LANIER PARKING…


It’sNot Just Abo “T


BY JOHN VAN HORN


HE SUCCESSFUL COM- panies will be the ones that take an holistic view of their client’s operations. They will focus not just on


parking cars, but on the entire transportation complex, from the moment a person decides their destination all theway through transporta- tion choices, wayfinding, greeting, movement through the project, to their final goal.


“We have an executive vice president who deals


with all types of alternative transportation, from shuttles to (carsharing service) Zipcar, and works with clients to provide assistance in ensuring their visitors and employ- ees have appropriate choices in transportation.” ParkingToday spoke with JoeWenderoth, Execu-


tive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Lanier Parking Solutions in Atlanta. He looked at his company’s approach to the parking industry. “The urban landscape is changing dramatically.


Whenmy family and Imoved toAtlanta, we lived in the suburbs. I commuted by car every day.Nowwe live here in the central city. I can walk to work, catch the subway, or rent a Zipcar. I love it. I havemore time formy family andmy career. Atlantic Station is a good example of the city’s


changing landscape. Lanier’s ExecutiveVP of alterna- tive transportation,GlennKurtz,worked closelywith the developers of this 130-acre brownfield development to establish theAtlantic StationAccess andMobility Pro- gram(ASAP).ASAP leverages the flexibility of the pro- ject’s multi-use design and multi-modal infrastructure to maximize travel options available to employees, retail patrons and residents. Those options include shuttles, a vanpool program, rideshar-


Lanier Executive VP and ChiefMarketing Officer, JoeWenderoth.


ing assistance, guaranteed ride home, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and a shared car program where people can rent a car by the hour for special needs. There was a recurring theme in our discussions withWen-


deroth. Recruiting, hiring, training. “You must match your people with the job. Although we


look at all aspects of transportation, we don’t forget the ‘block and tackle’basics of the parking business. “We are the first person that a visitor sees when they visit


one of our clients, and the last person they see when they leave. This is a tremendous responsibility. “Parking is a fluid and dynamic business.You have to man-


age your company.You can’t become complacent. “Public Private Partnerships are of interest to cities, however


our feeling is that theymay be structured differently in the future. Cities want to keep more control over their assets. Our experi-


18 DECEMBER 2009 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com


ence is that they see parking not only as a revenue generator but also as a complement to other economic opportunities.Cities hire on cost, all things being equal. “Airports? Sure, if you have an on airport operation you


must market to compete with active off airport sites.You sell the benefits that the close in airport locations bring – clean well lit structures, ease of walking to the terminal, the benefits of not having to take, particularly here in Atlanta, a rather long shuttle ride. “Our focus has been on commercial real estate companies.


They often need more than just a parking operator but a partner to help themdeal with all aspects of transportation as it relates to their site. “Zipcar has been a tremendous success.We brought them


to Atlanta and have cars available at more than 40 urban loca- tions. Most people are just a few blocks from a Zipcar. It’s great – you can take public transportation to work, and if you


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