Charging EV’s is likely to continue to be a hot topic and area of interest for EV Owners, even with improved battery life and improved vehicle range. The good news is that EV’s typically provide the driver with excellent information on their range.

Our next MSTPA member profile is Moira Bindner, Communications & Customer Service Manager for the University of Tennessee Parking & Transit Services. UT has been a great MSTPA since the beginning, and Moira has been an active leader in the organization. Learn more about their MSTPA story!

Check out the next feature in our series of MSTPA member profiles. Meet Debbie Clardy, Lead Parking Enforcement for the City of Huntsville, AL. The City was part of the group of founding MSTPA organizations. Learn about how MSTPA membership has impacted the organization and the careers and experiences of their staff. 

Technology is disruption. Change is often uncomfortable and makes things harder before they are easier. The payoff is that once it’s adopted and integrated, the most difficult change becomes the most valuable to society when it comes to technology. One hundred and fifty years ago, no horse stable owner ever would have traded in their hay supplier for a gasoline pump, but today there isn’t much demand for horse troughs and pitchforks! 

We’re excited to kick off our new member profile series! This month we are featuring Christopher King, Assistant Manager for the Chattanooga Parking Authority.

The year was 1916 in Chattanooga, Tennessee that the first tow truck was constructed and used by mechanic Ernest Holmes. It would later become an industry in which a mechanic could “capture” a customer’s business by capturing their vehicle.

Are you finding it to be a big challenge to retain your staff? With the way the economy has changed in the last eighteen months, it has become harder and harder to recruit and retain the desired staff. 

Planning for event parking isn’t simple. Even the weather plays a role. Parking should be a non-event, and if planned correctly it can be. 

Since beginning my parking career in 2017 I have been asked many different questions: “Where can I park?” “How much is parking?” “When is registration?” “Why did I receive this citation?” and other questions along those lines. However, in the mix of all these questions, one question continues to appear when emotions are high and parking is scarce. That question is “What is the problem with parking?”

The Mid-South Transportation & Parking Association (MSTPA) is excited to announce the results of our recent Board of Directors election. These individuals will continue to lead the efforts to offer our members throughout the region with valuable industry education, professional development, and networking opportunities.

To be successful in parking, you have to understand that our business is driven by the experience. A bad parking experience can result in a lost customer today and in the future. A bad vendor/customer experience can result in a lost sale today and in the future. A bad employment experience can result in unnecessary discord today and in the future. A bad annual conference can result in lost membership, attendance, and engagement today and in the future.

LSU is very fortunate to continue to experience enrollment growth on its campus during these unprecedented times. For the third-straight year, LSU has broken the record for the largest and most diverse freshman class in university history.

Interested in MSTPA leadership? Submit your nomination to join our Board of Directors! We're looking for parking, transportation, and mobility professionals to apply for one of three board positions we have open this year.

Parking enforcement has always been most effective when an officer is able to show kindness and empathy towards a customer during the citation process. This even transfers over to the office staff that has to deal with those customers when they come into the office to resolve that citation. Incorporating new COVID-19 policies into an existing parking enforcement system has definitely been challenging to say the least.

MSTPA is proud to announce that we have joined the Alliance for Parking Data Standards (APDS) as an affiliate partner. APDS is a global organization combining the expertise of parking, transportation, and mobility professionals worldwide to establish a global parking data standard.

I’m sure everyone has been facing a variety of challenges with effectively communicating during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with ensuring your staff remains engaged with each other while staying on top of their respective projects and responsibilities.

Technology in the world continues to race ahead at an incredible pace. Parking technology is making leaps and bounds in today’s market. Parking apps, gateless systems, sensors with endless and varied data, and innovative products pour into the market with new advances each week.