The Mill Avenue District is a vibrant center of restaurants, shopping, and entertainment located in downtown Tempe, AZ. Managed by The Downtown Tempe Authority, this district offers three central parking facilities for patrons of the area.
Prior to 2019, parking transactions were handled by cashiers and tickets were distributed via onsite servers. After years of excessive downtime due to software complications and maintenance, the Downtown Tempe Authority was eager for a change.
The criteria for their next technology solution? In the words
of Adam Jones, “It’s all about keeping expenses in check and maximizing revenue.”
The Solution
FLASH collaborated with the Downtown Tempe Authority to configure a modern PARCS solution that would optimize operations and automate the formerly cashier-dependent locations. The cloud-based solution for the three garages comprised of:
16 smart kiosks
PARIS and Zephire integrations
Validation module
eParking reservation capabilities
License plate recognition (LPR)
Bluetooth access for monthly parkers
Overnight hotel guest access passes
On-screen advertising at kiosks
HelpMeParker support
The Result
After the swift FLASH install, downtown Tempe’s garages immediately started to see the efficiencies of a cloud-born approach.
First, the move to an automated system rather than cashiers decreased payroll, increased accountability, and allowed for 24/7 revenue collection. At one location, the Downtown Tempe Authority saw revenue jump 150% after switching to FLASH.
Locations with newly-installed FLASH solutions also managed to go from 70% cash and 30% credit card transactions to upwards of 90% credit card and just 10% cash transactions.
“We are able to provide a higher level of service by bringing this new PARCS system into the mix,” says Jones. Features like License Plate Recognition (LPR) have been a big hit among monthly parkers who interact with the facilities regularly.
For day-to-day operators of the garage, mobile management capabilities and ease of integrations have been the biggest benefits.
It makes my job a lot easier because I can do everything from one place.”