IPMI 2022 Awards of Merit

The parking and mobility industry shined in 2022 with remarkable achievements, innovations, and initiatives. Through an ultra-competitive field, these are the projects that stood out above the rest of the field and were awarded the 2022 IPMI Award of Merit.

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Architectural Design; Mixed-Use Parking & Mobility Facility Design

• AWARDED TO: Calgary Parking Authority
• OWNER: Calgary Parking Authority
• PROJECT MANAGER: Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC)
• ARCHITECTS: 5468796 Architecture, Kasian Architecture

When it opened in May 2021, Platform Parkade was already so much more than a parking structure as a result of the progressive vision of the Calgary Parking Authority and CMLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the City of Calgary that was formed to revitalize the Rivers District. Located in the district’s East Village neighborhood, the seven-story, oval-shaped Platform Parkade integrates two primary uses: parking for 508 vehicles on the upper five levels, and the 50,000-square-foot Platform Innovation Centre on the first two levels. 

The facility, which serves local cultural institutions and businesses, features a publicly accessible sports court at ground level; open-air event space at grade and on the top deck for community events; six electric vehicle chargers with capacity for more; and 99 bicycle spots.

Future convertibility was a key program goal. Considering the evolution of East Village with expanded public transit, a growing bike culture, and even self-driving cars, the parkade can be converted to commercial and residential uses thanks to perceptive design solutions such as floor-to-ceiling heights 1.5 times that of a traditional parking structure, and key structural elements that can accommodate double the loads of a conventional parkade. 

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Innovation in a Mobility, Transportation, or Parking Program 

• AWARDED TO: Oregon Health & Science University
• OWNER: Oregon Health & Science University

Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, in December 2021 OHSU transitioned 1,200 annual employee parking permits to daily parking. This was a key strategy in the university’s 2018 Transportation Demand Management Plan. The outcome is a more equitable system that increases employee flexibility and reduces the drive-alone commute rate. 

Annual parkers were given the option of guaranteed daily parking or wage-based daily reservations. For the latter, the price of parking varies based on one’s wage and choice of parking location. With both options, parking charges accrue based on the number of days parked. Guaranteed daily parkers are assigned one parking garage with badge access, enabling them to arrive and park whenever needed. Wage-based daily reservations require employees to log into the Luum commute management platform and reserve parking in advance. The software allows employees to track their parking costs, commute bonuses, reward challenges, and related information all in one place.

With the transition to daily parking, OHSU can now collect accurate parking metrics through badge swipes at gates and advance parking reservations. This enhanced visibility promotes better capacity management and the ability to maximize utilization of parking facilities through data-driven decisions.

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Innovation in a Mobility, Transportation, or Parking Program

• AWARDED TO: Estapar
• OWNER: Municipality of São Paulo

Program and On Street Mobility Operations Manager:  Estapar

Zona Azul is a São Paulo, Brazil, parking program that began in 1975 with 5,000 spots and payment by coupons. Fast-forward 45 years to May 2020, when parking management firm Estapar was awarded a 20-year concession from the city to explore the rotating parking operation for 43,000 spaces on public streets. 

With the dual objectives of increasing public parking space turnover and enhancing urban mobility, the city charged Estapar with developing a technology solution that would track and manage physical spaces in real time; integrate with the municipal database; improve the user experience; enhance security; and expand the program. In just seven months, the firm rolled out a software platform that supports the management operation through a proprietary app and parking spaces monitored by a cutting-edge video surveillance system mounted on a fleet of 80 scan cars. The nearly two million drivers who use the Nova Zona Azul SP app enjoy seamless identification of available spaces in real time and multiple payment options. 

Over the last year, Estapar has checked roughly seven million license plates in 31 million verified spaces, and increased parking spaces by 10,000 to 53,000. App updates continue, with new features designed to streamline management and bring value to users.

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Innovation in a Mobility, Transportation, or Parking Program 

• AWARDED TO: University of California at Davis Transportation Services
• OWNER: UC Davis Transportation Services

In 2019, UC Davis Transportation Services completed “Transportation Tomorrow – A Vision of Greater Mobility and Connectivity for the Davis Campus,” that advanced a plan to reduce drive-alone commuting by 10% below the 2015 levels by 2025. In March 2020, parking operations were disrupted when the campus responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by going remote for the next 17 months. As the world sheltered in place, parking revenue—the lifeblood of the self-funded operation’s budget—dried up. By fall 2020, reserves were depleted, and parking demand was 30% of the norm.

