Parkingspots.com - Blog

What takes Precedence: Neighborhood Economic Growth or Reduced Congestion?
October 4, 2009

Wow.  Has it really been almost two months since I last posted?  I have no clue where time goes these days...unbelieveable.  Well I'm back.  And finding myself quite enthralled really by a debate currently underway in Toronto that I'm guessing is similarly experienced across other North American cities.  The impact of parking on the livelihood of a neighborhood.  Dundas West in Toronto is a funky eclectic community of shops, lounges, old-world ...

Park(ing) Day 2009 - 50 cities and counting!
August 12, 2009

Park(ing) Day.  A fabulous and inspiring movement launched in NYC a few years back to reclaim open space and make it liveable again.  It's a brilliant idea frankly - taking public space like that and making it into whatever you want it to be for a day.  Definitely worth taking a look at the official website and seeing how folks in NYC have brought to life these forlorn slabs of concrete! Click ...

Pink Parking Spots!!
August 11, 2009

I had a good chuckle when I saw this come across my newsfeed.  So it seems that a woman's equality group in Seoul Korea has decided that to make parking 'fairer', there needs to be designated parking for women in stilletos!  Interestingly, they place these spots, distinctly marked in hot pink, directly beside the handicapped spots....strange irony in that i suppose. So far the group has 'pinked' 4,929 spots and counting.  ...

Vancouver Proposes SLashing New Parking Spots
July 10, 2009

WHen I first read this article I wasn't entirely sure which side of the fence I sat on.  The issue is as such:  Vancouver is looking to curb congestion and get more folks traveling by bike and foot by reducing the number of new parking spots allowed in the city.  From an environmental standpoint I get it.  Congestion wise, I get it.  What I don't get is that at this point ...

Parking in OWN Driveway = Ticket in Toledo, OH
June 16, 2009

Now I see a lot of wonky stuff out there since I began my foray into the world of parking but never one quite like this.  Apparently the city of Toledo, OH has decided to TICKET folks in their own driveways!   The law apparently says it's illegal to park on unpaved ground - hence anyone with a gravel driveway is being issued parking tickets!!  The mayor in fact is actually supporting ...

Parking During Rush Hour Being Eliminated
June 4, 2009

An interesting debate is ranging on Dundas West in Toronto.  Two years ago the city agreed to put in metered parking along the strip during rush hour in the hopes that it would slow the traffic flow down along the strip.  Now local councillors are trying to eliminate them and instead put up a bunch of new pay and display machines along side streets instead.  Problem is in the process of doing ...

Parking Pay Stations Designed To Ease Congestion in San Francisco
June 3, 2009

It was only a matter of time before cities began to really leverage supply and demand when it comes to parking rates.  SO in San Francisco a new set of 'pay stations' literally does that.  City sets curbside meters based on anticipated demand.  When demand in an area goes up, so does the rate to park there.  What they're trying to do is basically try to regulate street parking so that ...

PrimeTime Parking Rates Jacked in Brooklyn
May 5, 2009

Parking in Park Slope, Brooklyn just got a little more expensive. In an effort to ease congestion in the Park Slope business area, a beta test is being run that jacks meter prices from 10am to 4pm in that zone.  The intent is to keep folks from leaving their cars parked for too long but instead get higher turnover from each spot(and thus more money for the city!).  It came about after ...

Mpark Parking Technology Hits Dubai
April 30, 2009

We get really excited when we stumble on new parking technology rolling out across the world's cities.  While yes, for many this sort of info may be the last thing that gets them excited, for us it's a pretty cool glimpse into the future.  So, when we stumbled on Mpark, we got almost giddy!  Mpark is a system that Dubai is introducing that essentially connect's all on street parking meters to ...

Trendwatching Picks Up Parkingspots.com
April 6, 2009

It's always a great morning when you wake up and find some new, cool press on your company!  Trendwatching.com did their April briefing around the whole premise of sellsumers - essentially consumers who take their existing property/assets and sell them.  The writeup references some cool areas that consumers are looking to in order to generate dollars - from their parking spots to their rooms to their jewellery.  Anything goes these days. ...

