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Did you take 3 minutes to respond to our survey?

We sent out a survey about the TPTA conference on June 26 and we wanted to share the responses with you. If you didn't get a chance to give us your feedback, the survey is still open - so take a few minutes and tell us what you think!

Until that time - here are some highlights from the responses. Not surprisingly, most attend the conference for a bit of everything: networking, education and hearing industry experts. We plan on continuing to provide these resources via roundtables and the annual conference. 

The hottest topic is innovative ideas in parking operations. Clearly, we want to hear about new and unusual ideas to take our operations to the next level. Are you currently putting in place a program that is innovative and unique? If so - be on the lookout for the call for speakers for the 2018 conference. We would love to hear about your new program! Another hot topic is transportation and transit. Parking data and analytics also shared a spot on the top of the list.

We also heard that attendees prefer to have the conference take place entirely in the hotel versus a separate location. Our show has gotten large enough that finding a location with sufficient space can be a challenge. But for 2018, we're happy to report that the Marriott Marquis in downtown Houston will be hosting our event and it will all take place within the hotel. We are looking forward to seeing you there! 

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What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas….Not Necessarily?

During my inaugural trip to Las Vegas, Nevada in June, a local newscaster was presenting a story about the passing of legislation regarding autonomous vehicle testing on public roads. She mentioned that it would make Nevada one of the first states to allow this testing without a person inside the vehicle.  While that is true, eighteen states have already passed bills to allow this type of testing on public roads.  Florida has been allowing true “driverless” vehicles since 2016.

The driverless electric shuttle carries passengers in a test program in downtown Las Vegas. 

The driverless electric shuttle carries passengers in a test program in downtown Las Vegas.
 

Texas is also one of those states.  The Texas legislation will become law on September 1, 2017 which means Texas could begin seeing driverless vehicles before the end of this year’s swimming season.  Prior to the bill being passed, there was no law banning autonomous vehicles on public roadways but manufacturers of AVs have been hesitant  to begin testing with no backup driver without clear guidelines in place. 

Texas is one of the states in front of the pack when it comes to AV testing.  In January of 2017, Texas was named one of 10 designated proving ground testing sites by the USDOT. Peterbilt has been testing semi-trucks out of its Denton, TX headquarters for years.  Although these examples are all from Texas, adoption of driverless vehicle testing and operation is becoming vastly widespread.

Nevada may have once been the leading state for driverless technologies but that is no longer the case,  proving that what happens in Vegas doesn’t necessarily stay in Vegas.

Lauren Nelson
Senior Operations Manager
Winpark

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Flexible parking for the future

How do we build better parking for the estimated 10 million people who will call North Texas home in 2040?  If cars drive themselves, will they even need to park? What is the latest research and innovative practices in parking management? How is parking evolving in response to changing market demands, urban form, and technology?

Join the North Central Texas Council of Governments to hear experts discuss “Flexible Parking for the Future: Responding to Market Demands and Transportation Choices

When: August 2, 2017, 7:30 am to 3:30 pm

Where: Hilton Arlington, 2401 East Lamar Blvd., Arlington, TX 76006

Register now!

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Women in Parking - Lunch & Learn

Join Women in Parking for a Lunch and Learn session. 

When:
11:00 AM CT Thursday, July 27, 2017
through 2:00 PM CT Thursday, July 27, 2017

Where:
Brookfield Property Partners, Two Allen Center
1200 Smith Street, Suite 1200, Houston, TX

Women are finally well represented in supervisory and management positions in most organizations across the country. Yet, despite these visible signs of success, many are finding the road to leadership success rocky. This Lunch and Learn is a rare opportunity to acquire important leadership skills and use those newfound skills to gain the respect of co-workers and those you supervise. It’s filled with insights into the special and often-overlooked talents women leaders can bring to the table and cutting-edge tactics successful women leaders are using right now to make things happen in their organizations.

Fee: WIP members are FREE, $10 for non-WIP members (registration includes lunch and sessions)

Register now!

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Houston Host Committee #TPTA2018

Houston is ready to Host! We are inspired! We are hip! And there is no shortage of savvy. Mark your calendars for March 26-28, 2018 and plan on being at #TPTA2018 being held in the Marriott Marquis in Downtown Houston.

