Secure Storage Technologies' Parking System Approved
I am a little late reporting on this one because I was out of town a couple days, but a while back I reported on a pilot program being conducted in downtown Reno that involved three different parking meter vendors and three different types of parking meter systems. If you need a recap, click here.
Secure Storage Technologies is now the 'chosen one' as decided by city council on their meeting this last Wednesday.
Yeah yeah, we can all complain and moan and grumble about not being able to cheat the meters anymore, but ultimately this will raise revenue for the City of Reno and that's a good thing in the middle of a recession. What the city is doing is nothing new in other cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, which already utilize cutting edge meters that accept credit cards and detect when a driver pulls away so the meter will reset.
The new parking system utilizes the CURB system, which has a few basic components:
1. Paypoint Kiosk
The CURB Kiosk is the point of interface for motorists/cyclists/pedestrians that are the system’s customers. It is an easy-to-use digital, color touch screen where patrons can pay to park a car or motorcycle, securely lock a bicycle, rent a public bike and access city information and events. The CURB Kiosk accepts coin, credit or subscription cards for its pay services. The Kiosk also provides ready access to emergency 911 services. The Kiosk is a pole-mounted enclosure containing, in addition to the touch screen, a credit card reader, RFID reader, coin acceptor, and various communication transceivers to communicate to the central system, bike vaults, parking sensors, etc. The CURB Kiosk is powered by 120VAC.
2. Vehicle Sensors
Sensors embedded in road surface are quick and easy to install and instantly notify CURB when a car arrives or departs. These sensors provide real time management of parking assets including push notification to enforcement personnel. No excavation is required to install the sensors, and simple tools and inexpensive materials are used to accomplish the transition in as little as 5 minutes or less per parking space. This sensor communicates to the Kiosk the arrival and departure of vehicles for billing and feeds data to the enforcement module.
3. Bike Vault
The patent-pending Bike Vault securely stores both private bicycles and CURB’s public share bikes and their major components. The Bike Vault is both extremely easy to use and provides exceptionally high-density storage, minimizing the real estate required. The Bike Vault, in conjunction with an optional rental bike system on the Kiosk, which I hope the City of Reno chooses to utilize in the future, provides the entire necessary infrastructure to provide a citywide bike rental program. An electronically alarmed system and optional video surveillance enhance security.
4. Public Share Bikes
CURB has an integrated public bike share option, but I don't know if Reno will be utilizing the option. THEY SHOULD!! Users can subscribe monthly or pay per use to access CURB’s traditional pedal or pedal/electric hybrid bikes. Bikes can be taken from any secure CURB Bike Vault and returned to any Bike Vault. Low per use fees encourage use and urban exploring while reducing congestion.
5. Back Office
The Back Office provides a transaction management engine, a Parking Patron management module, reporting engine, and other management functions, and also facilitates the Patron service communication capabilities located at a SST facility, operating 24/7.
• 24/7 call center
• 24/7 asset monitoring
• 24/7 video surveillance
• Manages dynamic local information and advertising on a Kiosk-by-Kiosk basis
• Software upgrades & maintenance
• Supports local merchants with validation programs & dynamic pricing options that can drive customer traffic
• Full audit control of charged/collected monies
• Coin collection
• CURB Kiosk & Bike Vault maintenance
I seem to remember SST saying if they were awarded the contract, they would locate their call center and offices downtown. I hope they still stay true to that.
You can learn more about the new parking system by visiting the CURB web site and Secure Storage Technologies.
Comments:
Post your commentsPosted by: Curious - 10/25/2010 7:55:53 PM
Curious about Secure Security Technologies - perused their outdated website. In 2009 they relocated to a TICO bldg....are they still there?. But most importantly, is this their first ever project? I sat thru all the presentations a few years ago - there seemed to be some very qualified, proven companies in the running. I think the locals boasted that they could get grant money - did that ever happen?
Posted by: jamesstewart - 2/24/2011 1:14:45 AM
Developers are also reaping the benefits by adding more income generating condominiums / apartments due to a more compact parking footprint. Development locations not meeting minimum parking requirements may suddenly be viable. Car dealerships can also use our automatic parking system. By using the space more effectively, our system enables dealerships to show the entire fleet of vehicles in a whole new way. ========================================
Posted by: jamesstewart - 2/24/2011 1:15:53 AM
Developers are also reaping the benefits by adding more income generating condominiums / apartments due to a more compact parking footprint. Development locations not meeting minimum parking requirements may suddenly be viable. Car dealerships can also use our automatic parking system. By using the space more effectively, our system enables dealerships to show the entire fleet of vehicles in a whole new way. ========================================