Blogs

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

By IPMI Blog posted yesterday
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 2 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 7 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 8 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 10 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 15 days ago
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 16 days ago
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 29 days ago
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 29 days ago
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 30 days ago
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 ...

When Policy Moves Faster Than Operations: Why the Parking Industry Must Pay Attention to Bills Like Florida’s HB 323 By Brooke Krieger, MPA

By IPMI Blog posted 12-10-2025
By Brooke Krieger, MPA: Every legislative cycle brings forward new ideas about how cities should manage parking, mobility, and the public realm. Most proposals are well-intentioned. Some even sound appealing at first glance. But every so often, a bill emerges that deserves the parking industry’s full attention because its implications reach far beyond the curb. Florida’s House Bill 323 is one of those bills. On the surface, HB 323 appears consumer-friendly: refunding unused parking time, extending grace periods before enforcement, and prohibiting certain uses of public property for paid parking. But underneath that simple narrative lies a much more complex ...

Onboarding is Critical By Scott Rohde, PECP, PTMP

By IPMI Blog posted 12-08-2025
By Scott Rohde, PECP, PTMP: It has been said that adults do not need to be taught what to think they should be taught, but rather how to think. How does this apply to the parking and mobility industry? My answer would be significantly! We all employ adults, whether part-time or full-time, that need to be onboarded and be expected to work independently. Often these are the very people that make the difference between out one star and five-star ratings. Adults should be approached in a different way than children and we manage parking considerations for adults. When we are onboarding new employees, we often don’t take the concept of education into account. ...

To Build or Not to Build a Parking Deck By Meredith Garrett, CAPP

By IPMI Blog posted 12-01-2025
By Meredith Garrett, CAPP: To build or not to build a parking deck? Or is the real question, do perspectives need to shift? It’s easy to say, “Build a deck! This will solve all of our parking problems!” and many times, this is the solution that frustrated students give. The question of building a parking deck has come up at our university many times over the years. I have a stack of plans that never came to fruition that I inherited. The last attempt to build a deck was in the spring of 2020. We were in the process of awarding the bid when campus closed due to COVID-19. Financial concerns and enrollment uncertainty scraped those plans, but the question of whether ...

Moving from Parking Punishment to Proportionality By Matt Darst

By IPMI Blog posted 11-25-2025
By Matt Darst: For decades, cities have relied on parking fines as static tools—anchored in tradition more than purpose. Yet as transportation networks grow more complex and streets become riskier, this status-quo approach is failing both residents and policymakers. It’s time to rethink how fines are structured so they not only influence behavior, but do so fairly and strategically. Today, fine schedules often apply harsh penalties to low-risk administrative violations while underpricing high-risk behaviors—like blocking fire hydrants—that endanger the public. This mismatch erodes trust, especially when lower-income residents face disproportionate financial ...

Equity Beyond Capital: A Reflection on What True Inclusion Means By Susan Cole

By IPMI Blog posted 11-24-2025
By Susan Cole: When we talk about equity in our industry, the conversation often stops at financial support. But “Equity Beyond Capital” challenges us to go further. It reminds me that true inclusion is about access, mentorship, and shared knowledge, things that can’t always be measured in dollars. I’ve seen firsthand how transformational it can be when someone takes the time to guide a small or diverse supplier through the process, explaining how funding works, what lenders look for, or simply helping them navigate contracts and certifications. That kind of support doesn’t just help one company succeed; it strengthens our entire industry. As leaders, we ...

Politics of Parking By Meredith Garrett, CAPP

By IPMI Blog posted 11-17-2025
By Meredith Garrett, CAPP: I always knew there was an undercurrent of politics when it came to parking, but until I had to manage those politics I was pretty far removed from it. I’m still learning how to navigate this in my newer role and I’ve had to put my own agenda and thoughts on parking aside. It seems to be a constant battle to get everyone on the same page regarding how parking is run efficiently and for the good of everyone. Why is parking such an afterthought when that is the very first interaction or introduction to a space, place or event? Why do people believe that they shouldn’t have to pay for parking when there is a cost to have parking available, ...

The Public Service Shift – from Parks & Rec to Parking By Zach Pearce, PTMP

By IPMI Blog posted 11-11-2025
By Zach Pearce, PTMP: Like so many others in the industry, my parking career began as a backup option. Having worked as a part-time supervisor while an undergraduate with Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation, followed by a stint with Raleigh NC Parks & Recreation after graduating with a degree in geography, I felt ready to take on any Park Management or Planner position in the southeast or mid-Atlantic. But the opportunity didn’t surface, and the monthly student loan payment couldn’t pay itself, so I took a parking facility management position with a private operator. That holiday season as a newly employed manager in the workforce I recall connecting ...