ortationDemandManagement’ Instead of just managing a parking facility, we now have to


manage the demand for parking. Fortunately, there is help for those finding themselves hav-


ing to sail into the uncharted territory of managing parking demand.TheAssociation for Commuter Transportation (ACT) is looking to help the parking industry become fully versed in its field of expertise: “transportation demand management” orTDM. TDM is the label for programs, policies and services that


help the traveling publicmake use of alternatives to driving alone. The association is the only organization in the nation dedicated to help itsmore than 700members learn the latestTDMtechniques, federal tax policies and improvements in technology thatwill fos- ter travel choice. TheACT has seen a growing interest by those involved in


campus parking operations to learn about TDM. It has respond- ed by developing a partnership with the International Parking Institute (IPI) and by having our mutual members speak at each other’s national and regional events taking place throughout the year. For example, I will be speaking at this year’s IPI confer- ence on creating transportation choice at universities and med- ical centers and at the New England Parking Council’s annual conference inApril. The ACT’s annual conference, which will take place this


summer in Palm Springs, CA, will be a great opportunity for those of you new to transportation demand management to learn all about it. The association offers a one-of-a-kind profes- sional development series that will provide in-depth training for those new to TDM, as well as more advanced classes for sea- soned veterans. The conference itself will allow attendees to learn from one


SamSchwartz Engineering’s Brian Shaw ponders the imponderable – Parking and Transportation DemandManagement.


tion, real estate loss, operations and maintenance, security and safety, and debt capacity is increasingly difficult and getting out of reach. This is in addition to the limitations on and underper- formance of revenue recovery due to how the current economic climate has hindered consumer spending power. Add to that municipalities’ increasing parking taxes to offset their lost sales tax and other sources, and your revenue has likely remained flat or even declined. Therefore,many of us have to consider other options tomeet


the transportation challenges faced by our institutions and clients. Knowing the options available to you will make you able to face the challenges head on with confidence and certainty of success. For many years, the parking industry tended to be inward


looking.We have focused on how to improve efficiency, the cus- tomer experience, revenue generation and collection, and embrace technological advancements. As you can see fromthe previous situations, a growing num-


ber of us have begun to realize that a changing aspect of ourwork in administering parking facilities involves broader aspects of transportation. Some of us have had to look at how to encourage increasing vehicle occupancy to put more people in the same number of cars and parking spaces, which would seemingly be counterproductive and counterintuitive to generating revenue.


another, to share their ideas and challenges, as well as to see the latest in rideshare programs. TheACT conference is easily the largest concentration of TDMexpertise and talent in one place each year.Visit theACTwebsite (www.actweb.org) to learnmore about theACT and this year’s conference. During my career as a university parking and transporta-


tion administrator, I faced and helped to address all of the situa- tions described at the beginning of this article.A number of the solutions that I implemented I learned from my involvement in theACT. The association and I are in the position to assist any institu-


tion or parking company finding itself asked to solve these and similar situations.There is help out there and a partner willing to lend you a hand. As President of theACT, I extend an invitation to Parking


Today readers to contact me to discuss how theAssociation for CommuterTransportation can be of service to you.


Brian Shaw, a Senior Planner with Sam Schwartz Engineering, cur- rently serves as President of the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT). He also sits on the Editorial Board for TDM Review and on the faculty for Academic Impressions. Contact him at bshaw@samschwartz.com.


PT MARCH 2010 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com 15


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