Blogs

Policy Corner By Vanessa Solesbee, PTMP, CCTM

By IPMI Blog posted 9 hours ago
Extreme Weather is Here – Are We Ready? By Vanessa Solesbee, PTMP, CCTM: Extreme weather events are becoming a more regular occurrence. As I write this blog, large portions of the country are digging out from significant winter weather events – many of whom do not experience ice, snow and subzero temperatures on a regular (or even occasional!) basis. While emergency response efforts often focus on road conditions and public safety, parking and curbside policy can play an equally critical role in maintaining access for delivery of vital public services to support residents before, during and after an extreme weather event. During IPMI’s January 28 ...

CMPA Brief: Body-Worn Cameras in Parking Enforcement By Dulce Gomez, PTMP, SHRM-CP

By IPMI Blog posted yesterday
By Dulce Gomez, PTMP, SHRM-CP: The California Mobility & Parking Association (CMPA) surveyed agencies throughout California from December 10, 2025, through January 10, 2026, to understand the use and impact of Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) in parking enforcement. Across CMPA respondents, BWC adoption in parking enforcement is emerging but not yet widespread. Where cameras are deployed, members most frequently cite reduced complaints and improved public interactions. A minority highlight governance barriers or mixed behavioral effects, underscoring the need for clear policy, training, and change management. We received 35 responses across city/county, police, ...

Parking as Hospitality – Welcome to Tailgating By Ben Schnabel, PTMP

By IPMI Blog posted 7 days ago
By Ben Schnabel, PTMP: As parking professionals, we are very comfortable with providing parking as a service. People visit our parking location because it is close to where they want to go. The actual experience of parking is not the event that they are looking forward to, it is part of a process to get to that event. So, what happens when parking IS the main event? It means that professionals that are used to providing efficient and effective service now need to consider another aspect – hospitality. Welcome to the tailgate lot. Tailgating can happen before a variety of events, but it is most closely associated with football. The fall season and the ...

The New Politics of Parking Revenue By Brooke Krieger, MPA

By IPMI Blog posted 8 days ago
By Brooke Krieger, MPA: Parking is attracting more legislative attention today than at any point in recent memory. Bills related to parking fees, enforcement practices, towing, parking requirements, and local authority are appearing with greater frequency across state legislatures. This trend is not coincidental. It is rooted in a fundamental shift in how local governments fund themselves. For much of the past decade, cities and counties benefited from expanded federal support, most notably pandemic-era relief programs like the American Rescue Plan Act. Those funds provided short-term flexibility and helped stabilize local budgets. However, that funding is ...

Inside the APO Journey: Why Accreditation Matters By Megan Leinart, PTMP, LEED AP BD+C

By IPMI Blog posted 13 days ago
By Megan Leinart, PTMP, LEED AP BD+C: As a designated parking nerd, one of my favorite jobs is supporting municipalities, universities, private operators, and more in their pursuit of the Accredited Parking Organization (APO) distinction. Since the accreditation’s inception, I’ve had the opportunity to serve as a Site Reviewer for more than 20 organizations pursuing initial accreditation, accreditation with distinction, and now re-accreditation. Throughout this time, I’ve been able to walk alongside organizations as they work toward this meaningful achievement. Through these experiences, I’ve learned just how nuanced the APO process can be, and how different ...

The Smart Way to Start Your Trip: Why Airport Parking Reservations are Essential By Vincent Thomas, MSM, PTMP

By IPMI Blog posted 14 days ago
By Vincent Thomas, MSM, PTMP: The last thing you want on travel day is unnecessary stress. Yet, for many, the journey begins with a frustrating, time-consuming search for an available parking space at the airport. By reserving your parking in advance, you eliminate this stress entirely and gain a significant advantage before you even check your bag. The primary benefit is guaranteed space. Whether it’s the holiday rush or peak summer travel, knowing you have a spot waiting for you—often in a preferred location like a covered garage—provides instant peace of mind. No more frantic driving up and down aisles, wasting precious minutes you could be spending relaxing ...

