New Survey Released On Parking Garage Security

May 10, 2010 - A survey released today by Federal APD, the foremost North American manufacturer of parking control products, taps into U.S. consumers' minds to better understand what drives parking behavior. Notably, the "American Parking Decisions" survey demonstrates security is a consistently high factor for Americans in addition to traditional cost and location considerations. In addition, the survey provides enlightening comparisons of the preferences of men and women as well as six different age groups.

When asked to rank the top three most important considerations when making a parking decision, the majority of Americans indicated "cost" (34 percent), followed closely by "security" (29 percent) and "location" (25 percent). However, two very different age groups-seniors over age 65 and Americans aged 25‐34 years old-ranked security as the most important factor.

"We have always known parkers primarily make a decision based on cost, especially in a down economy," said Bob Kane, Director of New Business Development for Federal APD. "But, the ‘American Parking Decisions' survey demonstrates safety is a close second that trumps the potential increased convenience of another facility's location. Clearly, a secure parking experience is a critical factor for women and men, as well as Americans of all ages."

To provide additional insight regarding the most important parking security factors, survey respondents were asked to rank their top three considerations among five choices. Most (38 percent) chose "a clear security presence with a guard at a desk or in a patrol car," followed closely by "lighting in garage or stairwells" (35 percent) and, in third place, "visible security cameras" (17 percent). Other choices given in the survey were "operating elevators" (seven percent) and "operating call buttons to speak with attendant" (four percent).

Additional Findings The survey revealed interesting demographic comparisons. For example:

    * Greater use by Men. More men use paid parking facilities than women. 47 percent of men and 36 percent of women said they will pay or have paid to park in the past.
    * Unity through Security: An almost equal percentage of men and women (27 percent compared with 30 percent, respectively) ranked security as the most important factor when thinking about parking.
    * Younger Americans want to chat: While only 11 percent of all respondents chose "operating call buttons to speak with a live attendant at exit and entrance kiosks," 18‐34 year‐olds chose this as the most or second most important consideration when thinking about parking security, above all other age groups.
    * We want perks. A rewards program for frequent parking and lost ticket/ vehicle locator assistance were closely tied as consumers' second most influential choice in choosing a parking facility. Following discounted parking (47 percent), 15 percent of consumers said lost ticket/vehicle locator assistance or an incentive program would influence parking decisions.

Methodology
Federal APD commissioned the survey to learn more about what influences and considerations affect Americans' parking decisions. The online survey was conducted among a sample of 1,054 adults comprising 510 men and 544 women 18 years of age and older. Interviewing for this survey was completed on March 25‐26, 2010. The online omnibus study is conducted twice a week among a demographically representative U.S. sample of 1,000 adults 18 years of age and older using Greenfield Online Part of The Toluna Group sample.