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Let's hope market shuttles run on time

By Larry Thomas, Business editor -- Furniture Today, March 17, 2002

During a recent meeting of the International Home Furnishings Market Authority's board of directors, Chairman Steve Kincaid looked approvingly at a new brochure featuring the High Point market's overhauled transportation system.

But after Kincaid and other board members complimented Market Authority President Judy Mendenhall and her staff on the new piece, Kincaid issued a gentle warning.

"We've got to make sure this is absolutely as accurate as possible," he said, pointing to the hotel shuttle schedules.

Kincaid knows all too well the Market Authority's reputation is riding on every shuttle bus. (The new system is outlined elsewhere in this issue.) And unfair as it may be, many people are likely to pass judgment on the authority based on a single bus ride.

"People have told us over and over that parking and transportation are the biggest problems," Mendenhall said. "We're trying to answer those concerns in a big way."

She's convinced the answers are coming in the form of a transportation system that has been revamped and handed over to a Raleigh, N.C., company that specializes in transportation and logistics for large events. In effect, it's a turnkey operation that allows McLaurin Parking Co. to design the routes, secure the needed buses and hire all drivers and support personnel.

Mendenhall is aware the stakes are high. McLaurin will get some $885,000 for running the system at the April and October markets, and for that amount of money, marketgoers and showroom operators will expect it to be done right.

Mendenhall believes that a more effective shuttle system could be the long-range answer to the market's parking woes, and she's probably right. It certainly is a more practical solution than buying a bunch of vacant land or building a massive parking garage, as some have suggested.

(The people who say the Market Authority should build a big parking garage must not live in the High Point area, whose residents would have to look at the monstrosity sitting mostly empty about 48 weeks a year.)

A first-class shuttle system should reduce the need for people to have rental cars and, therefore, a place to park them.

And that, in turn, would address another frequent complaint from marketgoers — high prices for rental cars.

The opening page of the new brochure, in fact, urges attendees to leave their car keys at home, and it will be very interesting to see how many heed that advice.

Mendenhall admits that many of us "are joined at the hip to our cars" and will be reluctant to give them up. However, she believes the new transportation system can improve a person's market experience, if attendees will give it a chance to work.

"All you've gotto do is get to the airport. We can get you just about everywhere else you need to go," Kincaid said.

Just make sure the shuttles run on time.

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Buses in, trolleys out for October market

Jun 30, 2002

Some HP routes draw more riders

Dec 14, 2005

Market Authority brings order to H.P. trade event

Mar 17, 2002

New H.P. market promotions set

Oct 26, 2003

Market ready to tackle parking

Apr 28, 2002

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