The staff of CEG has been involved in hundreds of parking projects. This experience better enables staff members to assist parking administrators and developers with planning and operational issues. Over the years, staff members have assembled a collection of "TIPS" that we use when evaluating parking operations. A few TIPS are presented below. If you are facing operational challenges with your parking facilities, contact CEG for knowledgeable and cost-effective advice.

Revenue is down. Missing tickets are up. You suspect a weakness in your revenue control equipment so you go out and purchase the latest fee computer. To further improve your revenue control, you also add a new barrier gate, loops, and detectors. The result - no decrease in the number of missing tickets. It's not until you notice that the fee computer, the heart of your revenue control system, is simply plugged into an electrical outlet that you suspect the real problem. The next day, the fee computer is hard wired into the electrical system so it cannot be unplugged. Suddenly, the number of missing tickets rapidly decreases. Important revenue control equipment should be hard wired to prevent intentional misuse.

Loops are the "hidden" component of a revenue control system. Usually buried and out of sight, they work in conjunction with detectors to provide counts and/or interface with other equipment. Loops are insulated wire and the wire can be damaged during installation. They can also break from earth movement. Sometimes the insulation surrounding the wire can deteriorate over time. To ensure your loops are working properly, check their operation at least once a year. Many digital loop detectors have a self-diagnostic feature that can identify loop problems. You can also physically count the vehicles passing over a loop and compare that number against the associated counter.

Yes, it's important to keep barrier gates locked to prevent unauthorized entry or exit. It's also important for staff members to quickly raise the gate arm in the event of an equipment failure. To maintain revenue control and customer service, keep a key in a single-use security bag. These bags are available from several sources. The supervisor places a key in the bag and seals it. At each shift change, the security of the bag is checked. If the key is removed, a written explanation must be required. The supervisor must then investigate the incident and place the key in another bag. If the number of incidents becomes too frequent, further investigation of the cause is warranted.