Anyone who thinks that automated car
parking systems are new needs a history lesson.
So, following is a brief history of the
automated car parking system.
Early
Automated Parking Systems
According to The Mechanical Parking Guide 2011 by Leon Hamelink, the earliest reference
something akin to an automated parking system was the Garage Rue de Ponthieu
constructed in 1905. The systems consisted of a lift in the center of the
structure to move cars up one or two floors where attendants on the floors
would park the cars. While this would technically be considered a
semi-automatic system, the Garage Rue de Ponthieu contained many elements found
in modern automated car parking systems.
It’s hard to imagine that car parking was
such a problem anywhere in 1905 that anything resembling an automated parking
system would be required. However, by 1900, mass production of cars was
underway in France and the United States and what could be considered
national automotive industries existed in countries, including Belgium , Switzerland ,
Sweden , Denmark , Norway ,
Italy and Australia .
Rather than being disturbed by their
rapidly increasing numbers, urban residents in the early 1900s viewed cars as a
welcome development that would make cities better places to live (try saying
such a thing today). Cars of this era were even considered to be
environmentally friendly and desirable. What drove this logic was alternative
mode of transport available at the time…horses. Horses, their food and particularly
their by-products, contributed to an unhealthy environment in the crowded
confines of growing cities. Cars made cities clean by eliminating the multitude
of biological and logistical problems associated with horses.
Ups
& Downs of Automated Parking Systems
A variety of types and styles of automated
parking systems enjoyed wide popularity in the U.S. from the 1920s through the
1960s…but, very few automated parking systems were constructed over the next 40
years.
While interest in automated parking systems
waned in the U.S. , more
advanced systems were being developed in Europe, Asia and South
America starting in the 1970s. Perhaps no country more
enthusiastically embraced the automated parking system than Japan…producing
more than 100,000 automated parking spaces per year in the late 1990s to
accommodate a rapid increase in motorization driven by a rising economy.
Automated
Parking Systems Come Full Circle
Automated car parking systems are in
increasing demand worldwide these days. Ironically, part of the reason is their
positive environmental benefits…but not for keeping horses out of cities. The
substantial volume reduction provided by automated parking systems offers
numerous environmental advantages compared to multi-story parking garages. The
automated car parking system has come full circle.
Talk to your Skyline Parking representative about all of the advantages of the Skyline product line.
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