If there’s an opportunity to be taken from the pandemic, it’s that parking is no longer a static service. Indeed, as commuter habits change, parking organizations must find ways to attach new services and repurpose existing infrastructure to become epicenters of urban mobility. To FlashParking VP of R&D, Carlos Hernandez, this starts from people leaving their door and extends to services beyond parking. ”Before I leave my house, I’ll be able to reserve parking,” he says. “At the same time, I know I need to get an oil change, pick up my dry cleaning, and charge my vehicle. If I know that a parking garage has all of these extensible services without moving my car, that’s a huge benefit to me.”
Some of the services you might find in a mobility hub have taken a hit from the pandemic. However, research has shown that they will rebound. Businesses will regain their footing, micro-mobility is expected to recover, and commuters will need to travel and run errands yet again. In the meantime, some businesses have already begun to introduce added services and value in their space.
ACE Parking has created a testing site for COVID-19 amidst the pandemic, saving people time they would spend going to a clinic. Like many operators, Parkwell has introduced integrations with reservation apps, making it easier for people to plan their day. To support the decisions to implement these new services, assets need to have access to smart data.