Pedestrian Infrastructure Critical for all Transportation Modes By Mark Hairr, PTMP

By IPMI Blog posted 15 days ago
By Mark Hairr, PTMP: As communities across the country work to deliver improved and integrated transportation systems, pedestrian infrastructure remains a challenge to develop at a level which allows the overall transportation network to operate optimally. For public transportation, areas with higher densities and interconnected pedestrian facilities provide a network to allow people to move around more easily without relying on a vehicle. These robust pedestrian facilities not only allow promote more use of non-vehicle modes of mobility, but make the entire transportation system safer and more efficient thereby reducing conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians. ...

The Job I Never Planned For Taught Me What Leadership Really Looks Like By Mark Toro, PTMP

By IPMI Blog posted 20 days ago
By Mark Toro, PTMP: When I tell people I run operations for a parking authority, I get that look, the polite smile, the raised brow, and the unspoken, “Wait… really? Parking?” Fair question. For over 20 years, I was deep in healthcare construction, overseeing $85 million expansions, building out senior living campuses (complete with their own utility plants), and managing environments where failure was never an option. So how did I end up managing curbs, license plate readers, and debates about whether people should back into spaces? Simple: I said yes. Yes to a new challenge. Yes to an industry most people overlook. And yes to discovering that ...

Going Virtual! By Meredith Garrett, PTMP

By IPMI Blog posted 21 days ago
By Meredith Garrett, PTMP: We obtained our first mobile LPR system in 2021 with the intention of going permitless after the first year of working out all the bugs, kinks and nuisances that having virtual permits brings. The uncertainty of budget constraints related to the pandemic and the turnover of staff delayed the roll out by several years. We made the decision that 2026 is the year to go permitless at Kent State! Some initial thoughts to help make the transition smooth include the following. We’re planning to implement slowly with targeted user groups initially. We’ll start with students first, then faculty and staff, vendors and contractors, visitors, ...

Modernizing Campus Parking By Chris Perry, PTMP

By IPMI Blog posted 26 days ago
By Chris Perry, PTMP: “The university is a series of individual entrepreneurs held together by a common grievance about parking.” Clark Kerr’s observation from his time as Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley still rings true. Decades later, parking remains one of the most persistent sources of frustration on college and university campuses. Students circle lots looking for spaces, faculty want reliable access near offices and classrooms, visitors struggle to understand where they can park, and administrators are left balancing competing needs with limited resources. What has changed since Kerr’s era is the technology available to manage ...

Policy Corner By Maria Irshad, PTMP, MPA

By IPMI Blog posted 27 days ago
The Curb and the City By Maria Irshad, PTMP, MPA: If the past several years revealed anything about urban mobility, it’s that the curb has quietly become one of the most politically charged, economically valuable, and publicly visible pieces of city infrastructure. Leaders from Austin, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. participated in IPMI’s Building Blocks webinar, where they shared how curb space has transformed from simple parking real estate into a multi-use frontline for transportation, commerce, and public life in their cities. In the not-so-distant past, the curb was a brief pause. A moment between where we were and where we were going. ...

January/February’s Ask the Experts – More Great Answers!

By IPMI Blog posted 29 days ago
We received so great responses to the January/February 2026 question that we wanted to share them all! Click here to see the responses listed in Parking & Mobility magazine , and then read on for more great thoughts! How can parking and mobility organizations prepare today for the technologies and trends that will define the industry tomorrow? @Andrew Stewart , Associate Director, University California Riverside, Transportation Services Be open to discovering how you can use technology in more flexible ways. Electric vehicle charging subscriptions are not that different than monthly parking permits. Do you need separate systems? ...

What Do You Mean Bikes Don’t Have to Stop at Stop Signs? By Ben Schnabel, PTMP

By IPMI Blog posted 01-07-2026
By Ben Schnabel, PTMP: In 2023 my home state of Minnesota adopted the “Safety Stop” or “Idaho Stop” for bicycles. This allows bicycles to treat a stop sign like a yield sign. So if no one is coming, the bike can roll through the intersection. It was interesting to hear the feedback from regular vehicle commuters who’s first reaction was often along the lines of, “That can’t be safe. Why do bicycles get to break the law?” While there is a good amount of data to show that overall this is safer for cyclists, another advantage is better flow for regular vehicles. When presenting information to groups of people that you are trying to convince it is helpful ...

