2026 FPTA AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
Show Us What You’re Proud Of!
Call for Entries
The Florida Parking and Transportation Association is proud to announce its 18th Annual Awards of Excellence, celebrating the people, projects and ideas that are making a difference in parking and transportation.
The Awards of Excellence Program recognizes exemplary work in design, architecture, renovation, innovation and operations. Grand Prize Winners and Finalists will be honored at the FPTA-MSTPA Joint Conference in San Destin, Florida. This year, projects from across Florida, as well as the Mid-South region, will be recognized!
You are invited to submit your best work in one of the following categories:
Category I: Parking Structure – Design and Architecture
Category II: Parking Facility – Renovation
Category III: Parking and Transportation System – Innovation and Operations
Submitting Your Entry
Entries should follow the format outlined in the Awards of Excellence Submission Guide (Attachment A). Don’t be shy about showing us what makes your project special. Photographs, descriptive details and sketches that demonstrate innovative approaches to design, operations, equipment or construction can help bring your project to life for the judges.
Mark Your Calendar
Entries are due September 30, 2026. Incomplete submissions will not be considered. Please email one electronic copy to Scott Fox at scottfox@usf.edu and CC Dawn Marti at dawn@dcm-management.com. If your file is too large to email, please contact Dawn to arrange an alternative method for electronic submission. Great work deserves to be recognized, and we want to see it!
Eligibility
Projects submitted must be completed between July 1, 2024, and August 31, 2026. Awards of Excellence and Awards of Merit will be awarded for each category. Please include any information you feel is pertinent in evaluating the submission.
Category I: Parking Structure – Design and Architecture
Functional Design – Describe the layout, column spacing, parking and driving slopes, efficiency, entry/exit configuration, floor level identifiers, pedestrian flow, mixed-use components, wayfinding signage, etc.
Operational System – Describe the revenue control system, security design features, maintenance programs, customer programs offered, lighting technologies, etc.
User Amenities – Describe common areas, wayfinding programs, staff amenities, security programs, etc.
Sustainability – Describe sustainable characteristics for the construction system, design features, operational and maintenance benefits, energy reduction, etc.
Costs – Construction costs per space (not including soft costs or costs for land, design, demolition, or utility relocation).
Exterior Façade – Describe exterior facade including design basis, compatibility with surrounding neighborhood, character or style, materials used, selected colors and textures, scale, and massing.
Landscaping – Where applicable, describe how the surrounding areas were landscaped and the design basis. Include a description of items such as pedestrian-oriented features and public artwork.
Garage Identification – Describe different provisions for vehicular and pedestrian wayfinding, including main entry points and graphic design. Include a description of floor themed signage and their design basis.
Category II – Parking Facility – Renovation
Planning / Phasing / Construction Administration – Include project planning schedules, environmental controls, key communication efforts, phasing, construction administration, design issues addressed, quality control, warranties, etc.
Assessment – Describe assessment techniques such as visual, non-destructive evaluation, exploratory investigation, materials sampling, and testing, etc.
Operations – Describe the original problem, efficiency improvements, entry/exit configuration enhancements, vehicular or pedestrian flow improvements, architectural improvements, internal lighting upgrades, graphics upgrades, ADA concerns, etc.
Methods – Restoration techniques/design, contractor’s implementation of the design including but not limited to: traffic control, work area protection, logistics for demolition/shoring/debris removal, deliveries, etc., complex structural repairs, corrosion control, waterproofing, etc.
Costs – Costs for the project and any differences in initial budget versus actual costs, and why.
Category III – Parking and Transportation System – Innovation and Operations
Program Description – A parking, transportation, or mobility program or operation that has increased efficiency or productivity, solved a problem or provided some other benefit to the end-user.
Benefits/Outcome – Describe the success of the program and how the results were measured.
Innovation/Creativity – Explain the elements of the creativity used to establish the program and why your organization feels the end result was a success.
Adaptability – Describe how this program can be used by other entities in the parking and transportation industry.
Judging
Members of the FPTA Awards of Excellence Committee and FPTA; MSTPA Board Members will independently score projects submitted for each category. Projects will be scored based on conception, originality, aesthetics, application in design, operation, management, and construction. Finalists may be notified with requests for additional clarification or information.
Form of Submission
Entries recommended for consideration must be submitted in the format listed on the Awards of Excellence Submission Form, with photographs and descriptive data. Please note that photographs, details, or sketches demonstrating the unique use of parking innovations in design, operation, equipment, and construction will be taken into account for the scoring. All submissions must be received no later than September 30, 2026.
Announcement of Awards and Ceremony
Grand Prize Winners and Finalists will be honored at the FPTA-MSTPA Joint Conference. Awards of Excellence, Awards of Merit, and Honorable Mentions will be selected for each category. In an effort to promote the program and the industry, the associations will provide press releases as well as posting on their websites. During the annual conference at the ceremony, each finalist will be recognized. The Awards Committee will create a presentation based on project photographs submitted. Owners and parking-related designers, vendors, suppliers and contractors will be recognized during the project narrative.
On behalf of the Florida Parking and Transportation Association and the Mid-South Transportation Parking Association, we sincerely appreciate your interest and look forward to your entry.
Good Luck!