NY1 News Story About Parking Options
March 30, 2009

It was a big week for us at parkingspots.com last week...having survived a crazy earthquake in the Palm Desert early in the week we figured luck was  on our side.  And frankly it was!  Friday found me in NYC meeting with some major journalists who are interested in our story (yay!).  Not only that but something must have been in the air as that morning, unbeknownst to us NY1 ran a ...

MIT's New Stackable Car is Fascinating
March 9, 2009

Okay so I know those folks down at MIT are geniuses but I didn't realize the scope of their ingenuity extended into my world (my ignorance at fault on this one).  Stackable cars.  Craziness.  Coined CityCars, these vehicles are actually able to fold up into compact little packages on wheels.  In essence they are a similar concept to our friends at ZIpCar the big difference being these vehicles are just ...

WARNING - Fake Parking Tickets
February 25, 2009

How malicious does a person have to be to go to this length to infect someone's computer with viruses?  Essentially, some idiots have taken it upon themselves to 'fake' ticket peoples' cars with tickets that direct them to a website.  Soon as they get there, the site then fills their computer with viruses.  Umm...lovely.  I mean honestly, who has the time to walk around slapping these tickets on cars in the first ...

Adding New Parking Lots At What Cost?
February 24, 2009

There's been a lot of press lately around Toronto's plan to increase parking around commuter train lots due to the ever increasing volume of commuter traffic.  I get that.  Logically, it's a necessity.  What kills me though is how uncreative cities are when it comes to developing solutions to urban problems.  What's the plan?  Essentially to bulldoze more green space and replace it with concrete parking lots.  The thing that irks ...

Chicago Folks Mark Their Parking Spots
January 26, 2009

I had a good chuckle when I came across this today.  I guess it's rather popular in Chicago for drivers to mark their parking spots when they leave with whatever household items may be handy.  You've got to see some of the articles being used...from a big bird chair to heineken mini kegs and even a Dyson vacuum!  Have a look here for some cold January afternoon entertainment... ...

Alternative Parking - the Perks of a Hybrid
January 16, 2009

Ahhh...got to love those hybrids.  It's interesting watching drivers who are not hybrid vehicle owners deal with rising frustration over the benefits granted hybrid drivers.  This sign was one of many at a parking lot at the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia.  Freakonomics blog picked it up and links in some other interesting hybrid perks.  Have a read... ...

Free Parking? Not at the Hampton Inn
January 13, 2009

Now this story is simply mind blowing.  I mean honestly, something bigger must have been happening in the life of this Manager at the Hampton Inn in DC.  Basically, a guest drove into a parking garage at the Hampton Inn, was told by the manager no problem and given a parking ticket for the vehicle.  Two days later he was shocked to find two $38 charges on his room bill for 'valet' ...

Parking spot in Vail hits $500K mark!
December 7, 2008

It's amazing that even in today's economy there is a market for exorbitantly priced parking.  A $500,000 spot was recently listed in Vail.  Close to major lifts and near Vail Village, the spot was put on the market by a father trying to help fund his daughter's ski career.  Props to the dad for believing in his daughter and supporting her in this endeavor but my word...that's one hell of a ...

Parking goes High Tech in Montreal
November 18, 2008

Now here's an interesting new piece of technology.  The city of Montreal and the Old Port are launching a new system that digitally alerts drivers to how many spots sit open at any given time.  Coining it a 'parking vacancy display system' the two areas are hoping that this new system will help reduce congestion and frustration as people comb the area looking for vacancies.  For full article click here. ...

The Parking Spots Index - New Financial Metric
November 17, 2008

I think this is brilliant and frankly a very interesting means for judging the state of the economy.  The Parking Space Index.    Essentially it's an indicator based on how many parking spots are available at a mall/public place (and how good the spots are - ie. right up by entrance vs back of the lot).  Forget the Starbucks Index or Big Mac Index - this one is right up our alley! ...

