3/19/2013

Advantages of Automated Valet Parking Systems

For most people, valet parking is a nice, convenient way to get a car parked especially in crowded urban areas. Automated valet parking systems provide all of the same conveniences of conventional valet parking…and then some:

  • No need to search for a parking space - wasting time and gas
  • No need to walk through the parking area - a confusing, scary experience
  • No need to search for exits - where am I?
  • No need to use garage stairs or elevators - not always pleasant places
  • No need to remember where the car is parked - wandering around the parking garage
Rather than starting your urban adventure, or just going home or to work, having to overcome the hassles of a parking garage, valet parking gets you started faster and at street level. What a pleasure.

Automated valet parking takes the valet experience to another level of convenience and satisfaction:

  • You keep the keys - no strangers get in your car
  • No one drives your car - giving you peace of mind
  • Your car is safe - parked in a very secure, enclosed place
  • You’re helping the environment - the engine is off until you get back in your car
  • Consistent experience - automated systems don’t complain or get grumpy
For those already using valet parking on a regular basis, automated valet parking systems are a step up in parking experience quality. For those looking for profitable and eco-friendly parking solutions, automated valet parking systems have many unique advantages compared to conventional multi-story parking garages.

To learn more about automated valet parking systems, contact your Skyline Parking representative.

3/05/2013

Alluring Amsterdam Parking

Amsterdam is a lovely and charming city with its multitude of canals bordered by tree-lined streets and its distinctive gabled architecture. So, how do you provide more than 4 dozen new parking spaces to support a 5-star hotel without disturbing the mood and character of the area?

Why not tear down 3 or 4 buildings to put in a conventional parking garage? That might work. However, it would be very difficult to disguise such a structure, and eliminating that many buildings might well change the nature of the neighborhood.

Why not build a parking garage underground? A great idea! No need to tear down any buildings. Just provide an entrance/exit. But, there’s a problem that comes from Netherlands’ most famous resource…water. The high water table limits the depth of excavations such that a conventional underground parking garage becomes unworkable.

A surface parking lot is out of the question.

Use the already limited on-street parking; most of which is occupied by local residents? Probably not a good idea or viable option.

Here’s the way we did it. Can you find the parking spaces in this peaceful street scene?




 

 
 
 
They’re right there…behind the black wooden doors:

It’s an automated parking system, the majority of which is underground.
 
Now, you ask about the water table problem. Since an automated parking system is much more space and volume efficient than a parking garage, much less excavation depth (and width) was needed.

The fully automated parking system contains 49 parking spaces and perfectly blends in with the architecture and the neighborhood. It not only provides parking for the hotel but local residents as well.

The next time you’re in the vicinity of Prinsengracht 311 – 1016 Amsterdam, stop in and enjoy a delightful parking experience.