Blogs

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 we will build a parking deck continues to come up. We recently received this question from our student senate in a transportation advisory committee meeting. Our university is a suburban campus with a robust public transportation option as well as ample parking on the perimeter of campus and in remote lots. We have plenty of parking spaces for everyone; we just don’t have everyone’s ideal parking area. Parking in these areas requires people to take another method of transportation, whether it’s biking, walking or taking public transportation to reach their destination. This requires a shift in perspective for many people that are not familiar with public transportation or are used to parking close to where they need to be. We explained to the student senate the costs associated with parking decks and how that would directly impact permit prices. We also explained that there is ample parking, so justifying the cost of building a deck and in turn raising permit prices is counterproductive and not fiscally responsible.

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 hardship for infractions with minimal social impact. When penalties feel arbitrary, they are perceived less as tools for safety and more as regressive taxes. Data shows that deterrence hinges not just on penalty dollar value, but on its relevance—how well it aligns with risk, compliance value, and community context. Cities that recalibrate fines to reflect both severity and neighborhood realities can improve equity and collections while encouraging safer streets. Prioritizing smarter fine design, proportionality, and targeted enforcement could allow cities to shift away from blanket forgiveness programs—which require administrative lift without addressing root causes. Tools like dynamic pricing, location-based fines, and income-sensitive penalties can help cities strike the balance between fairness and impact. Some jurisdictions have already begun to reform fine structures: New York and Los Angeles are exploring income-based and data-driven fine optimization, respectively, while Chicago recently capped penalties for administrative violations. These efforts signal a growing recognition that fines should reinforce social value, not perpetuate inequity. By grounding enforcement in community impact, equity, and measurable outcomes, cities can treat fines as meaningful policy levers—not punishment. Matt Darst is the Head of Professional Services for Trellint, a Modaxo Company. Matt can be reached at matt.darst@trellint.com.

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 have a responsibility to make space for others to learn and grow. Sharing what we know, our templates, lessons learned, and even our mistakes, create a ripple effect that reaches far beyond one project or partnership. Equity also means creating a sense of belonging. When smaller firms are included in conversations, planning, and innovation, we gain new perspectives that push us all forward. Inclusion is not a charitable act; it’s a strategy for sustainability and innovation. I believe our industry’s future depends on how well we nurture relationships, mentor emerging businesses, and build systems that value knowledge as much as capital. Because when more voices are heard and more people are empowered, we all rise together. Susan Cole is the Founder and CEO of Cole Ticket Solutions (CTS). Susan can be reached at susan@coletickets.com.

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, safe and accessible? Why do some feel that their event is more important than the student trying to get to class on time when we exist as an institution to educate students? Education is key when it has come to parking, but with a new class of students every year and turnover in leadership among our staff and student representatives this has proved to be a challenge to reach everyone and maintain consistency. I once was in a training, and someone mentioned that we, as parking professionals, are the biggest advocates for others. I’ve never found this to be more true since I stepped into my current role. Whether it’s the person that doesn’t qualify for accessibility accommodations according to their doctor but is not capable of using stairs or maneuvering inclines or bumping students to the perimeter of campus to accommodate construction. I will continue to advocate, share my knowledge about parking and hope that I am heard, but man some days are harder than others when it comes to navigating the politics of parking. Meredith Garrett, CAPP, is the Assistant Director of Public Safety, Parking & Transit Services for Kent State University. Meredith can be reached at mgarre12@kent.edu.

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 with a college friend at a holiday party and seeing the confusion on his face when I mentioned the original goal of working in Parks & Rec yet embracing the opportunity in Parking. His response? “One is fun, one is not. So how long do you plan to stick around?” Down the road a few years later in a different parking role and city, I reflected on my work experience while also envisioning career growth and whether the Parks & Rec field remained a goal. I had a conversation with my previous supervisor in this role and she provided memorable input, to this effect of “parking may not be glamorous however there’s room for advancement and opportunities to be creative in this industry, and if you put in the time and dedication you will carve a serious niche”. Then I reflected on the parallels with Parks & serving the public and maintaining customer satisfaction, keeping facilities pristine, managing spaces, and partnering with other departments/organizations, among others. Do I regret my decision to remain in parking? Most days, no. I’ll also take dealing with periodic frustrated parkers over the daily animated skateboarding and dog park patrons any day of the week! Zach Pearce, PTMP, is an Associate Director of Operations for Old Dominion University. Zach can be reached at zpearce@odu.edu.

