February 15, 2011

NASCAR's managing director of security, Gerald Cavis, U.S. Secret Service (Ret.),  has recommended that security and other staff at all NASCAR track facilities participate in the First Observer™ parking-specific, anti-terrorism training program that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration developed in partnership with the International Parking Institute.  The NASCAR Season begins this weekend with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway at 1:00 pm on Feb 20.

Cavis explains:  "I have encouraged all NASCAR track facility security directors to take advantage of this outstanding grant-funded program to train their stadium staff.  I also discussed First Observer at our annual NASCAR summit in Concord, North Carolina, in January. With First Observer, each of our track security directors and staff will have the opportunity to build their skills to detect crimes, safety violations and terrorist threats.  As a result, they will be better prepared to keep NASCAR fans safe."

The First Observer training program, which is entirely funded by the federal government and available at no cost, trains parking professionals to address five critical security areas: on-street, surface parking lots, garages/decks, special events, and shuttle operations. First Observers recognize and report potential threats using a concise, accurate and simple communications process.

For more information on NASCAR recommending the First Observer training, read the full media release.

More information on the training is available on the First Observer page of the IPI website.  Organizations that want to schedule a free training session may contact IPI deputy director Henry Wallmeyer at 540.371.7535.

IPI is very proud to announce that an outstanding 21 nominees have been slated for the 2011 Board of Directors election.  One of the indicators of a healthy and active association is to have exceptional people willing to volunteer their time to advance the industry.  Upon reviewing the candidates running for the Board, we think you'll agree that IPI is a dynamically healthy association.

A total of seven seats are available as follows:
One seat available in: Academic, Airport, Supplier
Two seats available in:  Consultant, Public

There are two options for voting, online and through paper ballot. Ballots and voting information will be sent to voting eligible members later this week. Votes will be accepted through midnight on Friday, March 18, 2011. 

The nominees for the 2011 Board of Directors election are:

Academic
Gary Caton, CAPP, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Scott Fox, University of Florida
Kim E. Jackson, CAPP, Princeton University
Joshua Kavanagh, CAPP, University of Washington
Raymond "Buddy" Knox, University of Denver

Airport
Rick Decker, CAPP, Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport
C. Michael Penny, CAPP, Charlotte/Douglas International Airport

Consultant
Michael Civitelli, Walker Parking Consultants
Timothy Haahs, P.E., AIA, F.ASCE, Timothy Haahs & Associates, Inc.
David C. Hill, CD, MA, CAPP, MMM Group Limited
Michael Nichols, Next Parking, LLC
Chuck Reedstrom, CAPP, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.

Public
Michael T. Klein, CAPP, Albany Parking Authority
Guillermo Leiva, New York City Dept. of Transportation, Bureau of Parking
Liliana Rambo, CAPP, City of Houston Parking Management
Joseph A. Ryan, CAPP, City of St. Louis

Supplier
James C. Anderson, Watson Bowman Acme Corp.
Dennis Carter, Westward Industries, Inc.
Amie Devero, iControl Mobile/RingGo
Dan Kupferman, CAPP, Parkeon
Greg Stormberg, CAPP, Parkmobile USA, Inc.

The newly elected IPI Board of Directors will be announced to the membership at the 2011 IPI Conference & Expo being held in Pittsburgh, Pa. May 22-25 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

  Building Community in the Digital Age: Leveraging Online Tools for Better Public Engagement
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
2:00 PM EST
Instructor: David Almacy, Senior Vice President, Digital Public Affairs, Edelman

Social networks assist in building online community by providing an opportunity for the parking industry to host and engage in relevant conversations with core audiences, key stakeholders and other interested participants. During this webinar, David will discuss the current digital landscape, provide a general introduction to social media and online networks, discuss digital strategy best practices and profile relevant case studies.

$35.00 for IPI Members
$50 for Non-members
www.parking.org/webinars

Also, be sure to read Social Media - Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn - Demystified by Ted Janusz in the February issue of The Parking Professional. 

