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June 2019

Parking facilities

REEF Technology plans versatile hubs for parking lots

by Deena S. Hawkins on

MIAMI–REEF Technology has announced a plan to transform parking lots and garages across the United States into multi-purpose centers. These hubs, located in the parking lots, will be populated by companies from the REEF hub ecosystem, including Uber, DoorDash, GetAround and Nuro, and will offer services such as electric bike and scooter rental companies, rental companies on-demand and peer-to-peer aviation. car rental between individuals.

The goal is to “future-proof” parking structures while meeting the needs of the city, according to REEF Technology.

Another hub offering will be REEF KITCHENS, which has launched operations in London and Miami in response to growing demand for food delivery. REEF KITCHENS partners with local restaurants to provide faster delivery, with each kitchen center accommodating one to five restaurant brands. Restaurants can handle operations directly or through contracted REEF staff. Several hundred additional operational kitchens are expected to open in North America and the UK.

The company is also in talks with micro-distribution centers.

REEF Technology, formerly known as ParkJockey Global, is currently the largest parking network in North America with over 4,500 locations. Backed by SoftBank Vision Fund and Mubadala Investment Co., the company has a network of smart parking real estate.

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Parking spaces

Too many parking spaces in the city center, still thousands more to add

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Downtown Memphis is for drivers only, at least for now.

That’s according to the findings of a one-year parking study commissioned by the Downtown Memphis Commission, said Iain Banks of Nelson Nygaard, the California company that conducted the study.

“There is definitely an automotive culture in downtown Memphis,” Banks said in a 90-minute presentation to the DMC board of directors on Thursday morning. “And that’s partly due, obviously, to historical preferences, but also to the fact that the transit system and global mobility is probably not quite where the city would really like it to be right now. “

The study looked at parking between AW Willis Avenue and EH Crump Boulevard and from the riverside at Interstate 69 on the outskirts of the Medical District.

About 83% of downtown workers who responded to a parking survey said they walk to work alone every day, while only 7% said they carpooled. Among downtown residents, the number was only slightly lower. About 69% reported driving alone in the city center.

For these drivers, parking can often seem scarce and expensive, according to the study. But that’s just the perception, Banks said.

In fact, drivers said they can usually find a location after searching for about five minutes and said that location is usually within two blocks of their destination.

Choose 901 employee Taylor Lewis grabs a parking receipt on the way to work in May 2014.

20,000 additional places

There are 71,364 parking spaces in downtown Memphis and the Medical District, according to the Banks study.

Despite perceptions of low parking inventory, banks have found that approximately 50,000 of these spaces are needed to meet parking demand. And even if Memphis’s development continued to grow along with cities like Nashville and Austin, 20 years from now, Memphis would still be able to meet demand with about 5,000 spaces less than there are today.

In the heart of downtown, the excess of available parking spaces over parking demand is most apparent. There are 17,065 parking spaces available downtown, but the immediate growth that is happening downtown only calls for about 8,600 spaces, according to the study.

Despite the excess parking, the members of the board of directors of DMC were reluctant to accept the disappearance of the spaces.

“How do you know how many people are coming downtown for business meetings, how many people are coming downtown to meet someone for lunch, and then have to go back east because that’s where do they live or work? Asked Julie Ellis, DMC board member.

There are 17,065 parking spaces available downtown, but the immediate growth happening downtown only calls for about 8,600 spaces, according to a study.

She said it made sense to try to reduce the need for parking for downtown residents who also work there by making the city more pedestrian-friendly and improving public transportation. But she said reducing parking too much could alienate East Memphis residents.

“What I never want to hear is that being downtown is exclusive to anyone who doesn’t live or work downtown,” Ellis said. “It’s not Memphis. That worries me in a larger context.”

Banks, however, said the change could take years – but even if just 10% of inner-city residents decided to use their cars less frequently, that would mean less space would be needed and more. much of what is available could be used by the people of East Memphis and others. travel to the city center.

Less surfaces, more technology

DMC’s sister councils have already committed to adding thousands of additional parking spaces despite the density of the downtown area.

Part of Union Row’s approved $ 950 million development incentive program that plans to bring apartments, a hotel, offices and more retail – including a grocery store – downtown was a $ 50 million loan to build two parking garages that would add approximately 2,000 spaces.

City officials are in talks to add more parking garages downtown.

Banks said adding more garages isn’t necessarily a bad thing if it means closing surface lots and using prime downtown real estate for more development.

“Maybe a garage makes sense in some places where it opens up three to four to five development blocks and it can serve as a shared parking use for those developments,” he said.

