In doing some
research for a webinar we were presenting on our parking products, I came
across a statistic that really grabbed my attention. It was in a quote from Donald Shoup – a UCLA
professor and Parking Expert. Basically he pointed out that the average car in
the United States is parked 95 percent of the time! Add to that the fact that –
according to the International Energy Agency – there will be 1.7 billion
vehicles on the road worldwide by 2035 and it definitely solidifies the need
for parking spaces.

Think about
it. In a perfect world, all parking structures would have enough spaces so that
you could find one all the time and the spaces would be wide – wide enough to
allow for multiple levels of parking expertise. There would be lights – lots of
them and it wouldn’t feel like every car is crammed in like a sardine in a can.
Oh and they would be free.
Reality check. They’re
really cold or really hot depending on the season; they’re usually dimly lit; it
seems like there’s never an open space by the elevator or the entrance you are
heading to, all the spaces are crammed together, the turns are tight and there
are structural columns and walls or poles that are just waiting to be hit. And in many
cases, you have to pay for the space.
Parking
structures have become as much of a necessity as owning a vehicle itself.
Dings, dents, fender benders, minor collisions, damage claims, maintenance and other
assaults on the facility are a fact of life.
Preventive
maintenance can’t eliminate all the “hazards” of parking facilities, but it can minimize them. For example, measures
like improved lighting enhance visibility and eliminate the dark spots that can
lead to damage; clear, highly visible striping can define specific parking
spaces and other important areas; and cameras installed throughout the facility
supervise activity and promote safety for both pedestrians and drivers. Add to
that the installation of impact resistant products. Not only do they protect
vehicles from damage, they help prevent structural damage as well.
And that’s
important – not just for the operators’ benefit but for customers as well. For
the operators of the facilities it means less damage, less repairs and less
claims. For customers, it creates a nicer experience; one that will keep them
coming back.
Did you know? According to some
sources, the earliest known multi-story car park was built in 1918 for the
Hotel La Salle @ 215 West Washington St. in the West Loop area of downtown
Chicago, IL.
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