When you think of the largest buildings in any city, your mind probably goes to soaring skyscrapers, massive stadiums, or sprawling airports. But in Wisconsin, the largest building by square footage isn’t a tower or arena—it’s actually the Parking Garage at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. This six-story, 8,000-space post-tensioned (P/T) structure was built in three phases. The Red Section, closest to the terminal, was originally constructed in 1977. A 1989 expansion, known as the Blue Section, added 126,000 square feet per floor along the western edge, and a 2002 expansion, the Yellow Section, extended the garage along the northern side, adding another 209,000 square feet per floor. Altogether, the garage covers more than 3.5 million square feet, making it the largest building—by square footage—in the entire state of Wisconsin. For comparison: U.S Bank Center (Milwaukee): Tallest building in Wisconsin – 42 stories, 1,077,607 sq ft Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons (Milwaukee): 32 stories, 1,100,00 sq ft Clinical Services Center at University of Wisconsin-Madison: 1,897,439 sq ft Lambeau Field (Green Bay): 1,900,000 sq ft During these expansions, a total of six elevators were added: two in the 1989 section and four more in the 2002 expansion. The 2002 project also introduced an enclosed pedestrian skywalk on the third level, featuring two sets of moving walkways. This climate-controlled corridor connects the garage to the terminal, offering comfort and convenience for travelers during Wisconsin’s hot summers and frigid winters. For most of the year—aside from peak travel periods like Spring Break—this massive structure has ample capacity to accommodate nearly all travelers who choose to park there. So next time you’re planning to park at MKE, choose the garage and take a moment to look around and appreciate the sheer scale of this remarkable facility. You can proudly say, “I’m standing in the largest building in Wisconsin!” Vincent Campagna, PTMP, is a Manager, Parking & Ground Transportation for Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. Vincent can be reached at vcampagna@mitchellairport.com.

Every fall a new group of incoming students move into their dorms and call campus their home. We were approached by University Housing to assist them this past year with the logistics of parking and traffic control for the move-in of 4,500 new incoming students over the course of two days for the fall of 2025. In the past few years since COVID, the approach has been hands off from a parking standpoint. With occupancy of resident students increasing over the last few years traffic congestion, parking demand outpacing supply and frustrated drivers led to the need for a controlled and welcoming move-in experience. Thoughtful and strategic planning would be essential to our move-in experience success. Initial planning began with a high-level overview of what University Housing’s overall vision would be. Some of their needs included one-way traffic around the most populated dorms, express unloading zones, signage recommendations, and staffing of parking attendants to direct parking. Move-in 2025 was ultimately a success and there was positive feedback from those new students and families. Some key takeaways for success were planning logistically and communication. We started our logistics planning internally in February. This allowed enough time to decide what resources, signage and external parties were needed to be successful. We started communicating with stakeholders early in the process. We wanted the campus community to have realistic and clear expectations when students were moving in. University Housing took on the heavy lift of communicating plans through emails, meetings and social media. The week of move-in we started our setup with signage and barricades. This was a visual reminder for stakeholders as well. The last, and arguably the most important step in our planning process was to debrief and discuss lessons learned to improve the process. We met internally and with University Housing to discuss. Overall, move-in 2025 was a positive experience for those new students and their families and we are ready to start planning for 2026! Meredith Garrett, CAPP, is the Assistant Director of Public Safety, Parking & Transit Services for Kent State University. Meredith can be reached at mgarre12@kent.edu.

