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California’s Vehicle Code, which sets the rules for driving and stopping vehicles throughout the state, has tens of thousands of sections. Not surprisingly, some of those sections are relics of the time they were adopted, and do not reflect the evolution—or even allow the use—of new technologies. One example is Section 22508(e).  Until December 31, 2024, this section required cities to use physical parking meters or pay stations if they wanted to charge for on-street parking.  Thanks to SB 532, sponsored by State Senator Scott Wiener, three cities (Santa Monica, Long Beach, and San Francisco) may now pilot paid parking without a physical meter or pay station.  https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB532.  In the last few years, mobile and online payment have exploded for products from coffee to concert tickets to car insurance.  More than 16% of all retail products are purchased online today, an increase from around 7% ten years ago.  https://ycharts.com/indicators/us_ecommerce_sales_as_percent_retail_sales. And according to a November 2024 report from the Pew Research Center: “The vast majority of Americans – 98% – now own a cellphone of some kind,” and 91% own a smart phone.  https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/.  SB 532 reflects the reality of how payments are made in 2025, and allows cities in California to keep up with the private sector—not to mention other cities around the country (like Doral, Florida and Columbus, Ohio) that offer mobile-only parking payment zones.  And it does all this while respecting California values, requiring an “Equitable and Accessible Parking Cash Payment Plan” to ensure non-mobile phone users have a way to pay with cash. Allowing cities to modernize their payment systems saves money on infrastructure purchase and maintenance.  Meters and pay stations are expensive to procure and keep in good working order, and can be targets for vandalism and fraud.  While meters and pay stations may ultimately prove to be an indispensable part of an equitable and robust on-street parking payment system, allowing cities to experiment with modern technology can only lead to improvements for customers and the public.  It will be fascinating to see how SB 532’s three pilot cities (and others that may be added) exercise this new opportunity.  And the answers will come sooner than we think: their pilot authority expires in 2033. Hank Willson is a Parking Policy Manager for the City and County of San Francisco, California (SFMTA). Hank can be reached at Hank.Willson@sfmta.com.  

Finding a parking space shouldn’t be a daily challenge. Yet drivers in urban areas waste countless hours circling for parking spots. This costs cities billions in emissions and lost productivity. About 30% of urban traffic comes from people searching for parking. This results in congestion, frustration, and noise and air pollution. Smart parking technologies and digital mapping are transforming this struggle into a seamless experience. For example, some IoT-enabled maps have directed drivers to open spaces and cut congestion by up to 40%. At UCLA, color-coded digital pathways streamlined foot traffic, reducing bottlenecks at entry gates. But it doesn’t stop there. Real-time parking sensors are now guiding drivers inside garages, making the process far less stressful. Admins have real-time insights, tracking traffic flow, monitoring dwell times, and space closures. For visitors, their journey starts at home. Smart parking technology and digital mapping gets them to their destination, eliminating the guesswork. Some wayfinding apps allow users to mark where they parked, helping them easily navigate back to their vehicle after an event, appointment, or meeting—eliminating common frustrations and saving time. Most facilities rely on disconnected systems. Newer platforms aim to unify these capabilities across kiosks, mobile apps, desktops, and web portals. Integration with tools like payment processors, databases, and ticketing systems helps ensure that parking, mobility, and visitor engagement work together as part of a smart, connected experience. The result? A smoother commute, faster parking, and a better experience for everyone. Join the Discussion How are you tackling parking chaos? Learn more by clicking here. Ally Spinu is the Vice President of Business Development for Vicinia.io. Ally can be reached at ally@vicinia.io.

This summer, we took my 9 year old daughter Elizabeth to Bozeman, Montana to go to the Museum of the Rockies and to tour Montana State University.  Why?  Because she’s wanted to be a paleontologist since she was 3 years old and her father and I thought, “Why not introduce her to a real paleontologist and see real fossils?”  I told her some time ago, that whatever she wants in life, she’s going to have to get it for herself.  No one is going to do the work for her.  While watching a documentary on Dinosaurs on the Curiosity app, she asked me a ton of questions I couldn’t answer.  “Well, there is a paleontologist in the documentary, let’s ask him.” I showed her how to look him up (professionally speaking of course) and how to correspond with him, and within a few short weeks she received an invite to tour the Montana State University campus and to meet real grad students in the field and see a real lab. Someone referred to me as her career coach.  I don’t know about that.  But what I do know, is that I want to teach my daughter that she controls her future.  Opportunities were out there for her to take, but she has to find them and put in the work.  That’s true whether it’s career opportunities, advancement, networking, upskilling, or even becoming really good at something. And trust me when I say, the fact I am saying this from a place of power and a certain level of privilege is not lost on me.  But she doesn’t have the same privilege that I have.  She is disabled, classified as such through her Autism or her hearing impairment, and needs assistance to help her navigate the world.  At 9 that looks like therapy for her anxiety and emotional regulation, as well as hearing aids to help her hear and better communicate with the world around her.  Her world consists of medications, modifications, accommodations, and the never ending explanations of things she just doesn’t understand, despite her 10th grade reading level and knack for Algebra. Resilience is what is going to get her through life.  Resilience will mean the difference between going through the motions or living life to its fullest.  Resilience is what is going to lead her to her happiness. And I will be there every step of the way as her biggest cheerleader, and as the shoulder she needs to bury her face in and cry into.  The rest will be up to her. And just to show her life isn’t always about “chasing the dream”, we zigged when we should have zagged and made a pit stop at Yellowstone on a whim.  Because life, as with parking, is also full of unexpected adventures. Adrienne Tucker, PTMP, is the Director of Parking and Transportation for Kansas State University. Adrienne can be reached at adriennetucker@ksu.edu.

At airports across the country, rideshare operations are essential – but increasingly difficult to manage. Limited curb space and high passenger volumes—especially during peak travel times—often lead to severe congestion, roadway backups, and long wait times for travelers. Without proper planning and infrastructure, rideshare pickups can quickly turn into a logistical headache for both airports and guests.

Shared parking is a key strategy in urban planning and development, offering innovative solutions to challenges like traffic congestion and inefficient land use. By maximizing the utilization of existing parking spaces, shared parking supports sustainability and improves the quality of urban life. Shared parking utilizes the same space for different parkers maximizing turnover and utilization of one space within 24 hours, minimizing unnecessary urban sprawl. Shared parking minimizes the need for expansive parking structures, freeing up valuable land that can be repurposed for green spaces, housing, or businesses. This promotes more sustainable, efficient land use. By maximizing turnover or utilization of existing parking spaces, shared parking reduces the need for new parking facilities, reducing the time drivers spend searching for parking. This will alleviate traffic, reduce emissions, improve air quality, providing a more sustainable and healthier environment. The parking consultant who specializes in calculating custom shared parking can reduce parking counts by 35% in some cases, encouraging Park Once and multimodal systems, resulting in fewer parking spaces, thus fostering creativity and flexibility for public spaces and urban design. Lia Reyes is a Managing Director and Sr. Principal Consultant for LVR International. Lia can be reached at lia@lvrintl.com.