DMC President Jennifer Oswalt said the parking study is already being used to help her organization determine how to allocate limited parking funds to other developments.

“What this has done for us is to show that immediate growth is not a crisis,” Oswalt said. “It has shown that we are not completely immune to challenges, but neither are we in crisis… We can try to change small behaviors.”

These efforts to change behavior are manifested in another type of incentive approved in late 2018 to encourage alternative commuting for the 700 new employees that agricultural technology company Indigo Ag plans to hire over the next three years.

The DMC is also committed to providing parking solutions for AutoZone, which recently announced a Expansion of the city center this will lead to 130 new jobs. No details have been released on what the DMC will offer and how it will impact the existing parking landscape.

An expansion of AutoZone is expected to create 130 well-paying jobs in downtown Memphis.

Preliminary results published with the study suggest that the technology could be a solution to negative perceptions of parking. Banks said using apps or other technology to help downtown visitors determine the location and cost of parking before leaving their homes could be helpful.

He also suggested that improving public transportation, better maintenance of parking garages, working with businesses to make more private parking accessible to the public, and making the city center more pedestrian-friendly could all help. change the habits of those who visit the city center and reduce the need for parking.

A final list of recommendations and a guide to help the DMC make parking development decisions will be released in the coming weeks, Banks said.

Desiree Stennett covers economic development and business at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at [email protected], 901-529-2738 or on Twitter: @desi_stennett.

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Parking facilities

REEF Technology provides versatile hubs for car parks

by Deena S. Hawkins on

MIAMI-REEF Technology has announced a plan to transform parking lots and garages across the United States into versatile hubs. These hubs, located in the car parks, will be populated by companies from the REEF hub ecosystem, including Uber, DoorDash, GetAround and Nuro, and will offer services such as bicycle and electric scooter rental companies, on-demand aviation and peer-to-peer car rental.

The objective is to “perpetuate” the parking structures while meeting the needs of the city, according to REEF Technology.

Another offering in the hubs will be REEF KITCHENS, which has launched operations in London and Miami in response to growing demand for food delivery. REEF KITCHENS partners with local restaurants to provide faster delivery, with each kitchen center accommodating one to five restaurant brands. Restaurants can manage their operations directly or through REEF contract staff. Several hundred additional operational kitchens are expected to open in North America and the UK.

The company is also in talks with micro distribution centers.

REEF technology, formerly known as ParkJockey Global, is currently the largest parking network in North America with more than 4,500 locations. Backed by SoftBank Vision Fund and Mubadala Investment Co., the company has a network of smart parking real estate.

read more
Parking facilities

REEF Technology unveils plan to transform parking lots into multi-purpose hubs for the gig economy

by Deena S. Hawkins on

MIAMI–()–REEF Technology, the ecosystem that connects the world to your neighborhood, today announced its plan to transform parking lots and parking lots across the United States into thriving hubs for the on-demand economy. REEF Technology, formerly known as ParkJockey Global, is now the largest parking network in North America with over 4,500 locations. Backed by SoftBank Vision Fund and Mubadala Investment Company (MIC), REEF will create advanced technology hubs that connect businesses, cities and those who live there, while enabling the efficient and frictionless movement of goods and services on demand.

With the rise of the sharing and on-demand economy, REEF sees the potential of future-proof parking structures while simultaneously tackling the challenges of our cities: extreme traffic congestion and resulting pollution, costs high for business expansion and growing need of residents for fast delivery of goods and services. REEF Hubs will house a set of businesses and services specific to neighborhood needs, all of which provide solutions to the challenges piling up in our largest cities and leverage REEF’s proximity to the community.

“At REEF, we believe parking should be more than a place to park your car. Rather, it can be a hub for the community, connecting people to the businesses and services that keep us all going. moving forward,” said Ari Ojalvo, co-founder and CEO of REEF Technology. “REEF will completely transform what people, cities and businesses can expect from parking lots, similar to the introduction of apps for smartphones has completely changed the way we think about cell phones. Accelerated urbanization has created a huge set of problems that urgently need to be addressed, and hubs will provide immense opportunities for growth, experimentation, and versatility to improve our communities.

“REEF is transforming urban parking infrastructure into modern technology logistics hubs and rejuvenating local economic vibrancy in the process,” said Michael Ronen, Managing Partner of SoftBank Vision Fund. “The company is creating opportunities to work with last-mile delivery companies, such as Uber, DoorDash, GetAround, Nuro and others, to align interests and create win-win situations for all parties involved.”