With a significant change to commuting habits acknowledged and the foreseeable transition to hybrid-telework in the future, UC Davis Transportation Services used the opportunity presented by already low revenues to make the change from monthly to daily parking. This meant onboarding the ParkMobile app, transitioning to a license plate recognition system, developing a new daily pricing structure, and communicating the change to the entire campus. The daily parking program launched in January 2021 with mandatory use by students and a plan to implement it for employees by July, which was accelerated to February in response to high demand. 

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Marketing and Communications, Public Sector

• AWARDED TO: LAZ Parking
• OWNER: City of Inglewood
• PROJECT MANAGER: LAZ Parking
• MARKETING AGENCY: Gusdorf Marketing
• SHUTTLE MANAGEMENT: All Access Shuttle

The City of Inglewood partnered with LAZ Parking to provide a remote parking and shuttle program that would accommodate patrons of the new SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers and a major event venue. The goal was to solve two major issues: a shortage of parking at the stadium and alleviation of traffic congestion surrounding it.

Launched in August 2021, the program encompasses six different remote parking facilities and over 4,000 more in and around the stadium, presenting event-goers with convenient, affordable, and safe options in the stadium and Hollywood Park area that can be reserved and paid for in advance. All payments are through LAZ’s proprietary reservation platform, LAZgo. 

A significant marketing and communications effort and budget were pivotal to informing the general public about the new program. Elements of the comprehensive campaign included an e-commerce website (https://inglewoodparkgo.com); nine strategically located city-owned digital billboards; radio ads on Audacy stations; SEO ads via Google Ad Words; Facebook ads; and e-blasts. The city supported the campaign with social media posts on Twitter and Instagram and a link on their website’s “Parking for Events” tab, and SoFi Stadium’s website endorses the program as the official off-site parking option.

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Marketing and Communications, Public Sector

• AWARDED TO: Philadelphia Parking Authority
• OWNER: Philadelphia Parking Authority

In January 2020, the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA), in conjunction with Verra Mobility and the Vision Zero Project, introduced an automated speed enforcement pilot program whose purpose it was to promote safe driving on Roosevelt Boulevard, which had earned the reputation as the city’s most dangerous road. Eight cameras to detect speeding vehicles were installed at strategic intersections. 

Raising public awareness was crucial to achieving program goals. PPA’s public engagement team developed a communications strategy that would accomplish this goal across multiple media outlets. Marketing materials included informational brochures and infographics with statistics regarding aggressive drivers and accidents. Video content was created, and social media was leveraged. The press also played a big role: over a 10-day period, there were a total of 79 curated stories, with 60 directly related to the automated speed camera program.

The focused outreach efforts lead to major changes in behavior and pilot program success. During the first month of the warning period, PPA mailed 224,206 violation warnings, resulting in drivers slowing down and a 93% decrease in violation issuance. During the first month of fined violations, violations decreased to 84,608. During fiscal year 2021, issued violations decreased from 224,206 in June to 38,660 in November 2020. 

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Marketing and Communications, Public Sector

• AWARDED TO: UCLA Transportation
• OWNER: UCLA Transportation

At the University of California, Los Angeles, National Rideshare Month in October was reimagined as Sustainable Transportation Month to address alternative forms of transportation and how each cleaner, greener trip translates to a more sustainable tomorrow for the campus and region. Hosted by UCLA Transportation, the annual program raises awareness about sustainable transportation by encouraging faculty, staff, and students to pledge to give walking, cycling, carpooling, vanpooling, public transit, and telecommuting a try. 

Under the slogan, “Commute with Confidence,” a multifaceted marketing campaign supported the 2021 program rollout with print and outdoor advertisements, digital communications, and blog and social posts shared throughout the month. In-person outreach activities made a triumphant return after being on hold due to the pandemic. These included tabling events at different campus locations, and a fair, which featured fun activities, free giveaways, and a chance to learn more about the options available to UCLA commuters. The well-publicized event drew engaged attendees from other university departments, transit agencies, shared mobility providers, and related organizations.

The program’s success can be measured by the 1,400 pledges to forego a solo car commute once during the month, and the 65,000 impressions collected on UCLA Transportation’s Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram platforms.

