Blogs

Parking Enforcement and Customer Service By Leo Pelle, PTMP

By Tyler Perkins posted 20 hours ago
By Leo Pelle, PTMP Parking Enforcement Customer Service. Does the word “enforcement” go hand in hand with customer service? Yes, it certainly does, and it can be demonstrated daily in both big and small ways. I want to speak more about this and how a servant leader can positively impact an enforcement team to serve their community and show this toward each other in internal customer service, leading to employee retention and a positive and happy workplace. What is customer service? The Oxford dictionary defines it as “the assistance and advice provided by a company to those people who buy or use its products or services.” But it means so much more than this ...

John Peverada’s Legacy of Integrity and Innovation in Parking By Tydus Kira Mana

By Tyler Perkins posted 2 days ago
By Tydus Kira Mana As John Peverada officially retires after more than 30 years of dedicated service to the City of Portland and the parking industry, it’s an honor to reflect on the incredible legacy he leaves behind. For the past six years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside John as Client Success Principal at Passport . During that time, I’ve come to know him as not only a thoughtful and visionary leader but also as a person of unwavering integrity. His approach to solving complex challenges with humility and fairness has shaped Portland’s parking operations into a model for cities across the country. Initially joining the City during a downturn ...

Motivation – What Moves Us By Adam Feller, PTMP

By Tyler Perkins posted 2 days ago
By Adam Feller, PTMP There has been some chatter amongst our San Francisco group recently related to what motivates and inspires us individually to show up, day in and day out, and do what we do. For some, an easy answer, for others a little self-reflection and introspection is needed to coax out a more developed response. One of the main responses, is to set an example – for one’s children or family, for the employees we lead. There is a sense that what we do is meaningful in that we can provide not only sustenance but also life guidance for those we love and support, to nurture the human kindness in others. That we can demonstrate peer to peer connection. ...

How Real-Time Data is Transforming Parking and Mobility Revenue By Sarah Marks

By Tyler Perkins posted 7 days ago
By Sarah Marks Data has become a fundamental driver of revenue growth and customer satisfaction, shaping the way parking operators, smart cities, and urban hubs manage demand and pricing. By shifting away from static pricing models, organizations are leveraging real-time analytics to make proactive, data-driven decisions that enhance efficiency and profitability. The Role of Data in Revenue Optimization Traditional revenue management relies on historical data, which limits responsiveness to real-time demand shifts. Data observability ensures that parking and mobility operators have a continuous, accurate view of booking trends, allowing them to identify ...

Citations: Revenue Generation or Corrective Action? By Tate Misiaszek, PTMP

By Tyler Perkins posted 8 days ago
By Tate Misiaszek, PTMP When you receive a citation what is the first thing you think? For some of you reading this, you know exactly what you did wrong, for the larger majority, it is a systematic attack to ruin your day. When we are writing citations are we thinking about correcting the incorrect actions of residents and visitors to our city, or has Revenue Generation taken over the tone? Often times at the end of the week or month we are looking at our citation numbers as a revenue generator and we can’t wait to report back how well we did. This being said, there is an argument for high compliance and therefore low citation revenue… which would you prefer? ...

Policy Corner By Scott A. Petri

By Tyler Perkins posted 9 days ago
The Cost of Inaction: Why Industry Engagement in Legislation Matters By Scott A. Petri Change is inevitable, and when it comes to regulation, standing on the sidelines means accepting whatever comes your way—whether favorable or not. The universe abhors a vacuum, and if industry professionals don’t step in to help shape legislation, other forces will fill the gap, often without the insight needed to create balanced, effective policies. Last month, in a message to members of the Legislative Cohort Committee, Mark Vergenes shared an example of how the Pennsylvania Parking Association (PTAP) interacted with the Pennsylvania legislature to advocate for ...

Leadership Without Boundaries: Managing the Expectations of Your Employees with Your Operational Needs By Dr. George J. Mclean, MPA, DBA, PTMP

By Tyler Perkins posted 14 days ago
By Dr. George J. Mclean, MPA, DBA, PTMP In today’s world, effective leadership is important for balancing operational needs with employee satisfaction. But how can we achieve this in a world where employee needs are constantly evolving and we face ongoing challenges in recruiting and retaining top talent? Without addressing this question, our organizations risk becoming the next casualty of turnover. The answer is simple! Balance the needs of your operations! Leadership is not a one-size-fits-all strategy but a tool we must use to find a way to balance the needs of all our stakeholders. Here are a few suggestions on how to do this in our operations: First ...

