World Parking Symposium -Tech Solutions

Posted on | March 25, 2009 | No Comments

Excerpt from Simple Solutions and Complex Technology at the World Parking Symposium

Technological Solutions
Several speakers presented on how high tech automated parking systems are being used to make more efficient use of garage space by eliminating access ramps and lanes. These systems function like giant filing cabinets for cars. Drivers simply park their vehicle at an access point, get out of the car, and turn a key to activate a powerful hydraulic system which stores the car away. Cars are stacked and shuffled around inside the garage until retrieved. It takes about 1 ½ to 2 minutes to get your car out of such a storage system – it appears in its box, and you get in and drive away. The first adopters of such automated vehicle storage systems are mainly high-end condo developments such the 155 space Calle de O’Donnell multiparker in Madrid. Munich became the first city to install one as a public garage in 2007, when they built a 376-spot underground garage to replace 255 on-street parking spots on three city blocks where search traffic and blocked sidewalks were chronic issues. Uncertain whether residents would tolerate not having instant access to their vehicle, Munich offered the underground garage spots at about half the price of a spot in a normal garage; today there is a long waiting list to get in. Residents consider the new streetscape, with wider sidewalks, half the traffic lanes, and just a few parking spots for guests, a major improvement.

Adapted from Planetizen

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