The Best Types Of Parking Protections For Underground Garages

Underground garages are a popular choice due to their ability to not only provide safety from potential threats and shelter from the elements for your car but also maximize urban land use. In this blog, we will explore the best types of parking protections for underground garages, considering basic security requirements and the various technologies and systems available. Knowing your options is key to protecting your investment, but first, let's take a closer look at the reasons why underground garages are set to play a more significant role in people's lives and urban planning.

How Underground Garages Transform Urban Living

Far from being merely a place to park vehicles, the underground structures have the potential to change urban living for both individuals and cities. Nowadays, cities face escalating issues from congestion, pollution, and space limits, and the need for underground garages becomes more and more obvious as they provide a variety of benefits that not only improve people's lives but also assist in the city's development and growth.

How individuals benefit

As your vehicle is likely one of the most valuable assets you will possess, it makes sense to keep it protected. Let's take a look at a few reasons to always keep your vehicle parked in an underground garage.

• Enhanced safety and security: Besides protecting your vehicle from scratches and dents that may occur when parked on the street, garages offer enhanced security with their closed, well-lit spaces that are often under video surveillance or employ security guards. But even if your covered parking option does not include security employees, smash-and-grab criminals are less likely to operate in a garage. Parking garages aren't exactly built for swift escapes.
• Protection from the elements: Parking in an underground garage has the key advantage of protecting your vehicle from the elements, preventing damage caused by weather conditions like rusting from snow and rain, and avoiding issues like tire damage and wiper wear due to excessive sun exposure. Ensuring improved vehicle performance and preserving the car's exterior, including paint, bodywork, and windows, is essential. Sun exposure causes paint oxidation, leading to fading and peeling. Additionally, bird droppings, tree sap, heat, and sunlight can damage both the paint and interior components like the dashboard, steering wheel, upholstery, and rubber parts.
• Extended lifespan: Keeping the vehicle parked in a garage is essential to preserving its condition. Extreme outdoor temperatures can accelerate deterioration, affecting engine lubrication, oil viscosity, and the battery. Damage to your vehicle's performance, interior, and exterior will result in a slew of costly repairs over time. Moreover, your vehicle's market value will decrease. That means less money in your pocket if you decide to sell it later.

How cities benefit

In urban areas, underground parking significantly transforms the living environment by saving space and minimizing traffic above ground. Some of the key benefits include:

• Space optimization: Underground garages enable cities to make better use of limited urban space. Because the parking is beneath the ground, it does not take up precious surface area that may be used for other purposes.
• Reduced traffic congestion: Adequate parking facilities can assist in reducing on-street parking, which frequently contributes to traffic congestion and slower traffic flow. When drivers can easily find parking in underground garages, they spend less time cruising on the streets to find a parking spot. Moreover, improved traffic flow from reduced on-street parking can result in lower emissions and higher air quality.
• Preservation of aesthetics and pedestrian areas: Urban aesthetics and pedestrian-friendly places are vital elements of a city's attractiveness. Underground garages are critical to accomplishing both, as they preserve the aesthetic appeal of urban areas while reducing street clutter. Cities can designate more space for pedestrian walkways, parks, and recreational areas when there are fewer vehicles parked on the surface, resulting in a more livable and appealing urban environment for everyone.
• Supporting Urban Development: Underground garages can be incorporated into new developments, allowing urban areas to expand vertically without giving up valuable surface space.

In conclusion, underground garages provide a transformational approach to urban living that goes much beyond their core function of providing parking. These subterranean constructions, with their ability to optimize space, reduce traffic congestion, improve safety and security, and promote environmental sustainability, represent a progressive response to the issues that modern cities face. As cities evolve, the construction of underground garages can be a game changer for developing more livable, lively, and sustainable communities.

Types Of Parking Protections For Underground Garages

In a previous section, we delved into the numerous benefits of covered parking for your vehicle's safety. Now, we turn our attention to the best types of parking protections that will elevate your parking experience and vehicle's security to new heights.

Basic Security Requirements

Adequate illumination is essential in underground garages to improve visibility and discourage criminal activity. Well-lit areas make it easier for people to navigate the parking spot and enhance the overall safety of the facility. But not only do driving and pedestrian zones need to have bright lighting; stairwells, elevators, and refuge areas also must be appropriately lit.

In addition, the maintenance of an underground garage is of the utmost importance. For starters, appropriate maintenance maintains the facility's durability and structural integrity. Second, it plays a significant role in ensuring the garage's essential systems and equipment, such as ventilation, fire suppression systems, or fixtures for lighting, work efficiently. Also, a well-kept underground garage contributes to the overall aesthetic appeal and cleanliness of the property.

Automatic Gate Barrier

For underground garages, the installation of automated gates is one of the fundamental security demands. These physical barriers act as the initial line of protection, controlling vehicle entry and exit. By incorporating advanced technologies like proximity sensors or license plate recognition systems, these gates can effectively manage access and deter unauthorized vehicles from entering the premises. 

