With
Park(ING) Day having taken place two weeks ago (September 17), we now publish
some of our favourite images of the ‘parks’ from all around the world.
You can see our favourite image from Adelaide Park(ing) day above; or more images here.
Throughout
September, we have been following a (very public) discussion between Donald
Shoup and Randal O’Toole (a Cato Institute Senior Fellow working on urban
growth, public land, and transportation issues, read full bio here). The
discussion started when O’Toole responded to an article in the New York Times,
penned by Tyler Cowan, which explained some of the ideas in Shoup’s book ‘The
High Cost of Free Parking’.
Shoup
replied via Streetsblog, attempting to correct many of O’Toole’s assertions and
assumptions – a really interesting read for those who enjoy the Shoupian
theories; as it delves into much of the rationale and referencing behind many
of the key themes of Shoup’s work.
Further
to-ing and fro-ing ensued with O’Toole and Shoup penning public responses,
links to which are summarized below:
If you want to see and hear
Don Shoup and make your own conclusions we strongly invite you to register for
the upcoming Australian Parking Convention (www.apc2010.com.au).
One of the program highlights will be a debate regarding the issue of
congestion and parking management - read more about this in the APC debate flyer, available here.
Last
week, the South Australian Government leaked a document recommending
significant spending cuts and revenue raising measures, with car parking and
transit-oriented developments targeted as significant revenue sources.
The
report, compiled by the Sustainable Budget Commission, recommends the
introduction of a levy on CBD car parking, coupled with major increases to car
registration and license renewal charges.
Parking
Consultants will keep readers posted on budget developments in South Australia
as they come to hand. It was only a matter of time….
The
Illawarra Mercury reported last week (Sept 14) that the Wollongong City Council
has now implemented pro-rata parking fees for their on-street parking meters.
Previously
priced at a $2 flat fee, the meters now allow motorists to pay only for the
time they intend to use, with parking being charged at $1 an hour (50c for half
an hour) in spaces up to two hours, and 75c an hour in three-hour and four-hour
zones. The machines will accept as little as 10c for six minutes of parking,
and the maximum payment will be $3, which would buy four hours in a four-hour
parking zone.
According
to the Mercury, Council is also investigating a 10-hour parking zone for the
fringe of the CBD and has removed several meter zones in the CBD as well,
following community feedback on the roll-out.
Anonymous commented on 25-Sep-2010 12:17 AM
The cost of parking as becoming a joke. As we can see here even our regional hubs are being ripped off. I know the cost in Sydney's CBD is getting way out of hand. There are a few sites around now like http://www.parkingaustralia.com.au/ that appear to be the best way to save our hard earned money.
The cost of parking as becoming a joke. As we can see here even our regional hubs are being ripped off. I know the cost in Sydney's CBD is getting way out of hand. There are a few sites around now like http://www.parkingaustralia.com.au/ that appear to be the best way to save our hard earned money.
It’s
a good overview of their role and the benefits of engaging a parking
consultant.
Highlights
from the article include:
“The
specific and deliberate actions of parking consultants culminate to make you
happier, more productive and more efficient – you would never notice the work
that they had done yet it results in saved time and greater efficiency.”
“Faced
with overwhelming numbers in comparison, it is no wonder why parking structure
logistics, engineering, financial analysis, and consulting for everything in
between, are in such high demand. The combination of each provides solutions
every driver will most likely experience many times over during the ownership
of their car.”
“Parking
consultants deliver solutions that keep each of us on time, out of harm's way
and moving as efficiently, and almost automatically, as a well-oiled machine.”
Parking World magazine has recently published an article penned by George Burton,
Parking Consultant International’s design guru. The article, called ‘Why simple
design is often complex’, explores the path a design process usually takes in
order to arrive at a desirable product and to present an overview of the
relevant factors that influence the process of functional design of any parking
facility.
Exploring
topics including the car and the parking facility, simple design = simple
management, planning user-friendly car parks, car park location and vehicular
access, queuing areas, intake and discharge capacity, levels of service,
internal traffic circulation, psychological factors, signage and linemarking,
aesthetics and special events, the article is a comprehensive overview of many
of the factors for consideration in designing a successful (and effortlessly
user-friendly) car park.
The article as it was published in Parking World magazine can be viewed as a PDF here. However, the second part of the article that Parking World published was a summary of the full text in the second part of the article. The unabridged second part of George's article can be viewed, in full, on the Parking World site here.
With
the Australian Parking Conference approaching quickly (only 66 days to go!), a
number of delegate and exhibitor opportunities are approaching their limits.
The
‘Early Bird’ delegate ticket purchase deadline is this coming Friday September
3, saving $150 off a full delegate registration price and $100 off a day
registration. To register now before this early bird price expires, go to the
Register page on the APC2010 site here.
Sponsorship
and exhibition opportunities are also quickly being filled, with only a few
booths remaining on the original layout available to exhibitors. If you are
interested in being a part of Australia’s most comprehensive display of parking
management, control equipment and associated products and services, click here
to go to the Exhibition page of the APC2010 site.
For
those already booked or planning to attend the Convention, an updated speaker
program is now available on the APC site. Watch this space as Abstracts from
the presentations are published to the APC site.
With the number of people in New York commuting by
bicycle increasing by around 30% year on year, fuelled by the creation of more
bikeways, cycle networks, and protected paths – around 200 miles of bike routes
in the past three years – it is a great move to embrace this shift and follow the
example of other capitals around the world.
The New York City bike share proposal would begin with
10,500 bikes, and quickly expand to 49,000 two-wheelers. At this stage, it's
not yet clear when that program would be launched and where the first stations
would be, but stay tuned to the PCI blog for more information as it breaks.
Road
crews apparently ‘made a mistake’ in painting the word ‘school’ on the approach
road to Southern Guilford High School in the US. A spokeperson said that the
paint was ‘interim’ paint used before final paint is applied.
The
above picture illustrates a concept drawing of a revolutionary bus system being proposed in China: the 3D Fast Bus. The giant hybrid bus/train straddles the street allowing cars to drive right underneath it – meaning it is not slowed
down by traffic, and doesn’t contribute further to it.
The
bus is designed to run over cars and under overpasses (such as bridges, signs,
and crossing roads), saving road space and transporting up to 1,200 passengers
at a speed of 40mph.
The
company behind the concept, Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co., claims
that it can reduce up to 20-30% of traffic jams on main routes, saving up to
860 ton of fuel per year and reducing carbon emissions by 2,640 tons.
I think this is absolutely amazing and scary at the same time. We can learn a lot from the innovation in China. I’ll be moving to China soon so maybe I’ll be among the first to ride the giant bus…
I think this is absolutely amazing and scary at the same time. We can learn a lot from the innovation in China. I’ll be moving to China soon so maybe I’ll be among the first to ride the giant bus…
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