By Star Hughes-Gorup

No matter where your business is located, parking has become a growing concern across all markets—both urban and suburban. One major factor that contributes to this issue is the trend of densifying office space (aka fitting more team members into smaller square footages)—and this trend won’t be changing for the foreseeable future!

Scouring side streets for a parking space relatively close to the office can be a daily, stressful ritual. Here are three strategies to help maximize parking and solve for commuting issues to accommodate for a dense and growing team!

1. Consider Urban Office Markets
When planning a new office location or relocation, consider urban office markets with plenty of public transportation options. Each of Hughes Marino’s offices are positioned in locations that provide our team with easy access to the coaster, trolley, bus and numerous bike/ride share options.

2. Provide Parking for Your Team
Consider investing in a valet service for your team’s parking. This option will allow you to double and triple park your team in your designated parking ratio, dramatically increasing your parking capacity. One caveat—be sure to confirm this with your landlord prior to implementing! Many companies will also offer mobility benefits that include employer reimbursement for public transportation, parking in structures, ridesharing, vanpools, bike storage and flex time options.

3. Utilize Shuttle Services
Invest in shuttle services to transport your team from an offsite location. As more and more suburban office markets begin to charge for parking, the cost of using a third-party shuttle service for transporting team members becomes a competitive alternative to monthly parking costs. In the coming years, we expect more companies to invest in either private or shared shuttle services for transporting their team to and from the office.

We work with thousands of companies in markets across the country, and we love seeing how they get creative with solving this all-too-common issue. The good news? By utilizing these three ideas, companies can ease the stress of commuting—and use these strategies to their advantage to attract and retain team members!