Standard Parking joint venture replaces single bay meters with multi-space Pay & Display parking terminals

A joint venture between Standard Parking Corporation, a major parking management services company, and Parking Solutions, a New Orleans-based minority-owned business, is replacing approximately 2,600 single and dual space parking meters in the City of New Orleans. Four hundred new solar-powered Parkeon Stelio® multi-space, pay-and-display terminals will now control some 3,700 spaces across a major part of the City. Removing designated single bays will increase on-street parking capacity, making it easier for drivers to find a space while also generating increased parking revenues.

Commenting on the installation, Mayor C. Ray Nagin said, “This advanced system is a win for everyone because it offers flexibility, ease-of-service, and more parking spaces throughout the community, while generating more revenue for the City”.

The Stelios accept coins, along with debit and credit cards. Being able to use a card to pay for parking is more convenient for many drivers because they do not have to worry about finding the right change. The credit card payments make revenue collections easier and more economical, reducing the volumes of coins that have to be collected, counted and deposited, and also limiting the opportunities for fraud and theft. Credit card payments are authorized and processed – in real time - via the Velocita Wireless dedicated data-only network and CreditCall Communications’ CardEase secure payment service, which is integrated with the terminals.

The new machines accept all US coins, except pennies, which also makes them more convenient for parkers preferring to pay with cash. The out-going single space meters only accept quarters.

According to City officials, the pay-and-display terminals are expected to increase parking revenues by approximately 15%, as compared to the old system. Because people can pay with a credit card, they are more likely to buy the maximum two hours parking and the new machines preclude anyone parking free on time leftover by the previous occupants of a space.

In a novel concession, the terminals enable drivers to use the time they pay for in any spot inside specific zones. The Stelios issue a receipt for each transaction to be displayed on a vehicle’s dashboard to assist enforcement staff. As proof of payment, the receipts are also useful for business people preparing expense claims. Additional payment methods, using cell phones and special parking debit cards, are planned for the future for even greater convenience.

The equipment’s operation is centralized via Parkeon’s fully hosted parking management system. A modem in each machine transmits real-time information on events affecting the machines via the Velocita Wireless network. It enables maintenance and service calls to be planned efficiently, so that drivers can always find operational terminals. This reduces the opportunities for parking disputes and optimizes parking revenues. Both the Standard Parking – Parking Solutions joint venture and the City of New Orleans have access to the system from PCs in their offices.

Statistical data generated by the management system, e.g. on occupancy rates, times, revenue, payment method used, etc., will help the operators to monitor, plan and develop the City’s on-street parking facilities using accurate and up-to-date information.

Solar-powered Stelios have been selected for New Orleans, as they are environmentally- friendly, only needing exposure to daylight to keep each terminal’s internal battery charged. They are also easy and economical to install, as they require minimal excavations for their footings, no cabling, and no utility company connection charges, running costs or administrative oversight.

The pay-and-display terminals are generally being installed in the middle of each block. For now, single bay meters are covered with signs directing drivers to the new ones; the old machines will be removed eventually, to tidy-up the streets. A one-week amnesty gave drivers time to become accustomed to the new system.

About Standard Parking (www.standardparking.com)

Standard Parking is a leading national provider of parking facility management services, managing parking facilities containing more than one million parking spaces in hundreds of cities across the United States and Canada. Standard Parking’s diversified client base includes some of the nation's largest private and public owners, managers and developers of major office buildings, residential properties, commercial properties, shopping centers and other retail properties, sports and special event complexes, hotels, and hospitals and medical centers. In the airport market, the Company manages parking-related and shuttle bus operations serving airports throughout the United States.

The Company also provides an array of related ancillary services to its clients, including valet parking services at both urban and airport locations, as well as on-street parking enforcement and meter collection services that the Company provides for various municipal clients.

About Parking Solutions (www.parkingsolutionsllc.net)

Parking Solutions is a management company with the knowledge, experience and vision to provide superior, full-service parking management to a wide variety of clients - retail and medical centers, hotels and businesses, sports complexes and municipalities, both large and small.
The Company was started in 2002 by businessmen Keith Pittman, Tyrone Rodgers and Mark Boucree. Each member of the talented trio brings unique skills and qualifications to the table. Pittman, who serves as President, owns a successful paper supply company. Rodgers, Chief Financial Officer, runs his own accounting firm, and invests in oil and real estate. Chief Operating Officer, Mark Boucree, formerly managed on-street parking services and operations for the cities of New Orleans, Denver and San Francisco.
Parking Solutions utilizes the latest advances in parking equipment and technology – advances that cut costs, increase revenue and improve overall efficiency.

About Parkeon (www.parkeon.com)

Parkeon was formerly Schlumberger e-City, the Parking and Ticketing Systems division of Schlumberger. The Company was at the forefront of the development of pay & display terminals in the 1970s and has 30 years of proven innovation and proven expertise in the parking business.
Today Parkeon is a leader in parking systems and equipment, offering both on-street and off-street parking solutions. The Company employs over 850 people worldwide and generated revenues of over $160 million in 2004.
With an installed base in excess of 130,000 machines, its parking terminals are a familiar sight in over 3,000 cities across 40 countries and its pay & display systems control over 3 million parking spaces around the world.
Thanks to world-class engineers and substantial investments over the last three years, Parkeon has built undeniable technological leadership in its field. Parkeon provides complete parking revenue collection solutions, equipment and services to municipalities and car park operators.