With the phenomenal growth of on-demand food delivery, the company created REEF KITCHENS, a key component of hubs. Restaurants partner with REEF KITCHENS to quickly open and grow their business while providing more food options and faster delivery at a lower cost to customers. The state-of-the-art kitchens are housed in exclusive containers, each of which can accommodate from one to five restaurant brands or concepts. Restaurants can manage operations directly or contract with REEF for staff and prepare menu items only for delivery. REEF KITCHENS has launched successful operations in Miami and London with plans to open several hundred operational kitchens in major North American and UK markets

“There is explosive growth and opportunity in the food delivery industry,” said Aziz Ihsanoglu, co-founder of REEF Technology and chief strategy officer. “Based on the success of our REEF KITCHENS in the UK and Miami, we are confident that restaurants and consumers alike will appreciate the opportunities created by our business.”

In addition to kitchens, the REEF hub ecosystem includes several companies, with more than a dozen REEF partner companies at launch, bringing urban mobility hubs to city life. These businesses include electric bike and scooter rental companies, on-demand aviation companies, and peer-to-peer car rentals. Additionally, the company is in advanced talks with micro fulfillment centers and is creating buffer zones for ride-sharing cars that reduce congestion, where drivers can also access services such as car servicing and maintenance. within the hub.

“Through REEF’s Connected Smart Parking Real Estate Network, we now offer proximity as a service to our partners – enabling them to reach customers in new ways and unlock revenue streams for landlords. Our platform -form technology can quickly adapt real estate to new uses by delivering real-time, personalized interactions for every person, vehicle, and space,” said Philippe Saint-Just, co-founder of REEF Technology and SVP of Product.

Ojalvo assembled a team of senior global industry leaders to shape and oversee REEF, including former executives from Twitter, UberEats, Starbucks, Darden, Brinker, IBM and Westfield.

To learn more about REEF, visit: www.REEFtechnology.com

About REEF Technology

REEF technology is the ecosystem that connects the world to your block. Formerly known as ParkJockey Global, its goal is to transform parking lots and parking lots across the United States into thriving community centers. Backed by SoftBank Vision Fund and MIC, REEF will connect businesses, cities and those who live there, while enabling the efficient and frictionless movement of on-demand goods and services.

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Parking facilities

REEF Technology unveils plan to transform car parks into versatile hubs for the on-demand economy

by Deena S. Hawkins on

MIAMI – (COMMERCIAL THREAD) –REEF technology, the ecosystem that connects the world to your neighborhood, today announced its plan to transform parking lots and lots across the United States into thriving hubs for the on-demand economy. REEF Technology, formerly known as ParkJockey Global, is now the largest parking network in North America with more than 4,500 locations. Supported by SoftBank Vision Fund and Mubadala Investment Company (MIC), REEF will create technology hubs that will connect businesses, cities and those who live there, while enabling the efficient and frictionless movement of goods and services on demand.

With the rise of the sharing and on-demand economy, REEF sees the potential for future-proof parking structures while meeting the challenges of our cities: extreme congestion and resulting pollution, high costs for parking. business expansion and residents’ growing need for rapid delivery of goods and services. The REEF hubs will house a set of businesses and services specific to the needs of the neighborhoods, all of which provide solutions to the challenges that accumulate in our largest cities and take advantage of REEF’s proximity to the community.

“At REEF, we believe that a parking lot should be more than a place to store your car. On the contrary, it can be a hub for the community, connecting people with businesses and services that keep us all going, ”said Ari Ojalvo, co-founder and CEO of REEF Technology. “REEF will completely transform what people, cities and businesses can expect from parking lots, in the same way that the introduction of smartphone apps has completely changed the way we think about mobile phones. Accelerated urbanization has created a huge problem that needs to be addressed urgently, and hubs will bring immense opportunities for growth, experimentation and versatility to improve our communities.

“REEF transforms urban parking infrastructure into modern and technological logistics centers and thereby rejuvenates local economic dynamism,” said Michael Ronen, Managing Partner of the SoftBank Vision Fund. “The company creates opportunities to work with last mile delivery companies, such as Uber, DoorDash, GetAround, Nuro and others to align interests and create win-win situations for all parties involved.”

