water capture/recycling system, which feeds a 27,000-gallon cistern visible on two levels. Best design/implementation of a surface parking lot DEN 61st and Pena Station Parking Facility, Denver, Colo. — Den- ver International Airport’s newest 800-space, $4.5 million surface lot provides convenient covered parking with a solar-canopy microsystem covering 609 of the spaces. A demonstration project (owned by Xcel Energy in partnership with Panasonic) will examine how a battery system can help integration of renewable energy, reliability of the distribution system, voltage management, and peak reduction. The lot is a platform to test new technology that promotes sustainable growth and innovation. The site’s solar panels feed energy to an onsite battery storage system, which currently helps power an adjacent office build- ing and will serve new development. Located at the 61st and Pena Regional Transportation District Uni- versity of Colorado A Line station, the lot offers daily, overnight, and monthly parking options for commuters taking the rail train to the airport or downtown Denver. An autonomous vehicle transports passengers between a nearby bus station and the train station. The unstaffed facility offers eight pay stations and is checked three times daily. Drivers can access free services that include vehicle location, jump starts, tire inflation, and lockout help. The structure features free WiFi and 11 level-1 EV charging stations for patrons. Anew mixed-use development is planned nearby. Innovation in a parking operation or program University of Southern California Safe Ride Program, Los Angeles — The University of Southern California’s (USC’s) Campus Cruiser safe-ride-home program has grown at a rapid pace since its inception in 1978. It hit a bump in 2015 when demand exceeded realistic capacity. The new $4 million Safe Rides program partnered with the ride-share company Lyft to serve its customers and keep growing, ensuring that USC students get around quickly and safely. Partnering with an outside agency immediately solved numerous inter- nal operational challenges, including vehicle inventory and expenses, staffing, and office space. Lyft drivers are independent contractors, providing service in their own vehicles and requiring no office space. At the beginning of each semester, currently enrolled students receive specific directions on how to register for the program; once signed up, they can download an app for the Safe Rides program. If their ride meets program restrictions (starting and ending within the Campus Cruiser boundaries and observing the time frames of the program), USC pays for their ride. The partnership has halved the cost per ride, which now averages $4. It eliminates ride/car shortages and reduced wait times from 15 min- utes to 3.7 minutes. It has added capacity, increasing rides from 8,000 to 21,000 per week. The student health center uses Lyft for patients, and the university recently offered half-price rides to the airport for Thanksgiving. Best parking facility rehabilitation or restoration Nebraska Medical Center Durham Parking Structure, Omaha, Neb.;
Denver International Airport’s newest 800-space, $4.5 million surface lot is a platform to test new technology that promotes sustainable growth and innovation. Photo: Denver International Airport
The garage’s cast-in-place concrete, post-tensioning ensured durability and a space average of 376 square feet. Careful detailing and water- proofing of a split slab on the second level maximizes street front- age for retail and mercantile tenant spaces. The level-one ambulatory surgery center faces Waller Creek and is serviced from the garage’s shared loading dock. Its critical-care functions necessitated vibration and sound isolation from the garage superstructure. The ground-level café tucked into the northeast corner provides food service to the Health Transformation Building as well as the adjacent Health Discovery Building, with outdoor seating available in the plaza between the buildings with a view of Waller Creek. Levels 2 through 6 house reading and conference rooms and a creek- view terrace. Integrated lobbies on each level feature large wayfinding elements, level-reminder business cards, and other navigation aids. Non-transient staff and medical physicians access reserved parking areas on level four. A speed ramp to the second level allows for di- rect patient drop-off, with integrated bypass lane and turn-around for mistaken drivers. Level 2 has 55 motorcycle permit spaces and ac- commodates emergency ambulances equipped with CO 2 sensors and idling fans. Street-level bike parking offers six shower and changing facilities. The larger project is LEED Gold certified and includes many sustainable features, such as a 22,000-square-foot green roof and rain-
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