7/11/07
Free Scooter Parking in NYC This Summer!
Parking initiative continues the call to arms for development and support of legal parking for two-wheel vehicles
Piaggio Group Americas Partners with Edison ParkFast to Provide Free Scooter Parking During the Summer in New York
NEW YORK, NY – July 11, 2007 – Piaggio Group Americas, the U.S. importer of the world-famous Vespa® scooter, today announced that the company is sponsoring a limited free parking program for scooters at Edison ParkFast garages in New York City during the summer to raise awareness of the need for scooter parking across the country. Piaggio Group is funding scooter parking for locals, commuters and NY Scooter Club meetings throughout the summer.
Relative to cars, trucks and SUV’s, motor scooters are an environmentally-friendly means of transportation that help alleviate city congestion and should be included on the list of vehicles exempt from the proposed congestion tariff.
To demonstrate the need for legal scooter parking on city streets to local government officials and to prompt private garage operators to expand and/or add scooter parking to their list of accepted vehicles, Piaggio Group has instituted free parking for two-wheel vehicles in Edison ParkFast garages. Specially-marked parking spots in the participating garages will accommodate 12 two-wheel scooters and will be branded with the Vespa logo. During the months of July and August, riders can park their scooters free of charge (when space is available and in accordance to program rules) at any of the following locations:
* Chinatown -- 174 Centre Street, between Hester and Canal Streets
* Midtown -- 412-422 W. 33rd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues
* Theater District -- 1120 Avenue of the Americas, near 44th Street (enter on 43rd Street)
* Tribeca -- 15-21 Worth Street, between Worth Street and West Broadway
“The popularity of the two-wheel vehicle is on the rise. Piaggio Group recognizes the need to do our part in helping scooter owners find adequate, safe and legal parking in New York and in cities around the country,” said Paolo Timoni, President and CEO of Piaggio Group Americas. “Funding free parking during the summer brings our city one step closer to allotting appropriate parking, but we plan to continue reaching out to local government officials to demonstrate both the need for and benefit of scooter parking.”
To promote the program, titled “Free Parking in NYC?” Piaggio Group Americas will send teams of Vespa branded ambassadors to high traffic locations in New York City to distribute pocket brochures highlighting the free Edison ParkFast locations and other facts on how scootering can help to curb global warming now. They will also conduct their own internal website and email campaign, plus seeding of blogs and scooter group message boards.
This free scooter parking initiative, a continuation of Piaggio Group’s “Vespanomics” campaign, continues to position two-wheel vehicles as a solution that could greatly reduce energy consumption, while helping to preserve the environment and alleviate traffic congestion. If Americans were to utilize one of the latest eco-friendly motor scooters for just 10 percent of their everyday travel, they could potentially reduce national fuel consumption by 14 million gallons of gasoline per day and decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 324 million pounds per day. (See Vespanomics.com)