Users can use smartphone apps or keyfobs to open and close the garage gate without leaving their vehicles or, for example, the comfort of their homes and offices. Plus, smart gates allow users to set timers to open and close them automatically. This feature is practical for planned access, such as opening the gate at certain times of the day or closing it at night for additional safety.

An additional plus of this barrier is that it can be installed in conditions where space is limited. When dealing with a lower ceiling in an underground garage where there is limited area for the gate to swing or where the horizontal movement of a traditional arm gate may be obstructed, an automated gate with a joint for the arm that can break the folding arm while raising is a perfect solution.

Automatic Parking Bollard

Automatic bollards play an important role in restricting access to private entrances and areas of underground garages, as well as delivery spots, which are often busy and exposed to unauthorized access. They can be raised or lowered by using a smartphone app or automatically in response to a variety of triggers, such as vehicle detection or access control systems. This eliminates the need for manual intervention and restricts entry to authorized personnel or vehicles only.

Vehicle Identification Systems

There are a few options, such as vehicle QR codes, proximity cards, or magnetic stripe cards, but ANPR is the clear winner here. An automatic number-plate recognition system (ANPR) is a system that takes vehicle photos and recognizes license plate numbers on moving cars. It can be simply incorporated with any physical parking protection equipment (such as a boom gate or automatic chain barrier), allowing authorized cars to enter and exit automatically. When combined with an ANPR camera, this system becomes highly reliable and accurate, allowing authorized vehicles to gain access automatically.

AI Monitoring System

The AI Parking Monitoring System is an advanced system that monitors and manages parking spaces by utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and computer vision techniques. It combines technology, such as cameras, and software to automate parking operations, improve efficiency, and increase security.

To put it simply, the system provides real-time monitoring via a smart camera, which means you have constant access to parking data, surveillance of suspicious activities, identification of license plate numbers, and detection of unauthorized vehicles or parking violations.

Security personnel

Hiring security personnel for underground garages can provide several benefits. Their very presence can deter criminal activity such as theft, vandalism, or violence. They can patrol the garage, enforce parking regulations, and intervene in suspicious or illegal activity.

Security personnel can also complement the existing surveillance systems by monitoring cameras, identifying any security flaws, and addressing them promptly. In private underground garages, they also make sure that only authorized persons can access and use the garage. And last but not least, in the event of an emergency such as an accident, a medical crisis, or a security breach, security staff can respond promptly and cooperate with emergency services.

Signage and Wayfinding

In underground garages, clear signage and wayfinding markers are vital for directing drivers to available parking spots, exits, and emergency exits. Signs that are strategically placed help to avoid confusion and ensure efficient traffic flow.

Furthermore, displaying clear and visible signage at a parking spot indicates that a parking space has been assigned or designated for a specific person or purpose. 

How Can I Additionally Protect My Parking Spot in the Underground Garage?

If you are lucky enough to own or rent your own parking space in an underground garage, you are well aware of the comfort and convenience it gives you, as well as the peace of mind and assurance that your vehicle is well protected. But you haven't taken steps to further protect it yet. Is it a big deal? Well, what's more irritating than discovering another car in your reserved parking spot?

The following section will provide you with the knowledge and tools necessary to protect your parking spot and deter unauthorized use.

Establish Clear Ownership and Parking Rights

Begin by becoming acquainted with the terms and conditions specified in your lease agreement or any documentation pertaining to your parking space. Keep documentation proving your ownership or exclusive parking rights. Keep copies of any pertinent paperwork, such as lease agreements, parking permits, or any other legal evidence proving your right to the parking spot.

Install a Smart Parking Barrier

The Smart Parking Barrier is a smartphone-controlled parking barrier that protects parking spots from unauthorized access while providing reliable control. When compared to standard parking barriers, it has several unique features and capabilities, including automation.

Instead of manually unlocking and removing physical barriers, a smart parking barrier can be managed remotely via a smartphone app or keyfob. This enables quick and easy entry and exit from your parking area, saving you time and effort. It also offers customizable access control options, allowing you to grant access to other users for a specific period while preventing unauthorized vehicles from entering.

You can also install an extension on your parking barrier. The barrier extension adds extra security to your parking area and improves visibility for higher, larger vehicles.

Put a Private Parking Sign

To establish visual limits, clearly label your parking area. This can be achieved by placing a customized sign with your name or an assigned number, or a simple sign that says "Private Parking" or "No Parking". Ensure that the indicators are visible from all angles, indicating that the space is reserved for your use. To properly convey the message, use signs with appropriate language, symbols, and directions.

Advanced Technologies Make Underground Garages the Most Protected Type of Parking Facility

In conclusion, the best types of parking protections for underground garages involve a combination of smart physical barriers, monitoring systems, access control mechanisms, license plate recognition systems, security personnel, and effective signage. Each component plays a crucial role in ensuring the overall safety and security of these facilities, not only by offering robust protection against theft, vandalism, and the negative impacts of elements but also by preventing unauthorized access.

By implementing these measures, underground garages can truly provide the best parking experience for vehicle owners and users.