Free parking space, ice-free ramps, eco-roof and e-car charging points
How modern-day urban parking must look like and what problems car owners must be freed of
A multi-storey underground car park in thickly built-up cities is able to solve problems of both a city and car owners. Realnoe Vremya pointed out ten key features of modern parking by the example of the four-storey underground parking located under the Sultan-Galiyev Square next to Kazan National Cultural Centre on Pushkin Street. With this type of construction, it is the biggest parking not only in Kazan but also in Russia.
City centre problem
One of the key tasks of parking in a big city is to provide a car owner with a chance to park nearby the final point of the route. This problem is especially serious in the centre of a metropolis. The car park next to Kazan NCC is situated within walking distance both from business centres (the Tatarstan Ministry of Finance, the office of the Federal Tax Service, the Tatarstan State Council, the Tatarstan Supreme Court and so on) and leisure centres (the Kremlin Embankment, the M. Jalil Opera and Ballet Theatre, the S. Saydashev Big Concert Hall).
Cars underground, green downhill on the surface
As little space as possible must be used for parking in the city centre. What is more, the city’s appearance shouldn’t suffer. The multi-storey car park located next to Kazan NCC is an example of effective use of the urban space. Its body is hidden underground on a riverbank slope, while there is a green lawn, paths for walks and an amphitheatre on the surface. The general picture of the bank line remained during the construction.
For a thousand cars
The total car park area is 52,868 square metres. However, the area of the territory is five times smaller. Four levels and a small underground area allow leaving 957 cars on a comparably small space. The outdoor space is designed only for people with disabilities and excursion buses.
The cheaper the better
Unfortunately, the problem of the lack of space in the centre causes another one — the price problem. A fee in municipal parking in the centre of Kazan is 100 rubles an hour now, while one has just 15 minutes to pay. The car park next to Kazan NCC offers a space for 60 rubles for the same duration. Moreover, 39 minutes are given to exit after the paid time expires.
Quick payment, quick exit
Many Kazan parking spaces have a headache with queues at the exit: there are few payment terminals, while the time given to leave the park is very limited. The four-storey car park on Pushkin Street has two exits at once — both to Pushkin Street itself and Podluzhnaya Street. They are equipped with four entrance and exit stands, while the car park itself has nine payment terminals.
Coloured indicators for free parking space
The problem of search for a free parking space was solved in an unusual way. Free parking lots are indicated in green colour, while the red light turns on above the parked cars.
Considering Russian winter
In Russian conditions, every car owner wants to have a parking space for his or her iron horse in a heated area, this is why heating parking is no surprise now. But apart from heating, there is another important winter feature at the parking next to Kazan NCC — entrance ramps have electrical heating to prevent them from covering with ice.
Always in clean car
A touch-free car wash by Washworld is another know-how of the car park. It is the only car wash of this kind in Tatarstan. There is a similar car wash by Washworld in Moscow. The car wash is completely automatic and doesn’t need an operator. The car owner selects a programme, makes a payment and enters the car wash. 100 bar water streams are directed at the car in a glass cabin. The wash time depends on the programme selected and is 4-16 minutes. After the programme is completed, the entrance gates open, a signal turns on, and the clean car leaves the car wash.
Salvation for e-car owners
There are few e-cars in Kazan at the moment, this is why charging for their owners in the capital of Tatarstan remains a big problem now. The car park on Pushkin Street solves it, too. It is equipped with a set of e-car charging points by Schneider Electric. Car owners can use one of the eight charging devices, 22 kW each. Two cars at once can be charged at one station. Any e-cars available in the Russian market can connect to the devices. For instance, a Tesla car will be charged for 3-5 hours.
Safety is key
The latest technologies were used at the car park near Kazan NCC to provide people’s safety. A general jet fan ventilation system is one of the key tech novelties. The area of the underground parking isn’t loaded with large ventilation ducts. Jet fans create a smoke-free zone around emergency exits throughout the space if needed. And the park’s lifts can operate during a fire and allow transporting firefighting brigades.