Blogs

Here are more of UWM Transportation Services' favorite local picks to help you experience the city like a pro.

I hope everyone traveling to the 2026 IPMI Conference & Expo in Milwaukee takes the opportunity to fly through Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE). Whether you're visiting for the first time or are a frequent traveler through MKE, you're in for a welcoming and uniquely Milwaukee experience.

Here is a list of parks and great outdoors, food and drinks, coffee, ice cream, & activities to experience during your conference trip!

Parking structures are often approached as if they are just simplified buildings. I think that is the wrong starting point. They may look like buildings. They have columns, floors, stairs, elevators, lighting and sometimes a facade. But in practice, they behave more like exposed infrastructure. When we confuse these two categories, we underestimate what the building needs to endure.

Quality parking data has become essential for improving driver experience, enabling wayfinding, informing policy, and ensuring efficient operations. Even helping drivers find available parking requires reliable, real-time data. As cities and parking operators face growing pressure to manage curb space, optimize revenue, and support broader mobility goals, the focus has shifted from whether to use data to what type of data is needed.

For years, we’ve focused on curb management, organizing space, setting time limits, and enforcing payment. That approach made sense when the curb was primarily used for parking. That is no longer the case.

IPMI hosted a Learning Lab on Pittsburgh’s rollout of curb digitization and ticket-by-mail technology, presented by gtechna. Matt Jendrzejewski, PECP, of the Pittsburgh Parking Authority outlined the city’s phased implementation, beginning with smart loading zones in 2021 and expanding to street cleaning enforcement by 2025. The session highlighted the importance of pilot programs, legislation, human review, and technology integration. Ben Pisch from Sensen explained how AI supports plate detection, rule enforcement, and occupancy analytics. Panelists also discussed technical challenges, compliance impacts, and revenue trends following implementation.

This webinar, presented by Nick Mazenga and Carmen Donnell, co-chairs of IPMI’s Technology Committee, explored global parking enforcement technologies and their potential use in North America. The presenters examined international examples including Amsterdam, Rome, the United Arab Emirates, Adelaide, China, and Bogotá, highlighting approaches such as tax-based parking, SMS-first enforcement, sensor systems, valet robots, and behavioral science techniques. While many of these technologies are feasible in North America, the discussion emphasized that cultural, legal, and governance differences present major challenges. The presenters concluded that staffing, public trust, and governance are often bigger barriers than the technology itself and encouraged organizations to focus on compliance-first strategies, pilot programs, and locally tailored solutions.

The Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority (dba Wave Transit), in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO), provided much needed relief to southeast North Carolina with expanded microtransit service and Transportation Demand Strategies (TDM) during the recent temporary closure of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge for a preservation project.

The presenters discussed strategies for improving recruiting pipelines and employee retention through stronger engagement, training, and leadership practices. Allison emphasized using employee surveys and idea-sharing platforms to strengthen both recruitment and retention. Colin highlighted Tech Painting Company’s approach, including structured training, safety programs, and multilingual communication to support workforce growth. David focused on leadership buy-in, data-driven management, and building a strong workplace culture to support long-term retention and development. They also addressed balancing employee input with decision-making speed, along with broader challenges such as AI adoption and workforce time management. Overall, the discussion centered on creating environments that attract, develop, and retain employees for long-term organizational success.

If your parking lot is full, the revenue is rolling in, right? Not necessarily. Full occupancy doesn’t automatically translate into maximum revenue. In today’s environment, rising costs, changing mobility habits, EV growth, and increasing customer expectations mean that volume alone isn’t enough.

I wonder if Orville Wright would have ever invented flight if his brother Wendell wasn’t by his side in their bike shop in Dayton, OH. Of course, they are both credited with the first sustainable flight flown over the Outer Banks of Kittyhawk North Carolina. Success comes mostly through failure. The Wright Brothers knew plenty of failure. In the same room, the boys sketched, dreamed, tinkered and collaborated one of the most important and significant inventions the world has ever conceived. The boys won the Race for Flight. There isn’t a bit of a chance that it would have happened over a Zoom call.