{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Harder Than It Looks: Parking Uncovered","title":"EP 57: 850 Square Miles: How Peter Sherwill Runs Parking for the Biggest City in America","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3274,"description":"In this episode of Harder Than It Looks, host Brian Wolff is joined by Peter Sherwill, Chief Public Parking Officer for the City of Jacksonville, the largest city by land area in the contiguous United States. Peter brings more than two decades of parking and mobility experience spanning valet, event parking, municipal operations, and private sector contracts, and now oversees a system of garages, surface lots, on-street parking, and enforcement across 850 square miles.\nPeter walks Brian through his winding path into parking, starting as a high school valet attendant and working his way through event parking at venues like Red Rocks Ampitheatre, municipal operations in Denver, and a private sector stop in Fort Myers before landing in Jacksonville. Brian and Peter dig into how Peter keeps a lean 40-person team motivated without a formal appreciation budget, how the department earned a seat at the table for major city projects, and how Jacksonville is modernizing decades-old technology while preserving the ambassador-like role of enforcement staff. They close with a look at the next big challenges facing curb management as downtown Jacksonville grows.\nKey Takeaways\n1. Motivation doesn't require a big budget. Without funds for employee perks, small gestures, such as dedicated a employee break room, new uniforms, \"Win Wednesday\" recognition meetings, have transformed a once-fragmented enforcement team into one that has each other's backs.\n2. If you want a seat at the table, you have to take initiative. Parking teams are often the last to know about city projects that affect the curb. Peter changed that in Jacksonville by proactively reaching out to other departments and showing up as a problem solver, not an afterthought.\n3. Modern technology should remove friction, not remove people. Jacksonville is rolling out multi-space meters, online permitting, and updated LPR systems, while intentionally keeping staff visible and approachable so automation doesn't replace the...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/Y0XKm5qIfx5wu96cc17w73uLDJ9g38v-oi18WqKq6hY/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zYmYx/ZTU1ZWMyZTdhMzFj/M2VkYTBmNjY5MWYw/NTQ3Ny5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}