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Stand-Alone Structured Parking Facility Design 

• AWARDED TO: Watry Design, Inc.
• OWNER: Los Angeles World Airports
• ARCHITECT/STRUCTURAL ENGINEER/PARKING PLANNER: Watry Design, Inc.
• DESIGN ARCHITECT: Gensler
• DESIGN-BUILDER: Swinerton

As the third busiest airport in the world located in a city known for its car culture, it is no surprise that congestion is a chronic problem at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Among the challenges are backups and delays caused by the U-shaped terminal loop that serves as the primary access point; a lack of direct connection to Metro Rail; and decentralized rental car facilities whose shuttles exacerbate traffic volume.

To address these problems, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) embarked on a massive $5.5 billion landside project, of which LAX Economy Parking, a 4,300-stall parking structure, was the first major public component. Delivered through a progressive design-build process, the four-level, 1.73-million-square-foot mobility hub opened in October 2021. 

Enhancing the user experience are short- and long-term parking options; automatic entry and exit; a free shuttle meet and greet area; electric vehicle charging stations; and parking guidance technology to signal space availability and open spots. The latter is one of several sustainable components that support LAWA’s sustainability action plan. Others include 37% of stalls designed with EV charging infrastructure; drought tolerant landscaping; LED lighting with energy-saving controls; and reserved parking for low emitting vehicles and car and van pools.

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Surface Parking Facility Design 

• AWARDED TO: USC Transportation
• OWNER/OPERATOR: USC Transportation
• DESIGN-BUILD GENERAL CONTRACTOR: McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. 
• PROJECT MANAGER: USC Capital Construction and Development

The sprawling 79-acre University of Southern California (USC) Health Sciences Campus (HSC) in East Los Angeles is both an instructive medical campus environment and a full-service public hospital complex. Parking there is a constant challenge.

When an in-house 2018 transit survey predicted a shortage of nearly 2,000 parking spaces by the end of 2020, USC Transportation moved forward on a new 12-acre surface lot that would add 1,650 spaces. Completed in July 2021, Valley Parking Lot was built in two phases so that on-site parking could be maintained as long as possible during demolition and construction. 

Among the project’s most distinctive design elements are more than 400 trees, electric vehicle charging station ports, and a massive retaining wall. Inclusion of 99 Level II EV ports increased USC’s inventory at HSC +275%, from 36 ports to 135. The imposing 700-foot-long by 20-foot-high wall abuts a hillside community to the north. Complex existing conditions involving the wall sparked resourceful new construction techniques to build it. 

Additional lot features include site security; motion-sensitive LED lighting with photocell technology; key card access; in-ground loops for automated egress; dedicated carpool and alternate-fuel parking areas; two bus stops with shelters; and dedicated shuttle service.

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Structured Parking Facility Restoration

• AWARDED TO: Walker Consultants
• OWNER: City of Lansing
• PRIME CONSULTANT: Walker Consultants
• COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT: Edge Partnerships

Among Lansing, Michigan’s municipal parking venues are three structures: North Capitol Ramp, North Grand Ramp, and South Capitol Ramp, collectively providing 2,356 spaces. Officials were concerned about the condition and appearance of the aging facilities, which suffered from concrete deterioration, dated parking technology, insufficient signage, and old MEP infrastructure. In response, the city launched an ambitious improvement program and branded it “Extreme Makeover.” Unfolding over four years, it brought together community leaders, politicians, owners, parking managers and operators, and design, engineering, and media experts, all of whom contributed to its vision and success.

The design approach for each ramp was predicated on several factors, including the results of a condition assessment; inherent design character; and budget. Improvements were extensive, ranging from structural restoration, waterproofing, and rehabilitation and replacement of all elevators and control systems, to a new parking access and revenue control system, infrastructure for 20 electric vehicle spaces, security cameras, and emergency backup power for critical systems.

Aesthetically, the ramps became canvases for placemaking and elevating the user experience. Fresh paint, lighting, art installations, dynamic message signage, outsized programmable media screen, and a bold color palette to aid wayfinding combine to transform utilitarian structures into welcoming landmarks that embody civic collaboration.

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To read about more 2022 IPMI Award winners, check out IPMI 2022 Awards of Excellence.