Goodbye Gridlock: The Rise of Automated Airport Parking

By IPMI Blog posted 01-06-2026
By Vincent Thomas, MSM, PTMP: Airport parking used to be a frantic race against the clock—circling crowded garages, forgetting where you parked, and facing long queues at the exit. Now, automated parking technology is finally bringing the convenience of the digital age to the tarmac, transforming the travel experience from the moment you arrive. Modern airports are embracing smart systems that replace traditional chaos with seamless efficiency. These solutions range from sophisticated parking guidance systems, which use sensors and LED lights to direct drivers instantly to open parking spaces, to fully robotic parking garages. In the latter, you simply drop ...

Recruit, Train, Repeat By Meredith Garrett, CAPP

By IPMI Blog posted 12-24-2025
By Meredith Garrett, CAPP: Five years later we are still feeling the effects that COVID-19 had on our staffing. Prior to the pandemic our operation had about fifteen full-time and part-time employees. Due to attrition and turnover, we are just barely functioning today with ten full-time and part-time employees. We’ve learned to function very lean, but it is not the standard we have come to pride ourselves on. It is also eating our current dedicated employees alive. We’ve hired several people to try and bring our numbers back up, but we are experiencing turnover at an unprecedented rate. Prior to the pandemic, turnover was very uncommon for our department. So, ...

Critical Thinking By Scott Rohde, PECP, PTMP

By IPMI Blog posted 12-24-2025
By Scott Rohde, PECP, PTMP: In my last blog I started to discuss the challenges of onboarding and suggested that traditional methods of role training are ineffective for both today’s workers and end users in the parking and mobility field. My experience has been that adults have effective learning experiences when the process is interactive instead of one directional. Scenario-Based learning works well, especially when the student is engaged and challenged. Not only is understanding the material important but hopefully the learner can see a real-world conceptual application. Having employees practice a skill you’ve discussed and then asking them to ...

Building Responsible Micromobility Programs on Campus By Lisa Copeland, PTMP

By IPMI Blog posted 12-23-2025
By Lisa Copeland, PTMP: As described by the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility several months ago, micromobility—bikes, scooters, and other personal transport devices—is reshaping transportation. Students appreciate the convenience and sustainability these options provide, but as adoption grows, so do concerns about pedestrian safety and infrastructure gaps. How do we balance innovation with responsibility? Recent studies show accident rates on campuses are climbing, often linked to distracted riding and unclear infrastructure for separating pedestrians and riders. According to a survey published by UPCEA Cener for Research and Strategy , liability ...

How a Parking Reservation System Streamlines Operations and Boosts Profitability By David Sparks

By IPMI Blog posted 12-22-2025
By David Sparks: Urban parking is evolving, and a parking reservation system is becoming the backbone of efficient, modern parking operations. Transitioning from traditional methods to a digital platform delivers significant benefits for both operators and drivers. A parking reservation system (or parking management system) is a digital solution – often a website or mobile app – that lets drivers book and pre-pay for parking spaces in advance. It provides real-time data on availability, pricing, and duration. Integrated with sensors, license-plate readers, payment machines, and other parking software, it gives users convenience while giving operators control ...

Policy Corner By Diana W. Alarcon, PTMP

By IPMI Blog posted 12-16-2025
Is the Curb for Parking? By Diana W. Alarcon, PTMP: Is the curb for parking, deliveries, valet, ride-share, taxis, horse and buggy, or buses? If I had been asked this question over 20 years ago, I would have said it was for parking and generating revenue to help pay for infrastructure improvements to drive economic growth. But today, the answer is all above! Our industry has changed so much over the decades due to many different needs. But what I do know is that the curb is at capacity! So, the big question becomes, how do we manage it? Today’s technology plays a major role in helping us manage the curb. I remember what a big deal it was to put ...

December’s Ask the Experts – More Great Answers!

By IPMI Blog posted 12-15-2025
We received so many great responses to the December 2025 question that we wanted to share them all! Click here to see the responses listed in Parking & Mobility magazine , and then read on for more great thoughts! What innovation or breakthrough do you believe has the most impact on transforming the future of parking and mobility? @James Fedor , Senior Product Manager, T2 Systems Inc. “License plate recognition and video analytics powered by AI and machine learning will enhance security and convenience for parkers when integrated with secure mobile credential and payment options. Open API platforms will unify these technologies ...