Three New York City Area Parking Companies Offer Discounts to smart fortwo Owners
smart fortwo Owners Receive Half-Off Rates When Parking at Hundreds of Area Facilities and Airports
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Feb. 12 -- smart USA Distributor LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, Inc., , announces agreements with three New York City area parking companies. Meyers Parking, Icon Parking Systems and AviStar Airport Parking now offer parking discounts to smart fortwo owners. Owners of the revolutionary vehicle will receive a 50 percent discount off daily and monthly posted parking rates at hundreds of locations across New York City.
"Our arrangement with the parking companies gives smart owners the best of both worlds: the ability to park at a discounted price, along with the ease to park almost anywhere," said Dave Schembri, President of smart USA. "The smart fortwo is helping New Yorkers change the way they park and navigate congested city streets, while offering great fuel economy, safety and functionality."
At 61 inches wide and 106 inches long, the smart fortwo is a practical solution for New Yorkers looking to find an easy way to park in New York City. In addition to being easy to park, the vehicle is attracting a significant number of buyers who want a solution to volatile gas prices, a way to reduce their environmental footprint and beat urban congestion in a package that is fun to drive.
Meyers Parking first offered half price parking to smart fortwo owners beginning last September, and the program was renewed for 2009. Meyers Parking is the official parking garage of Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers, New York Knicks and New York Liberty. Meyers also has the largest public garages in Times Square, on the Upper East Side and the Empire State Building area.
"We are pleased to continue our '50 percent off' arrangement for smart fortwo owners in 2009. Meyers Parking knew it was only a matter of time before other parking companies would provide similar discounts; as it is fair and makes total sense," said Michael Carolan, Director of Operations for Meyers Parking. "We are pleased to have been the innovator of this '50 percent off' concept and we are very happy for smart owners as they now have options to park in areas where Meyers Parking facilities are not located at attractive rates."
Icon Parking Systems has more than 200 parking facilities in Manhattan. Many of Icon's locations can be found near famous New York City landmarks as well as residential areas throughout the city. smart fortwo owners are entitled to half price parking on all day, night and weekend rates and specials. Owners interested in this special offer are required to open a no- fee charge account, and will receive a special card that must be presented to the cashier at the time of payment. Icon will invoice owners for all transient parking charges. smart fortwo customers parking at an Icon Parking facility on a monthly basis will automatically qualify for a $99 monthly rate.
Interested smart fortwo owners can visit Icon Parking Systems at www.weparknewyork.com to sign-up for this exciting offer. Icon's Website also features an interactive map of locations, detailed information about their exclusive Price and Space Guarantee, access to discount coupons for Broadway Theatres, Times Square and Madison Square Garden, and an online request form that allows new monthly customers to inquire about seasonal discounts, location-specific availabilities and reduced monthly rates for commuters, storage and other very small/mini cars.
"It's no surprise that limited parking supply combined with increased development is contributing to congestion in the City. There is also a growing trend among businesses and consumers alike to be more mindful of their impact on the environment and community," said Paul Regan, Vice President, Icon Parking Systems. "By partnering with smart USA, we are hoping to leverage our resources to confront some of these challenges. It makes perfect sense to reward customers who drive vehicles that are economical, environmentally friendly, occupy less space and are relatively easy for operators to park."
For smart fortwo owners traveling by plane out of the New York City area, AviStar Airport Parking, a wholly owned subsidy of Parking Company America Airports, LLC (PCAA) is offering half price parking on the daily rate at both JFK and LaGuardia Airports. Customers wishing to take advantage of this special promotion are required to print a special coupon from www.airportcorporateparking.com/smartusa and present it to the cashier at the time of payment. AviStar Airport Parking offers additional services and amenities such as 24-hour shuttles to all terminals, free luggage assistance and free coffee and espresso in their lobbies. The AviStar Airport Parking promotion expires on April 30, 2009.
