Parkingspots.com - Blog

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

The Issue of Parking on Campus
February 17, 2009

Why is it that so many of the articles I stumble on in my field address the issue of parking on campus?  I mean, isn't academia supposed to be the think tank of society?  Aren't our major breakthroughs supposed to come from these campuses of higher learning?  Then why is it that the basic issue of parking can't even be solved at these campuses?  mind blowing.. ...

Hostel, Phillippe Starck & Parking Garages
February 16, 2009

Most would never expect to see those three words in proximity to each other but alas, wonders never cease.  Two young visionaries out of Paris recently purchased an old graffiti covered parking garage with the vision of converting it into a modern day hostel.  The two visionaries (one of which is from the family which founded Club Med) called their little gem Mama's Shelter and have left no detail unexploited.  It seems ...

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. ...

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.. ...

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 ...

Parking Technology Continues To Change
June 14, 2008

We've talked before about technology and the impact it's having on the parking industry. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has been battling with a solution to automate their garages for a while now and the options continue to grow. From in-spot sensors to copper wires that count vehicles, the array of solutions is multiplying. What's interesting to note however is the cost required to install these new systems. ...

Portland Citizen Issues Parking Ticket to Cop!
June 8, 2008

I had a good laugh at a posting I stumbled upon today.  Turns out there was a gentleman in Portland,OR who, newly minted as a lawyer, took advantage of an obscure state law that allowed private citizens to issue parking citations.  Talk about taking parking into your own hands!

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/04/private-citizen.html

Parkingspots.com featured on Springwise!
May 5, 2008

We are thrilled to find that Springwise.com, the uber site for new business ideas has picked up parkingspots.com as a featured story. The intro is as follows: "We've written on several occasions already about online exchanges for parking spots on both sides of the Atlantic. But while most of those have focused primarily on short-term parking needs, a new one serving Canada and the US serves as a virtual marketplace for ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...