Parking Not Needed
November 9, 2008

It always amazes me when I get to travel somewhere new and see how an unfamiliar city/town operates.  Sitting here in Gasparilla, FL cars have been forsaken by many in favor of golf carts.  Yep - golf carts!  What a fabulous little invention they are and environmental to boot!  Now if speed's your thing, this mode of transport definitely doesn't offer much but frankly, in this part of the world, there ...

Parkingspots.com Hits The National Post
October 17, 2008

As any business knows, press and awareness is crucial to growth.  Well, we lucked out this week with a fabulous article on our business in the Financial Post.  Derek Shankey profiled the company and our new affiliate program in a full page spread.  To see the full article please click here... ...

International Park(ing) Day!!
September 23, 2008

As it turns out, yesterday was International Park(ing) Day - yes, it's really a celebrated day!  Launched three years ago, the premise is to take existing parking spots and temporarily convert them into works of art.  Well, apparently the parking folks in Toronto didn't like the idea very much...have a read of this bureaucratic debacle.. ...

Hate It or Love It...This Guy is Innovative
September 20, 2008

Ever had your parked car towed?  Well these poor folks definitely did but it didn't end there!  A Long Island man was busted this past week for using a tow truck to steal dozens of cars and then flipping the parts for upwards of $20,000.  I don't know...something about that...this guy's got one hell of an entrepreneurial streak!!

Chicago to Auction Parking Off
September 3, 2008

I appreciate that cities are always looking for ways to make more money but this crazy idea out of Chicago frankly floors me.  The city expects to earn over a billion dollars by auctioning off a 50 year concession on their ENTIRE parking system! The winning bidder, 'will be required to install state-of-the-art parking meters that monitor parking space availability and adjust rates to ensure an open space on each ...

Gas and The Suburban Decline
August 9, 2008

I find it amazing to watch the discussion going on around us about city migration.  Governments have been funding and pushing citizens out into corn fields morphed into row houses and developments on the promise of white picket fences and the American Dream.  Well they got that but what they weren't counting on was the cost of living that's grown exponentially alongside it - beginning with Gas.  So the perfectly planned ...

'I'm Sorry For Scratching Your Car when I Parked'
August 5, 2008

Okay so this cracked me up.  A very conscientous individual decided to write an apology to another driver when he 'accidentally' scratched his car.  The reason?  Well, turns out the other driver had used two spots in one garage and the second driver decided he should very thoughtfully leave a note about why the double parker should now find scratches on his vehicle...have a read, it's hilarious! ...

Dog Days of Summer Make Parking Downtown a Dream
July 29, 2008

Not sure about the rest of you but this last week of July and the first week of August are by far the two best driving and parking weeks of the year.  City congestion is gone, parkings spots abound on the streets and in public lots, the sky's beautiful and sunny, gardens are in full bloom...well you get the picture.  Being able to zip across town in under 20 minutes ...

People in Parked Cars
July 3, 2008

Okay so this may seem like an odd one but it's something I've always been curious about. People who sit in parked cars.  7am, they sit in a parking lot in their car or sit outside a subway station or a park.  These people seem in no hurry to do anything.  They let their cars idle (no regard apparently for the gas they're clogging the air with unnecessarily).  Maybe I'm crazy ...

PrimoSpot Offers New Spin on Parking Search
June 30, 2008

I was having a great chat at breakfast this morning about whether or not to post this but consensus was go for it.  Why the indecision?  Well, frankly, we're about to tell you about another parking search service.  PrimoSpot which originally launched a year ago is an interesting service designed to help NYC folks find street parking near their destination. Unlike www.parkingspots.com, these spots are hourly/daily street parking around the city of New York.  Very ...