Are We Too Focused on the Newest Technology Shiny Objects? By Laura Lierz, PTMP

By Tyler Perkins posted 15 days ago
By Laura Lierz, PTMP I have always been drawn to technology. I remember getting excited about after-school computer club and writing code on an Apple IIe computer. One assignment was a Christmas image. I created Santa on his sleigh with his reindeer flying through the air, delivering presents. Fast-forward many years, and I am still involved in technology and love every minute of it. We all read parking and mobility technology blogs, magazines, social media posts, etc. We attend conferences and hear the latest sales pitch. We get excited at what we see and want it—we want it bad! It all looks great, sounds simple to implement, and solves all our problems… ...

Parking Meter Collection – One Day in the Life By Adam Feller, PTMP

By Tyler Perkins posted 16 days ago
By Adam Feller, PTMP The sun shines on a Monday, it may be a rainy Tuesday, and Wednesday may start cold and foggy and end warm – all factors in the day in the life of a parking meter coin collector. Although, the majority of our team are long time San Francisco natives and know that what you find in one area of the city may be different somewhere else. There are many years of experience within the group to navigate these factors and make the best of a day out in the city. We get to see technology advance over the years and adapt our collection strategy to best serve project goals, while also taking time here and there to reminisce about the old days. Our crews ...

The Future of Parking in Your City… By Tate Misiaszek

By Tyler Perkins posted 23 days ago
By Tate Misiaszek How do you see the future of parking in your city? If I would have asked this question fifteen or twenty years ago we would be speaking about flying cars and all sorts of other, out of this world, possibilities. What comes to mind when you think of this question now? How do you see the future of parking in your city? When I think of the future of parking in my city, a beautiful coastal town with a wild, tourist driven, peak season. I think of satellite parking lots. As cities seem to fill up more and parking seems to disappear, it begs the question of self driving cars and satellite lots. I am more of a gas and oil kind of person and not ...

Remembering Donald Shoup By Bill Boyle

By Tyler Perkins posted 28 days ago
By Bill Boyle Reposted with permission from the Mid-Atlantic Parking & Transportation Association No child dreams of entering the parking industry. I certainly didn’t. Like many of us, I stumbled into this field through a series of unexpected opportunities and practical decisions. What began as “just a job” eventually became a lifelong career. And for years, as we built our company we did so the same way. Looking at opportunities and making practical decisions. Then one day, idly skimming the stacks at Kramerbooks, The High Cost of Free Parking popped out at me. What? I pulled it out, cut it open and read: “Children first learn about ...

Why Paid Parking is the Key to Smart City Sustainability By Brooke Krieger

By Tyler Perkins posted 29 days ago
By Brooke Krieger Cities across the country are facing a financial crossroads. As federal and state funding sources become increasingly unpredictable, municipalities must find new ways to sustain critical infrastructure, transit, and public services. The solution is locally controlled revenue through paid parking programs. For too long, free parking has been treated as a given, but maintaining parking infrastructure comes at a cost, one that many cities can no longer afford to subsidize. Paid parking isn’t just about generating revenue. It is about building a self-sustaining municipal model that reinvests local dollars into community improvements. Cities ...

Connecting to the History of the Parking Meter By Adam Feller, PTMP

By Tyler Perkins posted 30 days ago
By Adam Feller, PTMP Within the evolution of the parking meter and metered parking space, I find it settling that the soul of the metered space remains intact – ease congestion, allow parking egress and support customers to find a space to park. The concept supports both locals making visits to their favorite restaurants or businesses as well as folks coming in from out of town to seek the spoils of a new and wonderous treasure. Regardless of the technology that the meter has or will have, the initial goal still holds sway. As time goes on, many of the factors will continue to change; more shared spaces, bike lanes, parklets and ongoing review of what makes ...

Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back By Nicole Chinea, CAPP

By Tyler Perkins posted 03-13-2025
By Nicole Chinea, CAPP I recently dove into the world of planning after being dedicated to the parking industry for 20 years. In my previous parking career, I had the opportunity to scratch the surface of grants. However, as a planner I dove headfirst into the world of grants, specifically transportation-focused Federal Funding Pursuits. I quickly got on board learning grant jargon -NOFO, BCA, Justice 40, LMI, etc. Throughout my entire learning process, my parking hat was still on. I simply refuse to take it off. Old habits, right?! I remember saying to myself while proposing projects, “Why didn’t I look into grants for that and this?” There were so many ...