If you have any ideas for subjects that you would like to see covered or just to provide feedback in general - keep an eye out for our survey which will be hitting your inbox in the next week. 

The Host Committee is working at a feverish pace to put this show on for you. If you run into any of the following volunteers - please thank them for their hard work! This is a volunteer-run organization and we are so appreciative of all that they do!

Bob Browand, University of Houston
Nicole Chinea, WinPark
Britney Cooper, Walter P. Moore
Melonie Curry, ParkHouston
Jennifer D'Amico, ParkHouston
Julio Deleon, Associated Time & Parking
Kelly Frazier, ParkHouston
Jacob Gonzalez
Walt Gray, Houston Airport System
Eric Holamon, University of Houston
Maria Irshad, ParkHouston
Cynthia Jimenez, ParkHouston
Jay Layden, SP+
Brian Lozano, Walter P. Moore
Liliana Rambo, WinPark
Reggie Randolph, HoustonFirst
Anthony Shipp, Houston Airport System
Jaime Snyder, Walker Parking
Jane Wilcox, SP+
Vernon Williams, Midtown Management District

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Roundtable recap

You missed a great roundtable, but fear not - we have some takeaways from attendees to share! How do you use social media and do you think about how to actively engage your followers? Information is great, but engagement is just as important. 

Social media is a vital tool for parking/transportation professionals and we should have clear strategies for its use as it relates to our organizations and our own personal branding. 

Tad Fifer, Transportation Services, Texas A&M, said "You need to vary content and tailor the content to your audience and the platform. It doesn't necessarily need to be informational, but it needs to be engaging."

"You need to have a media strategy," said Michael Civitelli of NuPark. Michael Uldrich of McCarthy appreciated the 30-60-10 rule discussed by Kathleen Laney - 30% of your content should be curated, 60% is informational and 10% is self-promotion. This mix of content both engages and informs followers.

Many of the attendees including Jaime Snyder of Walker Parking, Paul Stresow of the City of El Paso and Bill Donavan of MD Anderson Cancer Center felt that personal branding in social media only adds to your organization.

If you missed the Summer Roundtable - get ready to join us in October for the Fall Roundtable in San Antonio! Stay tuned for details...

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News links from our members

Seems like a lot of stuff is going on in the Lone Star state!

San Antonio is rolling out a virtual valet app to improve parking in downtown.

Uber and Lyft return to Austin after Texas Legislature passes bill to regulate at the State level.

And, other transportation providers leave Austin in the wake of Uber and Lyft's return. 

Baylor University Medical Center selects Associated Time & Control and Amano McGann to replace the parking revenue/access control system.

Transportation Services at Texas A&M and ParkHouston cited as Parking Matters Best Of 2017 award in the latest issue of the Parking Professional. Also recognized for their marketing programs are Texas Tech and University of Texas-San Antonio.

Skidata moves to consolidate Texas offices to better serve customers.

San Antonio Airport selects a parking guidance system

The new ParkHouston app powered by Parkmobile was launched on May 24.

Transportation Services at Texas A&M selects parking guidance system for new facility.

Finally, the City of Portland may not be in our region, but they launched Parking Kitty backed by Passport Parking. Wonder if the app meows when your time expires!

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Is social media puzzling you?

Social media allows us to put information at the fingertips of people worldwide. Whether you are an avid Facebook user or strictly Twitter, parking peeps have some type of parking information come across our feed at some point or another. While my facebook is a shrine to my kids, I can assure you that I am guilty of sharing any parking information hot off the press via social media. #sharetheparkinglove

Join us as at TPTA’s June Roundtable in Waco to learn the do’s and don’ts of effective social media tactics and how it can also increase engagement with your community. TPTA welcomes Kathleen Laney, President and Founder of Laney Solutions - she will discuss how social media can drive more business for your organization. Bob Browand, Director of Parking and Transportation Services at the University of Houston, will also be joining us and sharing UH’s success in engaging the student community using social media and Youtube.

Don’t miss out! Register today!

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