National Parking Association Announces 2013 Innovation Award Winners

Facilities, Companies, Individuals Recognized for Excellence, Innovation, and Best Practices in Parking

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Parking Association (NPA) announced the winners of its 2013 Innovation Awards at the Annual Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, October 8.

"The Innovation Awards recognize our member companies and individuals who deliver exceptional parking services to their clients while using state-of-the-art technology and sustainability practices to focus on bottom line results," said Christine Banning, CAE, NPA president.

The winners were recognized at NPA's 62^nd Annual Convention & Expo being held this week in Chicago, Ill. The 2013 NPA Innovation Award winners are:

NPA Innovator of the Year: Mayor Gregory Ballard of Indianapolis, IN

After taking office in 2008, Mayor Gregory Ballard of Indianapolis, IN set out to revitalize his city through technology and infrastructure upgrades. Parking played a key role in this renovation.

To realize his goal, the mayor brought a public-private partnership (P3) to Indianapolis to modernize the city's thirty year old parking system. ParkIndy, a team of local business including Denison Parking, Xerox, Even Times, and Sease & Gerig Associates, was selected to manage the city's parking operations for 50 years.

As a result of the partnership spearheaded by Hon. Ballard, the City of Indianapolis has increased its parking revenue from $330,000 in 2010 to an estimated $2.5 million in 2012. The mayor and his team attribute 40-45% of this increase to technology upgrades, explaining "It's just the convenience of the parking that drove a lot of [the revenue]."

Innovative Organization of the Year: Texas Tech University's Transportation and Parking Services, Lubbock, Texas

Through advanced technology, integrated systems and en extensive license plate recognition (LPR) program, Texas Tech University (TTU) has improved its student and faculty experience while increasing revenue.

Students, faculty and staff manage vehicles, permits and citations through their My Parking Account, a feature found through TTU's Transportation and Parking Services website. The University's TechPark software receives updates from the university system that manages student and employee information and accounts.

LPR cameras are in all patrol vehicles and campus entry stations. They identify not only whether or not a vehicle has a valid permit for the specified lot, but also if the vehicle belongs to a student, faculty or staff member, or visitor.

TTU has saved $115,000 in printing and staffing costs with this program, while creating additional revenue streams through increased citations, monetized events parking and newly created park-and-pay areas.

Innovative Facility of the Year: University of California Davis Parking Structure III, Sacramento, Calif. Watry Design: Architects, Structural Engineers and Parking Planners

Watry Design transformed The University of California, Davis Medical Center campus in Sacramento from a sprawling suburban-like campus to a compact and efficient urban medical center. A key support element in that transformation is structured parking.

The 7-level Parking Structure III adds 1,200 spaces, the latest in seismic design, advanced parking technology, individual parking stall availability indicators, and abundant natural light in the interior for safety and security.

Suspended over the precast concrete structure, a louvered shade screen veils the building from the street and creates privacy for the adjacent patient rooms. Made of nearly 4,000 extruded aluminum fins, each blade is rotated at a distinct angle designed to reflect light inside the structure.

Sustainability features include a rooftop solar system that is currently providing between 45 and 60 percent of the facility's energy needs; motion-controlled induction lighting, bicycle parking areas and electric vehicle charging stations that are already at capacity.

Innovative Sustainability Project of the Year: FIGat7th Parking Garage, Los Angeles, Calif. Parking Design Group and project owner Brookfield Properties

Nestled between two skyscrapers, FIGat7th is part of a landmark complex that needed to compete with other, newer buildings downtown.  The nearly 400,000 square foot parking structure was 11 floors of confusing and poorly lit ramps, entrances and exits. To attract first-tier retailers, the garage needed to be reconceived with 500 "new" parking spaces for retail shoppers, and lunch and dinner customers.

Following LEED best practices, the Parking Design Group revitalized this premium west coast property to improve the customer experience, attract more retailers, and increase safety, all while reducing pollution. A 40 million dollar renovation project, the Fig at Seventh Parking Garage incorporates the latest in sustainable design.  By installing an individual parking space monitoring system, the Parking Design Group reduced carbon dioxide and other emissions by as much as 80 thousand pounds per year. The Parking Design Group also improved wayfinding to reduce bottlenecks; added a customer loading zone; and  increased safety through better lighting, reduced trip hazards, customer pedestrian safety equipment, clearly defined travel paths, and improved closed circuit TV monitoring.

"We see safety as the new green," says Warren C. Vander Helm, managing partner, Parking Design Group. "Sustainability includes providing a safe place for folks to park and the incorporation of new ideas surrounding the protection of walkways, pay stations, wayfinding and signage."

About NPA: The National Parking Association is the nation's leading parking trade group advancing the interests of the private and public sector in parking technology, sustainable mobility, certification, advocacy, research and education. Founded in 1951, NPA has nearly 2,500 members and represents all segments of the parking industry. www.npapark.org.

Media Contact: Christina Garneski, 202-296-4336, [email protected]

SOURCE National Parking Association