With the huge growth in on-demand food delivery, the company has created last-block and delivery-only REEF KITCHENS as a key component of hubs. Restaurants are partnering with REEF KITCHENS to quickly open and grow their businesses while providing more dining options and faster delivery at lower cost to customers. State-of-the-art kitchens are housed in exclusive containers, each accommodating one to five restaurant brands or concepts. Restaurants can manage their operations directly or contract with REEF to hire staff and prepare menu items only for delivery. REEF KITCHENS has launched successful operations in Miami and London with plans to open several hundred operational kitchens in major markets in North America and the UK

“The food delivery industry is experiencing explosive growth and opportunities,” said Aziz Ihsanoglu, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of REEF Technology. “Based on the success of our REEF KITCHENS in the UK and Miami, we are confident that restaurants and consumers will appreciate the opportunities created by our business. ”

In addition to kitchens, the REEF hub ecosystem includes several companies, with more than a dozen REEF partner companies at launch, bringing urban mobility hubs into city life. These businesses include electric bicycle and scooter rental companies, on-demand aviation companies, and peer-to-peer car rentals. In addition, the company is in advanced talks with micro-distribution centers and is creating ride-sharing buffer zones that reduce congestion, where drivers can also access services such as car service and maintenance within the city. hub.

“Through REEF’s smart parking real estate connected network, we are now offering proximity as a service to our partners – enabling them to reach customers in new ways and free up revenue streams for owners. Our technology platform can quickly adapt real estate to new uses by providing personalized interactions in real time for each person, vehicle and space, ”said co-founder of REEF Technology and senior vice president of product Philippe Saint -Just.

Ojalvo has assembled a team of global industry leaders to shape and oversee REEF, including former executives from Twitter, UberEats, Starbucks, Darden, Brinker, IBM and Westfield.

To learn more about REEF, visit: www.REEFtechnology.com

About REEF technology

REEF Technology is the ecosystem that connects the world to your block. Formerly known as ParkJockey Global, its goal is to transform parking lots and parking lots across the United States into thriving community centers. Supported by SoftBank Vision Fund and MIC, REEF will connect businesses, cities and those who live there, while enabling the efficient and frictionless movement of goods and services on demand.

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Parking spaces

Businesses: Make Sure Your Accessible Parking Spots Meet ADA Requirements

by Deena S. Hawkins on

An open letter to businesses and parking marking companies:

It’s summer again in Montana and for many businesses, that means it’s time to close and/or re-line their parking lots. Before undertaking this task, however, there is one very important aspect of this process that I feel the need to bring to the attention of business owners – ensuring that accessible parking spaces meet the requirements of the ‘Americans with Disabilities Act and are usable by people with disabilities.

Specifically, “When a business or state or local government re-lineates parking spaces in a parking lot or parking structure (parking facilities), it must provide accessible parking spaces as required by the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (2010 Standards)” (ADA Compliance Brief: Restricting Parking Spaces, US Department of Justice, 2015). The delimitation of a parking lot is considered as a modification and, in doing so, the accessible spaces must be brought into conformity with the accessibility standards in force.

Businesses or private facilities that provide goods or services to the public have an ongoing ADA obligation to remove barriers to access in existing parking lots when it is readily practicable to do so. When a public lodging or commercial facility rearranges parking, it must provide accessible parking spaces as required by the ADA’s latest standards for accessible design.

Since re-striping is relatively inexpensive, it is easily achievable in most cases to bring stripping and signage requirements for accessible parking up to current standards at the same time.

Within the Missoula city limits, re-striping or re-closing your parking lot also means you must obtain a permit from the city and submit plans for how you will bring your parking lot accessible into compliance, if you haven’t already. . City of Missoula Ordinance 12.22.095 explains the requirements for applying for a permit whenever you plan to undertake activities such as re-striping or resealing and Ordinance 12.22.060 provides easy access to design requirements for parking facilities. If your business is simply resealing or re-striping your parking lot, there is no fee associated with the permit.

Obtaining a permit is important because if work without a permit is discovered or if an entity fails to comply with signage and pavement marking requirements for accessible parking or any other applicable standards, the owner will be notified. by Certified US Mail of the non-compliance and given sixty (60) days to correct the defect, failure to do so will result in fines, per CMM 1.20.010.

Too often, some businesses still fail, even 29 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide appropriately designed accessible parking spaces. This failure to bring parking lots up to accessibility standards means that many customers who require the use of accessible parking will simply not be able to access your business and will choose to shop elsewhere instead. Remember that good access is good business.

For more information on parking lot accessibility requirements, please contact Summit Independent Living (www.summitilc.org).

When re-striping/resealing your parking lot(s), please do what is fair and legal and ensure you provide accessible parking spaces that comply with current accessibility requirements.

Thank you.

Travis Hoffman

Advocacy Coordinator

Independent Living Summit

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