"We are extremely pleased to partner with smart USA and excited to offer smart fortwo owners a 50 percent discount when parking at our AviStar LaGuardia or AviStar JFK off-airport parking facilities," said Nick DiSalvo, East Coast Business Development Manager. "Because the vehicle is so remarkably compact, and will only occupy half of a parking stall, it was only fitting to create a promotion that lends itself to the car's unique design."
smart USA has sold more than 26,000 smart fortwos since January 16, 2008. Currently there are approximately 4,000 smart owners in the metropolitan New York market. There are seven smart centers located in the tri-state area including: Manhattan, Roslyn, Smithtown and White Plains in New York, Edison and Englewood in New Jersey and Fairfield, Connecticut.
ABOUT the smart fortwo and smart USA
smart USA Distributor LLC, headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., is the exclusive distributor of the smart fortwo in the United States and Puerto Rico and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, Inc. The smart fortwo is a brand of and is manufactured by Daimler AG. This technologically advanced vehicle achieves 41 mpg on the highway and is an ultra-low emissions vehicle, as certified by the State of California Air Resources Board. The vehicle is 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet tall and 5.1 feet wide and comes equipped with many functional and safety features found in most luxury models. smart is currently sold in 36 other countries, and more than one million smart fortwos have been sold since 1998. The 2009 smart fortwo is available in five trim levels ranging in price from $11,990* to $20,990*. For more information visit the smart USA website - www.smartusa.com.
* For 2009 models. Excludes tax, title, registration, destination charge, options and other dealer fees.
smart is a registered trademark of Daimler AG. ABOUT PENSKE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP
Penske Automotive Group, Inc., headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, operates 304 retail automotive franchises, representing 40 different brands and 27 collision repair centers. Penske Automotive, which sells new and previously owned vehicles, finance and insurance products and replacement parts, and offers maintenance and repair services on all brands it represents, has 156 franchises in 19 states and Puerto Rico and 148 franchises located outside the United States, primarily in the United Kingdom. Penske Automotive is also the exclusive distributor of the smart fortwo through its wholly-owned subsidiary smart USA Distributor LLC. Smart USA supports over 70 smart retail centers in the United States. Penske Automotive is a member of the Fortune 200 and Russell 1000 and has more than 14,000 employees. smart and fortwo are registered trademarks of Daimler AG.
ABOUT MEYERS PARKING
Meyers Parking is a recognized leader in the parking industry with a proud history of providing courteous and efficient service to its customers. With facilities located throughout New York City, Meyers Parking proudly services more than 3 million customers per year with more than 5,000 available parking spaces. Meyers Parking has locations which provide public parking for New York City's greatest entertainment venues and tourist attractions including Madison Square Garden, Times Square, The Javits Center and the Empire State Building.
ABOUT ICON PARKING SYSTEMS
Icon Parking Systems is the premier provider of parking services in the New York City Metropolitan area.
The Company has been in business for more than 50 years and operates 200 parking facilities in many of Manhattan's most high profile, prestigious neighborhoods and business districts. Icon Parking Systems is on the forefront of providing unsurpassed value to city residents, commuters and visitors to the City's numerous restaurants, Broadway theatres and concert halls, event destinations, shopping outlets and medical facilities by continuing to deliver affordable parking and prompt and courteous service.
ABOUT AVISTAR AIRPORT PARKING
Parking Company of America Airports, LLC (PCAA) is the largest owner/operator of airport parking services in the United States with 30 airport parking centers and more than 45,000 parking spaces serving 20 major U.S. passenger airports, including five out of six of the nation's largest airports. PCAA's parking service options include valet, self-park, covered, indoor and uncovered/outdoor parking, as well as express exit.
For additional information, visit: www.smartusa.com www.penskeautomotive.com mcarolan@meyersparking.com (Meyers Parking) www.iconparking.com or marketing@iconparkingsystems.com (Icon Parking Systems) www.fasttrack.com or ndisalvo@parkingcompany.com (AviStar Airport Parking)