In recent conversations with three different parking enforcement officers who recently started utilizing wearable cameras, a harsh reality became clear: there is a void in the existing toolset that officers face when trying to do their job while documenting interactions and staying safe while doing it. Increasingly, officers find themselves stuck in the middle of two groups of people: those who are verbally and physically aggressive or confrontational, and those who make accusations of rudeness or harassment. While radio reports and written reports can provide a starting point, organizations are finding that POV video offers an objective view into what officers face in the field every day. Organizations and Municipalities are shaping the future of safety and efficiency in the industry via: Video with audio transcription – an exact recounting of interactions to cut out the question, “What did they say and how did you respond?” Livestream for supervisors to tap into emergency situations from anywhere, anytime. Safety highlights – real time alerts to see critical situations as they occur. Reporting – standardization of incident reporting through the use of a wearable camera. If you work in an office, you most likely have tools that record video meetings, take notes while you’re speaking to people, and organize your day using technology. Making the same essentials easy and accessible to field workers through wearable technology is proving to be an avenue that provides them with the confidence to do their job while staying as safe as possible. Henry Broback is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Plix AI Body Cameras. Henry can be reached at henry@plix.ai.

Event management has been a struggle to keep everyone on the same page since I stepped into my role in 2024. We would receive multiple requests for event parking each day through a variety of different avenues. Phone calls and emails to different people within the department, never any consistency. Sometimes multiple phone calls AND emails for the same event! The ability to be able to charge for special event parking and offering a variety of options (hangtags, dashboard permits, do not enforce a lot) was also a hurdle I was up against. I needed a solution and fast, because I was spending an exorbitant amount of time on phone calls and emails just for events. I was ready to start exploring vendor options, but I knew I would really have to make a strong case in order to implement an event management system. That’s when I started exploring the possibility of working with our university events and conference services. They already had a system in place to receive requests and then bill. They were able to easily add parking as an option for any event request. Parking event requests went live in July 2025 through our events and conference services. I now receive all parking requests in one system where I can approve or deny the request. Revenue that was once not captured for event parking is now efficiently charged along with whatever other expenses the customer incurs for their event. Bonus, the university is capturing all events for the university calendar because of the demand for parking when previously only large events were scheduled. Meredith Garrett, CAPP, is the Assistant Director of Public Safety, Parking & Transit Services for Kent State University. Meredith can be reached at mgarre12@kent.edu.

The October Ask the Experts column featured some great responses from IPMI thought leaders, but there is never enough space for all the great answers! Here are more thought-provoking responses.  How can large-scale parking operations (education, healthcare, airports, business parks, retail centers, etc.) leverage emerging technologies to improve both parking management and the overall mobility experience?   Scott Petri, President, Mobility Parking Advisors  “Analyzing gaps in existing technology or identifying best-in-class technologies for operational functions provides efficiencies, potential revenue, enhancements, and greater customer satisfaction, particularly when viewed from community needs and customer surveys.”   Cameron Lang, Sales Manager US, HotSpot Parking, a Product of Arcadis  “Cities and large-scale parking operations can use new technologies like curbside data, mobile apps, and automated payment systems to make parking easier and more efficient. These tools help maximize parking space usage, simplify entry and payment processes, and reduce paperwork. They also improve the overall traveler's experience by offering real-time updates on available spaces and connecting parking systems with other transportation options for seamless travel.”   Katherine Beaty, PTMP, President, Beaty Solutions  “When parking works well, people do not notice it.  Leveraging the right tech is what makes us invisible, and really, that is the goal.   For example, airports can sync with return flight information, allowing travelers to come back to a seamless handoff when using a valet.”   Erik Nelson, PCIP, Principal, Walker Consultants  “Large-scale operations need to carefully plan for the implementation of emerging technologies. Pilot programs are a good way to test functionality, but they can’t demonstrate a system’s ability to scale. That requires careful coordination with the vendor and stress tests of their system prior to broader rollout.”   Chris Phenner, VP of Business Development, Flash, Inc.  “Creating Digital Locations within platforms like Apple Maps, Google Maps, Ticketmaster, and TomTom can drive millions of dollars in bookings annually, and this channel is growing faster than expected.”   Brett Wood, PE, PTMP, President, Wood Solutions Group  “With an abundance of technologies supporting multiple facets of operations and management, we have more data than ever to truly understand user behaviors. Advanced operations are beginning to better utilize this data to better align resources and policies to the needs of the users, helping to better balance demands across all modes of transportation in the mobility spectrum.” 

