Establishing A Perfect Project: A Parking Manager’s Introspection

Our culture has taught me to strive for perfection. I want perfectly crafted projects. And yet, I work in the parking and mobility field, which inherently defies perfection.

Parking requires a person to have the inner strength to understand and thrive in grey area. It requires the careful balance of compliance, technology, customer service, efficiency, revenue, staffing, and maintenance. And while this list of complexities can be deflating for a parking manager, this balancing act is why many are attracted to the industry. It’s why I like it.

I’ve recently been blessed with the opportunity to push a large project forward -- PARCS for 150 lanes, online permitting for 7,000 monthly accounts, website refresh, and A/R overhaul in a complex mixed-use city environment.

When first approached about the project, I was excited because it seemed like the private funding was already lined up. Like a dream, I imagined that I’d float along seamlessly, doing my work without hassle. I imagined that I’d scope the technologies and make the perfect project plan, without battling for money or compromising the project based on the comments of politicians who don’t even understand parking.

But I was, indeed…dreaming.

It’s true that I haven’t had politicians in my ear. It’s also true that I haven’t had to struggle with overall funding. So, why isn’t this a dream-like experience?

It’s because this is parking. It’s too complex to be dreamy. And yet, the initial stages of a project can be calm and creative, as if perfection is attainable.

For many months last summer, I had a quiet and pleasant scoping exercise. I arranged technology demos and networked to find the latest trends and startups. I wrote an RFP and talked to dozens of industry professionals to seek advice. And the sales folks told me that their products can do everything and solve all my problems. For those months, anything seemed possible, as if parking technologies only produce rainbows and butterflies.  

Now is very different. I am in the guts of the project, planning the actual details and discovering and solving a new problem each day. Yesterday I learned that I do not have enough merchant IDs. Today I learned that the decrementing permits will not translate to the online portal. And after a year of work on the project, I still have stakeholders who are not on board. It’s one thing after another.

I now realize my patterned behavior. Each time I complete an arduous project I tell myself that I’m going to take a break from pushing new initiatives. But then I quickly forget all the difficulties of the last project…much like a mother who immediately forgets about the pain of childbirth. And then I launch myself into another challenging initiative, as if it’s my unwritten destiny to always push parking operations to be better. Maybe Jane Austin would understand the destiny part. And maybe there are other parking operators out there who understand?

If you’re out in the world and pushing the parking industry toward perfection, cheers to you. I hope to see you soon and commiserate.

P.S. - I’ll be at SWPTA in Vegas, October 25-27.