Condo Parking - The Small Print
June 14, 2008

A woman in Calgary was reviewing the terms of her new condo and saw that it indicated an extra parking stall was included. Problem was the small print. She thought she'd bought the spot with her condo but in fact the $4000 charge was really a lease on a spot. She never actually purchased the second parking spot!! From what we understand this is not an isolated ...

Parking issue in Los Angeles
May 1, 2008

Stumbled on this a couple days ago and definitely think it's worth a read. Below is an excerpt and a link to an article on parking issues in Los Angeles. Essentially, the more cars you have to park, the fewer units permitted in the building. It may seem rather bizarre but I wouldn't be surprised if this is something happening with parking in other major cities beyond Los Angeles. "New ...

Tips for Mall Parking
April 29, 2008

Okay so I reverted to the same article twice...I couldn't help it. I was so impressed with the following Tips for Mall Parking put out by the AAA that I wanted to share it with you all. Some tips for drivers headed to mall parking lots around the holidays: — Side entrances usually have less traffic and more convenient spaces. — Outlying areas have more ...

Parking Wars on Facebook
April 22, 2008

Following our little commentary on parking wars as featured on A&E we had a good chuckle at the parking wars game now found on facebook. An extension of the A&E show, the concept's in fact rather entertaining in and of itself. Basic premise as follows: Parking has never been this fun! Turn your profile page into a city street. Park on your friends' profiles and watch them park on yours. When ...

Parking Wars on A&E
April 20, 2008

So here we thought we were breaking into a relatively untapped world of parking and all the intricacies of it. Then we had the pleasure recently of stumbling on to parking wars on A&E. What a concept! Monthly and hourly parkers can learn a little about those parking police we've grown ever resentful of and gain a little perspective on them and their daily jobs. To be completely honest, it's a ...

Future of Monthly Parking
April 10, 2008

Rather fascinating the other day to see some of the new technology on the up and up as it relates to parking. I had heard about interesting elevator shafts that basically lift your car up and stack them but I was rather surprised at the use of actual conveyer belts to shuffle and park cars inside massive warehouse type structures. In some cases, these devices are completely automated using nothing but ...

Parking Spot stealers encroaching on monthly parking folks!
March 31, 2008

There was a great article in the Toronto Globe last week about 'parking spot' stealers. Who would have thought that parking had such a seedy underground to it! The woman in this article became so fed up with people parking in her reserved spot that she resorted to one of two things - she'd drop one of her pre-written notes she kept in her purse on their car or when really ...

Find (or rent) a parking spot easily!
March 25, 2008

Toronto-based ParkingSpots.com is a new site that lets you easily find a parking spot when you need one – anywhere in Canada and the U.S. Imagine you've got an important business meeting somewhere around the Yonge & Eglinton area in midtown Toronto and don't know where to find a good spot. At this site you can type in the address or postal code you're going to and with the ...

Affordable Parking?? Not for this lady!!
March 4, 2008

I stumbled on this today and had NO idea how to respond. At first it seemed kind of funny but then when the lady in the red car wouldn’t stop I couldn’t believe it. What on earth would possess someone to rack up $600 of damages to someone else’s vehicle all over a $2 parking spot!! It’s unbelievable…check it out! http://www.break.com/index/fight_over_parking_spot.html TORONTO, CANADA (March 4, 2008) Was ...

The Starbucks Phenomonen
February 17, 2008

Okay so call us crazy (and many have!) but we think there’s a conspiracy brewing. Have you ever noticed the number of times you ‘pop’ into a store or to pick up take out only to return to you car less than 5 minutes later and find one nasty yellow ticket on your dash!! People always bitch about it, they always try to beat the meter maids with a ...

Parkingspots.com Officially Launches
February 1, 2008

Parkingspots.com is pleased to announce their official launch at www.parkingspots.com. As urban areas continue to grow and become increasingly congested, space has become a key concern. Whether it be space to store personal goods because it can no longer fit in one’s existing abode or even a seat on the subway on one’s way to work, space is running short. Too many people are flowing into North ...