Most travelers may know that flying out of their local airport helps create demand for airlines, which can lead to more routes and destinations. Many also understand that purchasing food, drinks, or gifts at the airport supports local jobs and drives demand for more concession options. What some may not realize, however, is the significant role that onsite airport parking plays in helping an airport grow—both financially and operationally. Non-Aeronautical Revenue For most airports, parking is the largest single source of non-aeronautical revenue, often accounting for 20–40% of that total. This revenue is critical—it helps fund new runways and taxiways, terminal upgrades, facility maintenance, and infrastructure improvements. It also reduces reliance on airline fees, making the airport more attractive to carriers and encouraging more flight options for travelers. Competitive Advantage and Passenger Convenience Convenient, well-managed parking attracts more travelers and encourages repeat visits. It builds brand loyalty and keeps passengers parking onsite rather than offsite or choosing alternative transportation. Since parking is often a traveler’s first and last interaction with the airport, a smooth experience enhances overall satisfaction and strengthens the airport’s reputation. In turn, this supports higher passenger traffic, attracts new airline routes, and drives spending in retail and dining areas. Encouraging Off-Peak Travel Accessible onsite parking also supports off-peak travel. When travelers know they can park easily for early morning or late-night flights, they’re more likely to book those times. This helps airlines optimize schedules, reduces congestion, and spreads airport activity more evenly throughout the day. More Than Just a Parking Spot Choosing to park onsite isn’t only about convenience—it’s an investment in your airport’s future. Onsite parking provides easy access to terminals, added security, and a smoother overall travel experience. At the same time, the revenue it generates helps fund improvements that benefit every passenger. So next time you fly, consider parking onsite—not just for your own peace of mind, but to help support your airport’s continued growth, efficiency, and service to the community. Vincent Campagna, PTMP, is a Manager, Parking & Ground Transportation for Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. Vincent can be reached at vcampagna@mitchellairport.com.

In a world where generative AI tools have become so prevalent, they now serve a multitude of purposes, from writing emails to setting reminders to creating presentations. Yet a concerning and growing trend has emerged among organizations both large and small. Instead of prioritizing employee development, many have become dangerously obsessed with leveraging AI as a replacement rather than a supplement for their human capital workforce. This is where it becomes alarming at the organizational level, and why we must raise awareness before it spirals out of control. Employee development and generative AI are two distinct tools that serve very different purposes in our daily operations. Too often, I meet with leaders who say, “I’ll just have AI do it,” or “We can let ChatGPT come up with something,” when discussing new ideas or projects. The first question that comes to my mind is simple: Do you have anyone on staff who can actually move this project forward? Using AI is valuable, but eventually you will hit a roadblock, and that is where projects stall. More importantly, where is your next generation of talent coming from? Over reliance on AI breeds stagnation in the workforce, erodes institutional knowledge, and risks leaving organizations without the human capacity to innovate, adapt, and lead. The solution is not to reject AI but to use it responsibly. Instead of relying solely on AI, I suggest you exploit it through a simple framework: Integrate: Use AI to streamline routine, low-value tasks such as scheduling, document drafting, or data summarization. Invest: Reinvest the time and cost savings from AI into employee development programs. Innovate: Encourage teams to co-create with AI rather than outsource entirely to it. Leaders who strike this balance will future-proof their organizations while empowering the workforce that drives lasting success. Dr. George J. Mclean, MPA, DBA, PTMP, is the Senior Operations and Data Insights Manager for Miami Parking Authority. George can be reached at gmclean@miamiparking.com.