Touchless parking garages, more common in Europe, will be opening soon in New York.
Instead of driving cars to spots, an automated system first designed for warehouse storage lifts cars into designated places. AutoMotion Parking Systems controls 74 spots located below 24 condominiums in Manhattan. Fifty spaces will be open to the public later this spring. "Not only are developers looking at automated garages, city planners and architects are discussing new ideas to manage automobiles, even when stationary. Urban theorists and policy makers are increasingly looking at the effects of parking on traffic, development, pollution and energy efficiency."
"You get your car in under three minutes," Ari Milstein of AutoMotion claims. "It's as easy as an A.T.M. or E-ZPass." Beyond speed and convenience, the dirver may have peace of mind that the car remains untouched and unopened, and valuables are safe inside.
FULL STORY: Parking as a Destination

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

San Diego Wins $14M for Affordable Housing
The funding comes via the state’s Regional Early Action Planning program and will help create close to 1,000 new housing units.

Albuquerque Remains Committed to Free Transit
Ridership on the city’s transit system has gone up by 20 percent since they eliminated bus fares in 2022.

Feds Revoke $327M for Mass Pike Project
The project’s design replaces aging viaducts with a ground-level highway, a transit hub, and multimodal infrastructure.
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