February 11, 2008

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“Pigeonhole” Parking Lot (Aug, 1951)

Filed under: Automotive — @ 2:03 am
Source: Popular Mechanics ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Aug, 1951
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I don’t suppose anyone from Spokane knows if this is still there?

“Pigeonhole” Parking Lot
Four times as many cars are parked in a Spokane, Wash., parking lot with a rampless garage in which cars are delivered to parking stalls by elevator. The customer drives up to a receiving stall. A platform reaches out, lifts the car onto the elevator which rolls along a track between the two parking racks. The elevator lifts the car to the desired level and rolls it into the parking stall. The unit parks a car in the most distant stall in 60 seconds!

11 Comments »

1. Dont know about Spokane, but I saw one while walking around in New York yesterday.

   Comment by Githyanki — February 11, 2008 @ 2:47 am

2. There’s a “Closer Than You Think!” with this somewhere.
   It looks like a 20 floor auto vending machine.

   Comment by jayessell — February 11, 2008 @ 4:29 am

3. A system like this was featured in the 1980 Burt Lancaster film “Atlantic City.” There’s a chase scene on it, with the two guys jumping from one platform to another, while the elevators are moving.

   The film was shot on location, at the time when A.C. was in the process of its rebirth. There’s construction, a great building implosion, and old buildings being torn down.

   Comment by Rick Auricchio — February 11, 2008 @ 1:20 pm

4. I live in washington state and was fascinated by this story so I did a little research. Here is some more info about the story:

   http://www.bycitylight.com/spo.....?article=2

   It seems that the original company is long out of business, but here is a new one:

   http://www.robopark.com/

   Thanks for the interesting story.

   Comment by Jason — February 11, 2008 @ 4:04 pm

5. There’s some little tiny (thought it was 18 car, but found a note saying 9 car) ‘robotic’ parking garage thingy in downtown Annapolis, MD.

   I couldn’t find an online article about it, but found one about robot parking garages in NYC where a comment mentions the Annapolis one:

   http://www.autoblog.com/2007/0.....ng-garage/

   (btw: the Annapolis one has it’s entrance on State Circle, I believe.. not sure if you can see it from Main Street or not)

   Comment by Gryffyn — February 11, 2008 @ 6:26 pm

6. There’s something like this across from our office on 21st street in NY. Only two levels though. Something to watch while you’re on hold.

   Comment by Eric Smith — February 12, 2008 @ 5:28 pm

7. Jason
   Thanks for the research. I always appreciate followups on these pieces where applicable.

   Comment by Firebrand38 — February 13, 2008 @ 8:11 pm

8. According to the Library of Congress, there is still one operational Pigeon Hole Parking left in Venezuela. The ones in Spokane, WA are long gone.

   Comment by Erik Schubach — February 22, 2008 @ 10:16 am

9. One of the original inventors is still alive in Spokane…Vaughn. He’s my uncle. He and my (late) father started Pigeonhole Parking. There’s still a structure in Portland, Oregon too, though not operational. On Stark Street or some such downtown.

   Comment by David Sanders — May 21, 2008 @ 11:09 am

10. I would like to contact Mr David Sanders, and his uncle, Vaughn, I do not know if it is possible but I am working with parking systems.
    Thank you very much

    Comment by Jose Ferreyra — June 23, 2008 @ 11:28 am

11. I have found a stock certificate dated 14 May 1959 for Pigeon Hole Parking Inc. Does it have any value?

    Comment by Bob McMackin — January 15, 2009 @ 6:18 pm

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