Let The Games Begin!

As you know I am here working with the RMO and their parking operations during the Olympic Games where things have been going great! We are in our third and final week of Olympic Operations and the By-Law staff have done an outstanding job regulating and enforcing the parking!

There is however another side to parking here in Whistler which operates from a slightly different perspective. So I thought I would tell you about another one of our T2 Customers based  in Whistler named FastPark! FastPark is a private parking entity owned and operated by Jim Watts. Fastpark picks up where the RMO leaves off around the area and manages approximately 2000 private spaces here in Whistler. Some are owned by Merchant Groups and others by individuals or corporations. The difference here is that the locations Jim is in control of were not obtained by VANOC as were the majority of the Municipal lots.

Jim's main focus is to keep the parking for the merchants free and clear so their patrons can get in and out of the lots to perform business as necessary. One of the largest lots is the Marketplace which is the busiest because of it's close proximity to the Village where a lot of the activities are taking place. The lot has a maximum one hour time limit so there is plenty of work to be done with regards to parking enforcement.

Jim has several tools at his disposal that assist him in his day to day operations. He of course uses T2 Flex for the backend systems and uses the MC75/Oneil handheld ticket writer bundle for the ticket issuance. He uses the Real Time Wireless option on the handhelds as well as the HCS Web Services which gives him direct results that are needed in his operation. He also uses the Verrus system for monitoring paid spaces in the lot and is currently testing the AutoView system as well during the games. Besides himself he also has several full time employees that assist him in the daily operations.

Jim has also been my host family while I am here and I have been staying with him and his family. I want to give a special thank you to him and his family for taking such great care of me while I am here! I also have to give kuddos and a word of admiration for his 11 year old son Reed who is actually a Luge athlete! All I can say is WOW! If you got to watch any of the Luge events as I did and see how fast they go down the track, just imagine the courage and the skill that this young man has. He won a gold medal himself last year and this year in local competitions!

Stay tuned!