Denotes video news story

· Cost of Disabled Parking Shoots Up
· Big Flashy Signs Aim to Energize Phoenix Sports District
· GW Puts Bike Racks in City Hall Parking Garage
· Details of Scranton's Smart Meter Test Program Worked Out, But Potential Snag Remains
· East Stroudsburg Parking Costs May Rise Around Hospital and University
· Reservable Parking Stalls at Calgary LRT Lots Opposed
· Plymouth Parking and Transportation Center Study Underway
· Rehoboth May Raise Parking Meter Fees
· Midwest Charges Ahead into New Automobile Era
· Judge Rules Against Portsmouth in Parking Case
· Potomac Mills Commuters Upset About Loss of Hundreds of Parking Spots
· Plan to Lease L.A. Parking Garages Crumbles
· Survey: More Parking, Better Nightlife for Downtown Lancaster
· Duluth City Council Eliminates Parking Appeals for Landlords
· Portsmouth Parking Committee Tables Restaurant Valet Service Requests
· Downtown Santa Barbara Parking Garage Closed Until April
· Parking War - Proposed Parking Fine Increase Causes Clash in Springfield City Council
· Operator of Unlicensed Valet-Parking Business Cited
· University of Minnesota Bike Center Work Could Start in February
· Charleston County to Study Selling or Privatizing 2 Parking Facilities
· New York City Ramps Up Parking Violations In Apparent Ticket Blitz
· SFMTA Backs Down on Rates for Parking Meter Reservation
· Berkeley to Give Parking Scofflaws the Boot
· Cedar Rapids Downtown District Will Take Over Parking Operation April 1
· Now, Delhi Eyes e-parking, For Cars
· Mexico City Parking Kings Crowded by Rules, Meters
· Melbourne Airport Parking in Cross-Hairs
· New Process for Appealing Lincoln's Parking Tickets Begins With Tuesday Tickets
· Utah Bill Revokes Registration for Car Owners with Unpaid Parking Tickets

For these stories plus more, visit the Parking in the News section of IPI's website.

Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine last week featured a three-page article on parking - a positive piece that featured IPI prominently (our team served as a resource for noted reporter Joel Stein) and helped raise awareness about parking among business audiences ("...parking has become such a serious business...")  IPI, representatives of the IPI membership and IPI programs (including The Parking Professional Magazine, the IPI Conference & Expo and the Parking Matters program) were identified in the article and we count this as another success in IPI's Parking Matters program and its mission to advance the parking profession.  Bloomberg Businessweek has a circulation of nearly 1 million and a readership that is significantly larger.  If you missed the article, you can view it on the IPI website.

Parking and transportation professionals are more focused than ever on sustainability. The 2011 IPI Conference & Expo offers you numerous opportunities to participate in sustainability offerings:
Sustainability Workshop for Parking Professionals - You are invited to participate in sharing ideas and shaping the Parking Industry's Platform on Sustainability, a 10-point framework of guiding principles on sustainability.

Green Technologies for Parking - This IPI Technology Committee presentation will educate you on how green technologies can be used to improve parking operations from a mobility perspective and from an operating and maintenance perspective.

Sustainability PowerPitch Hour - Learn from exhibitors about how their products and services can make your operations more sustainable.

Sustainability/Transportation Education Track - Sessions include:
· Green Parking: From Sustainable Design to Green Roofs
· Developing a Sustainable Parking and Transportation Plan
· Building a Bike Farm in Your Organization
· The Application of Technology to Achieve Sustainability in Parking

For more on these and other sustainability offerings and to register for the 2011 IPI Conference & Expo visit the Conference Web site.

City of Phoenix Community and Economic Development Department, Downtown Development Division
For: Development of a Mixed-use Parking Structure

The University of Washington
For: Parking System Evaluation

US Department of Veterans Affairs
For: Valet Parking Services - Charleston, S.C.

The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission
For: Consultant Services for Development of Parking and Signage Plans

City of Phoenix - Aviation Department
For: Parking Revenue Control System (PRCS) Technology Consulting Services

City of Chicago - Department of Aviation
For: Management of Public Parking and Ground Transportation Facilities for Chicago Midway International Airport

Los Angeles World Airports/City of Los Angeles Department of Airports
RFI For: Parking Access and Revenue Control System

Tampa Port Authority
For: Parking Garage LED Lighting Improvements

The City of Phoenix, Arizona
RFQ For: On-Street Parking Study

Myrtle Beach International Airport, South Carolina
For: Public Parking Facility Concession

Transportation Manager 3 - Penn State University  - State College, Pa.

Learn how green technologies can be used to improve parking operations from a mobility perspective and from an operating and maintenance perspective. This free 90-minute session will provide attendees with a list of simple tasks to do now to improve the "green" of their parking operations and a list of longer-term considerations they should begin to investigate. This is a follow up to the Technology Committee's highly popular previous two sessions: "Technology Trends in Parking" and "Access and Revenue Control for Parking." To have this session presented at your state or regional association meeting, contact Henry Wallmeyer at 540.371.7535.