By Kevin White, AICP

Like many other sectors of the economy, the parking and mobility industry has been affected significantly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite significant impacts on revenue, staffing, and other functions, municipal operations have deftly adjusted to local conditions and are planning in earnest for an uncertain future as cities and states begin to re-open and we move further into this period of “new normal.” While we have all read and heard a variety of prognostications of what the future of parking and mobility might look like, there is a great deal of uncertainty inherent in all of it.

Looking to the immediate and more long-term future, cities should focus on what they know to be true and what they can control. The new normal places significant importance on being nimble, open, and transparent, and leveraging technology and data to serve customers, understand the parking and mobility demand profile, evaluate performance, and make operational adjustments as the situation evolves.

Chrissy Mancini Nichols and I authored a 10-point roadmap for navigating the new normal in parking and mobility. We hope it’s helpful.

Kevin White, AICP, is a parking and mobility consultant with Walker Consultants.