Changing Leadership Styles: Is It Too Late? By Tavris Parker, CAPP

By Tyler Perkins posted 03-12-2025
By Tavris Parker, CAPP As leadership dynamics shift within workplaces, many experienced managers wonder if it’s too late to change their leadership style. The answer is simple: it’s never too late. Leadership is a skill, not a fixed trait, and it can evolve throughout your career. Why Change? The traditional, top-down leadership style is no longer as effective in a world that values collaboration, transparency, and empathy. Today’s leaders are expected to inspire, empower, and adapt. If you’ve been leading a certain way for years, it may feel daunting to shift styles. But making small changes can enhance your leadership and improve team engagement. The ...

What Happened to the Family in Parking? By Tate Misiaszek, CAPP

By Tyler Perkins posted 03-11-2025
By Tate Misiaszek, CAPP As business’ grow and corporations take over the Mom and Pop Organizations, where are the companies that used to promote themselves as a family? In the parking and transportation industry we seem to have lost the family feel in the last few years. As companies are expanding, and bottom lines are scrutinized more than ever, what are you doing to ensure your employees are happy? What are you doing to support your employee’s growth and expansion? With major parking and transportation companies growing and expanding the amount of employees they have, how is it possible to treat your team as you once used to? I feel this is an ever growing ...

Policy Corner By Mark A. Vergenes

By Tyler Perkins posted 03-07-2025
Driving Change: How PTAP is Advocating for Smarter Parking Policies in Pennsylvania…you should too! By Mark A. Vergenes As a member of the IPMI Policy & Legislative Task Force, our cohort provides strategic guidance and recommendations on policies and regulations impacting the parking and mobility industry. As part of our initiatives that inform policymakers, stakeholders, and the public on effective strategies for improving urban mobility through well-planned parking policies, we are sharing this example from Pennsylvania to demonstrate specific advocacy efforts. In Pennsylvania, updating state laws that govern parking in cities of the 1st, 2nd, 2A, ...

Planning for Success: Prioritizing Parking Maintenance and Capital Improvements by Vincent Campagna, CAPP

By Tyler Perkins posted 03-05-2025
By Vincent Campagna, CAPP We are all aware of the famous Benjamin Franklin quote “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”, yet again and again we are reminded how true that is. As Parking Professionals, we are often tasked with creating plans and having a plan for an abundance of programs like; Standard Operating Plans, Emergency Action Plans, ADA Plans, Customer Service Plans, Revenue Control Plans, the list goes on and on. However, Facility Maintenance and Capital Improvement plans seem to take a back seat to the more “parking operational plan” types when in reality, Maintenance and Capital Improvement plans need to be on the top of every parking ...

The State Finds You Obsolete by Jodi Hart, CPA, CFE, CAPP

By Tyler Perkins posted 03-04-2025
By Jodi Hart, CPA, CFE, CAPP As a proud Gen Xer, card carrying member of the MTV generation and certified latchkey kid, I grew up on bowls of sugary cereal watching Saturday morning cartoons. Hands up. Who thought at this point in history we’d all be flying around in our Jetson cars? Come on. You aren’t kidding anyone. We all did. Fast forward and we are hearing about autonomous vehicles and AI driven technologies shaping our lives. More and more cities are nixing the urban sprawl in favor of bringing people back into the cities. We are bombarded with green initiatives, bike to work, public transportation instead of driving, carpooling, scooters on ...

Inter-City Transportation, Is It Your Cup Of Tea? By Tate Misiaszek, CAPP

By Tyler Perkins posted 02-27-2025
By Tate Misiaszek, CAPP If you are reading this, chances are, you are involved in the parking or transportation industry. What do you think about inter-city transportation in your city? Is it useful or unusable? What are some of the hardships of public transportation? In our city we have a wide and well-funded public transportation system, yet somehow, it is often late and unused. We are a beachside tourist destination and find that rental cars and beach cruisers often trump the amount of public transportation used. This is great for our local parking resources but at what cost? Why have such a well funded transportation system when beach cruisers and pedestrians ...