JUNE 2017

ParkingThe magazine of Parking Management and Operations A publication of the National Parking Association International Buyers’ Guide to Products and Services  Leading Suppliers 2018  Top Consultants Directory  Best Practice Publications

22 27 30 The Uber High Speed Parking NPA 2017 Doors Geometrics Convention Effect 18 Maximize Investment in Standard Vehicle Sizes Get More Education & Parking Structures Determine Stall Dimensions Networking with NPA CHANGES TO STANDARD VEHICLE SIZES DETERMINE PARKING STALL DIMENSIONS

By many accounts, 2016 was a record year for vehicle sales. Economic growth and lower gas prices contributed to strong growth in sales. American consumers’ taste for vehicles is clearly changing as a result, and it is having a significant impact on the parking industry.

As family sedans and large crossovers and two-wheel Parking by the sport utility vehicles are drive SUVs as , rather Numbers being replaced with cross- than light , for the Over the last 50 years, over vehicles and light fuel economy standards. vehicle sizes have changed trucks, including pickups Vans and pickups that are dramatically. The very and SUVs, the parking considered heavy duty large cars of the 1970s industry is now faced with (8,500 pounds or more) yielded way to the impor- significant challenges on were not included as light tation of small cars how to maximize space. trucks. following the Oil Embargo The Environmental As a result, sales are in the late ‘70s and ‘80s. Protection Agency has rising and light sales Larger, more aerodynamic changed its vehicle are down, contrary to the cars then eventually suc- classifications and har- data (and classifications) ceeded the small cars. monized them with the traditionally used from Meanwhile, the use of National Highway Safety Automotive News. pickups and SUVs for per- Transportation Authority. sonal transportation has It has reclassified most

June 2017 | WeAreParking.org | Parking 27 family sedans, as well as mini-vans. The trends beginning significant decline in pickup and SUV sales, crossovers in1996 are represented in Figure B-2. have clearly been cutting into car sales more than SUVs

FigureSALES B-2: SalesBY VEHICLE By Vehicle TYPE Type

Cars„ Crossovers SUVs„ Pickups Vans also climbed slowly but steadily since the 1970s. 70% The mid-1990s welcomed 60% a surge in use of pickups and SUVs for personal 50% transportation.

40% Sales of Vehicles Fitting in Compact 30% Stalls Dwindling 20% Sales of vehicles which qualify as fitting in com- 10% pact or small car only stalls have continued to slide, 0% from 23.6 percent in 1998 to 17.1 percent in 2010. The numbers fell to just 13.6 percent in 2016. Vehicle classes 5, 6 and 7 are con- Source: Walker Parking Consultants Analysis of Automotive News Data, 1950-2015. Source: Walker Parking Consultants Analysis of Automotive News Data, 1996-2015. sidered small cars, and 8 Appendix B: Vehicle Sales Trends | through 33 12 are considered . large. Clearly there has been SALES BY VEHICLE SIZE CLASS a significant shift from Figure B-2: Sales By Vehicle Type the largest of the small cars (class 7) across the 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 boundary into “large cars” 60% since 2010. There has also been a reduction in the 50% largest two classes (10 and 11), although the low gas 40% prices in the last couple years may be allowing a 30% slight uptick there.

20% PCC Recommends Stall recreate to match fig 1 Length Reduction 10% In recent years the stan- dard width of 0% vehicles has remained the same, yet they have become shorter. As cross- overs continue to gain in

Source: Walker Parking Consultants Analysis of Automotive News Data, 1950-2015. popularity and efficiency, Source: Walker Parking Consultants Analysis of Automotive News Data, 1996-2015. NPA’s Parking Consultants Appendix B: Vehicle Sales Trends | 33 Council reduced the over- all design vehicle from 6’7” by 17’1 to 6’7” by 16’2”. As a result, the PCC’s recommended parking stall length is reduced from 18’ to 17’9”. Because the turn-

28 Parking | The Magazine of Parking Management & Operations | June 2017 ing circle has not changed Th e approach adopted Th eGuidelines for Parking signifi cantly, we have not by the PCC is to use the Geometrics, available now reduced the aisles. dimensions of the 85th at WeAreParking.org, is percentile vehicle in the intended to guide those However, with the stalls range from smallest to who are involved with on each side of the aisle largest vehicles sold in the the planning, design or reduced 3 inches in length, U.S. to determine a “design management of parking the overall module or out- vehicle” for parking geom- facilities. It is the defi ni- to-out dimension of two etry. tive industry resource for rows of stalls and the aisle those involved in parking between has reduced by 6 Th is is signifi cantly higher and serves to foster uni- inches. than an average vehicle, formity in design.  but not nearly as conserva- A Proactive Approach tive as assuming that every to Maximize Space vehicle parked in a parking Parking spaces have facility is a 100th percentile always been infl uenced vehicle. by automobile size so that Th is provides satisfactory satisfactory parking, turn- space for the vast major- ing and general maneu- ity of passenger vehicles vering is provided within and facilitates a ‘one size Mary S. Smith, PE is senior Carl Schneeman, PE is director a parking facility. Using fi ts all’ design approach vice president and senior of operations (Minneapolis) for design vehicles allows the to provide a balance of director of parking consulting Walker Parking Consultants. parking industry to make economy and comfort for for Walker Parking Consultants. Email him at carl.schneeman@ rational decisions on parkers. She also serves on NPA’s walkerparking.com. parking dimension eff ect. Parking Consultants Council. Email her at mary.smith@ walkerparking.com. Parking Solutions from the people who pioneered RFID access technology We’re proud of our role in developing some of the very first RFID tags and readers. But we’re even more proud of our products’ enduring quality and durability.

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June 2017 | WeAreParking.org | Parking 29