even when using a Frogparking solution).
A classic example of this, is a customer of ours (a major university). They were about to start the process of building a brand new multi-million parking building recently. They felt demand outstripped supply, and it was a constant battle for them to improve accessibility, while maintaining revenue, and optimizing sustainability initiatives.
Within a month of a Frogparking solution install, they understood their parking data significantly more. As a result, the university instead implemented a parking space optimization strategy (with the help of our data scientists).
After a few months, they very quickly realized they didn’t have supply/demand issue, they had a utilization and occupancy issue, mixed with some parking compliance problems. They adjusted their strategy and lo and behold, they ended up cancelling the multi-million-dollar parking lot build. This money was redirected back into core services required to maintain accessibility for all students. Its was a major win for everyone involved.
Lets summarise this eh?
In summary, the parking management industry is constantly evolving. There are new trends emerging, with new technology constantly developing, to keep up with these changes. Not to mention some truly creative ways to manage parking space optimization through a number of methods.
No matter what your current challenges are, make sure you connect with Frogparking to discuss a completely customized solution designed just for you. We don’t sell products, we sell solutions, and we know we can design one for you while remaining a cost-effective parking solution.
