Global Press

Let's hope downtown visitors remember where they parked.

Thanksgiving morning, I drove to downtown Houston to watch the H-E-B parade. I saw an entrance to an underground garage, pulled in, paid $10, parked in a hurry and came up for air and the parade.

It was the first time I used the Theater District Parking Garage. Until this year, I could park in the Chronicle's garage downtown, but we've moved to swanky new quarters at Loop 610 and the Southwest Freeway. Bye bye, free downtown parking.

Reginald Randolph, general manager of the Houston First Theater District Parking Garage, has been named Innovator of the Year by the National Parking Association (NPA).

NPA presents the award each year to the individual who demonstrates cutting-edge expertise, smart city innovation, and advancement of technology in the parking industry. Randolph was recognized for leading a fully integrated, organization-wide technology upgrade to enhance the parker experience and increase operational efficiency. The 3,400-space parking facility serves Houston’s busy Theater District.

The National Parking Association (NPA) announced the winners of its 2016 Innovation Awards at the Annual Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, September 20. The NPA Awards Luncheon occurred during the organization's 65th Annual Convention & Expo in Atlanta.

"The NPA Innovation Awards recognize companies and individuals who demonstrate the highest professionalism and parking best practices while using leadership and state-of-the-art technology to improve safety, sustainability and bottom line results," said NPA president Christine Banning, CAE.

Colorado State University has been recognized as the Innovative Parking Organization of the Year by the National Parking Association (NPA). The award is presented each year to an organization that demonstrates cutting edge expertise, smart city innovation and advancement of technology in the parking industry. CSU was recognized for its pioneering approach to promoting sustainability through the university parking program as well as the introduction of a groundbreaking parking guidance program utilizing industry-leading INDECT technology.

“This is a tremendous honor for Colorado State University and our parking program,” said Doug Mayhew, Associate Director of Parking and Transportation for the university. “The university is committed to promoting sustainability and our parking program is playing an important role in making CSU greener. We are gratified to have our efforts recognized by the parking industry.”

Numbers in green show how many stalls are open. Red lights indicate that a floor is full.

Those red and green lights outside Colorado State University’s Lake Street parking garage aren’t inspired by the holidays. And they aren’t gasoline prices at some new station, either.

CSU Parking and Transportation Services has installed a sensor-based parking guidance system, with displays outside the entrances revealing the number of spots available on each particular floor.

Numbers in green show how many parking stalls are open. Red lights indicate that a particular floor is full.

Colorado State University today announced the completion of their latest green parking initiative as part of their vision to remain the greenest university in the USA. The installation of a sensor-based parking guidance system from INDECT USA enhances the LEED certified garage, which has also been designated a Green Garage Demonstrator by the Green Parking Council.

“CSU is committed to sustainability and the INDECT sensor program will make a vital contribution to our efforts to make our campus greener,” said Doug Mayhew, Associate Director of Parking and Transportation for the university. “By guiding parkers directly to open spaces, the parking guidance system minimizes the amount of time spent searching for parking. The program will also dramatically decrease the amount of vehicle exhaust emitted in the structure, and reduce the amount of unnessasary fuel wastage.”