Parking Operators to Benefit from Cuts in Debit Card Transactions Fees

On Wednesday, June 29, 2011, the Federal Reserve ordered the nation's banks to cut the rate they charge merchants for debit card transactions nearly in half. The final ruling which goes into effect October 1, 2011, will cap debit card fees or "swipe fees" to 21 cents plus a little more to cover fraud related costs. Currently the average "swipe fee" on debit card transactions is 44 cents.

This is a major win for merchants across the country. On a $100 debit transaction the interchange fee or "swipe fee" that banks can make is 27 cents (21 cent cap plus 5 cents for fraud and 1 cent for fraud prevention measures). Compare this to the current average of 44 cents and we're talking about 17 cents that will now go back to the merchant and not to the bank.

Michael Mintz, Partner and COO at AMG Payment Solutions said, "This is a significant event that should have a positive cost impact to IPI all members; however the cost reduction on debit cards will only trickle down to the merchant if their merchant account and pricing method are set up correctly."

AMG Payment Solutions is IPI's Preferred Merchant Services Provider. For more information on this issue or to make sure your merchant account and pricing method are set up properly, visit IPI's Web Site or contact Michael Mintz at 973.821.4041.

IPI's Parking Matters Offered at World Parking Symposium

Shawn Conrad, CAE, executive director, IPI and Helen Sullivan, communications counsel, attended the 2012 World Parking Symposium last week at Niagara College in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, sharing with attendees the vision of the Parking Matters^SMprogram for advancing the parking profession. More than 60 thought leaders in parking from eight countries gathered to discuss parking, transportation, and mobility. A common thread throughout the four-day event was the integral role parking plays in urban planning.

Among the presenters and panelists were: IPI members Chuck Reedstrom, CAPP, Kimley-Horn and Associates; Jim Zullo, CAPP, Tim Haahs & Associates; Lenny Bier, LLB, CAPP, Bier & Associates; Lorne Persiko, Toronto Parking Authority; Dave Hill, CAPP, MMM Group Canada; Mitch Karon, CAPP, New Brunswick Parking Authority, Blake Laufer, CAPP, T2 Systems, and Roamy Valera, CAPP, Standard Parking.

Papers presented will be available on the WPS website www.worldparkingsymposium.ca in a few weeks, and the site of the next World Parking Symposium has already been announced as Tel Aviv University, Israel June 2013. Summing up the event, Conrad said, "There is always positive energy when parking friends - old and new - meet to discuss the challenges and opportunities we all share."

New RFPs Posted on IPI RFP Portal

These and other open parking RFPs are available at the IPI RFP Portal. Access to complete RFP/RFQ details is restricted to IPI Members.

St. Clair College, Ontario

For: Parking Gates

Hartford Parking Authority

For: Communication Services

Town of Danville, Calif.
For: Bicycle Parking Study

The City of Norwalk, Calif.

For: Reserved Permit Parking Management Program

Do you have a RFP or RFQ you would like to have promoted? IPI provides this forum for parking organizations to post their RFPs and RFQs at no charge. For more information, contact IPI Deputy Director, Henry Wallmeyer.

Summit on Parking: The Missing Link in Effective TDM

The International Parking Institute (IPI) and the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) will present this one-day summit at the end of the 2011 ACT International Conference, Wednesday, August 31, from 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on the Riverwalk.

During the one-day summit, participants will learn about the parking management techniques and technologies that directly contribute to Transportation Demand Management (TDM) objectives, including congestion relief, air quality improvements, VMT reduction, enhancements for transit and active transportation, improved land use decisions, and quality of life/urban space enhancements. The material covered will be suitable for parking managers and their employees, parking asset owners and operators, planners, architects, transportation management, corporate and university campus transportation professionals, facility managers, downtown professionals, and employee transportation coordinators.

Specific content will include:

- Optimizing on-street parking performance.

- Guidance and revenue control strategies for emissions mitigation.

- Optimizing the utilization of park and ride facilities.

- Policy development to support park-once, trip chaining, ridesharing, and carsharing.

- Public policy: zoning, taxation, and parking.

- Occasional-use parking solutions to support multimodal commuters.

- Integrated parking and transportation during planning and operations.

- Business opportunities in parking/TDM integration.

- Parking data management for TDM metrics/planning and commuter incentive programs

Attendees will participate in five educational sessions, have an opportunity to interact with a range of consultants and suppliers, and wrap up the day with a networking closing reception from 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Downloadable PDF with registration information

New Membership Structure Starts This Month

Over the past year, the Membership Committee examined our membership structure to determine the best ways to maximize our membership value. We believe we have accomplished this goal through the new structure that was formally approved by the Board last month.

Under the new structure, all employees of a member organization will be considered members, and will enjoy all rights and privileges associated with their employers' membership. This includes a bi-weekly subscription to the IPI Insider, a copy of Who's Who in Parking, access to IPI training, webinars and industry information, as well as, member rates on all IPI products, services, and conference registrations. Additionally, each member organization will receive four copies of each issue of The Parking Professional.

More information on the new structure will be mailed to all members during their renewal period, but please feel free to contact T.J. Cantwell, our IPI's new Membership Director, at cantwell@parking.org if you have any questions or would like further information. We love hearing from you!

From the July Issue of The Parking Professional

The July issue of The Parking Professional is available online for all IPI members, and includes:

IPI Takes on Pittsburgh - Revisit the fun and learning of the 2011 IPI Conference & Expo.

The Consummate Professional - Casey Jones, CAPP, looks forward to more growth and progress with IPI.

The Evolving Downtown, part 2 - More on how your business can keep up with new downtown models.

Feedback and Progress - Washington, D.C., researches and pilots new technologies in its parking system.

Problem Solved - Tel Aviv offers innovative solutions to age-old parking problems.
Pay on the Go - In-car parking meters offer convenience and savings for both customers and parking facility owners, and they're the wave of the future.

Austin Leads the Way - Austin, Texas, authorities marry new technology with common sense to ease parking woes.

Apples, Oranges, and Parking - Vendors not living up to expectations? Find out why your bidding method isn't serving you well, and how to fix it.

IPI Members can read these articles and more and access past issues on The Parking Professional page of IPI's website.

Advertising information is available by contacting Bonnie Watts,CEM, at 540.371.7535.

IPI Brings Parking to Building Owners and Managers

Last week, IPI Participated in the BOMA 2011 International Conference & Every Building Show and was part of the exhibits of innovative solutions benefiting all types of buildings showcased in an impressive learning laboratory. The show was a great opportunity for IPI to exhibit alongside current supplier members and educate attendees about the parking industry and how to increase operational efficiencies and revenues and reduce costs for their parking operations. It also gave IPI an opportunity to meet with potential new supplier members so they could gain a better understanding of our industry and if learn if their state-of-the-art products, services and technologies targeted to the needs of our members.

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? To get to IPI

ChickFilA

IPI's headquarters in Fredericksburg, Va., was invaded by B101.5 radio and Chick-fil-A. Morning deejays Chris Centore and Dee Daniels, accompanied by employees from Chick-fil-A and their mascot Cow, delivered lunch for the whole office from Chick-fil-A after Jean Miller, IPI's Exhibit/Marketing Assistant, won the local radio station's online contest. Not only did the staff enjoy a delicious lunch, they also got the opportunity to educate the radio personalities about what IPI is and that "Parking Matters."