Curb Management

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.

Somerville, MA — The City of Somerville has renewed its use of SafetyStick® devices for a third year as officials continue working to reduce illegal parking at MBTA bus stops and other safety- critical curb zones.

Across the parking and mobility industry, I see leadership undergoing a quiet but significant shift. Traditionally, operational decisions were guided by experience, institutional knowledge, and field observation. While these remain valuable, today’s environment demands something more: evidence-based leadership.

We received so many great responses to the March/April 2026 question that we wanted to share them all!

Somerville, MA — At the annual New England Parking & Transportation Council Municipal Forum, Ken Wollins of Municipal Parking Services (MPS) shared how communities are using state-of-the-art technology to address illegal parking and transit rider safety.

The European Parking Association (EPA) hosted its EPA Parking Day at Intertraffic Amsterdam on March 10–11, 2026, bringing together industry leaders, city representatives and mobility experts to discuss key developments shaping the future of urban mobility and parking. The program included three themed sessions at the Intertraffic Summit, two European Women in Parking (E-WiP) events, a members’ networking lunch and an EPA Board meeting with representatives from close to 20 national parking associations (EPA Full Members).

In dense downtown communities, limited parking availability often leads drivers to make short-term decisions that carry real safety consequences. Vehicles parked illegally near crosswalks, bus stops, and intersections may be stopped for only a moment, but they routinely block sightlines, force pedestrians into traffic, and create hazards for motorists and transit riders.

Extreme weather events are becoming a more regular occurrence. As I write this blog, large portions of the country are digging out from significant winter weather events – many of whom do not experience ice, snow and subzero temperatures on a regular (or even occasional!) basis.

Indianapolis, IN — A new study from T2 Systems finds that the time city drivers spend searching for a parking space is causing many to choose rideshare or public transit to avoid parking challenges. In some cases, frustration over limited parking availability is escalating, contributing to conflict.

Charlotte, NC – Cities across North America are increasingly focusing on compliance when it comes to how they manage parking, prioritizing behavior change and operational efficiency over citation volume, according to a new study from Passport, the most trusted technology partner for innovative curb management solutions. Based on responses from hundreds of Passport’s 800 cities and private operator partners across North America, the Passport 2025 Parking Compliance Trends Survey finds nearly half of cities cite driving compliance as their primary parking goal. “The sentiment around investing in enforcement technology and similar tools to drive payment compliance has evolved drastically over the last several years,” said Khristian Gutierrez, co-founder and CEO of Passport. “These survey results reflect a broader shift in how municipalities emphasize payment behavior, reinforcing Passport’s mission to help cities seamlessly update antiquated models and modernize curbside operations.” Digital tools are playing a central role. Most respondents report that between 26% and 75% of parking transactions now occur via mobile payments, highlighting wide variation across cities. Smaller and mid-sized cities often remain at the lower end of this range due to more limited enforcement capabilities, but as cities invest in enforcement software, mobile payment adoption accelerates, positioning many to exceed 75% of transactions via mobile payments by 2026. More than half of respondents have already moved to digital, license plate–based permits, and mobile enforcement software was cited as the technology with the greatest impact on operational efficiency, followed by license plate recognition. Despite growing technology adoption, staffing constraints and public perception remain major factors shaping compliance outcomes. Limited enforcement resources and community resistance were cited more frequently than technology limitations, highlighting that compliance is as much a human challenge as a technical one. Cities are also refining how they measure success. While increases in paid parking transactions are the most common metric, many still rely on citation counts, signaling a shift toward outcome-based evaluation models. Looking ahead, respondents expect greater digital enforcement, automation, and connected systems to define parking compliance in the next three to five years. “Disconnected systems and limited staff capacity often force teams into manual workarounds, driving slower translation of insights into action,” added Gene Rohrwasser, CTO of Passport. “As systems become more integrated, real-time, and data becomes more actionable, compliance-first strategies will be easier to implement, measure, and scale.” Passport has processed over $4 billion in curbside payments and supports more than 800 municipalities and private operators across the U.S. and Canada, including a new partnership with the City of Boston. Its platform touches one in five Americans through tools like digital permits, mobile parking payments, and citation management. To see the full study, visit passportinc.com/trends-report. About Passport Passport is the trusted technology partner for over 800 cities and private operators across North America, unifying paid parking, enforcement operations, and payment infrastructure into one platform. By simplifying how municipalities manage and monetize the curb, Passport empowers local leaders to boost compliance, unlock new revenue opportunities, and improve how people move around their communities. Passport helps cities thrive by delivering the tools and insights they need to meet evolving mobility challenges and create community-focused outcomes.  Media Contact: Aimee Eichelberger (312) 952-1528 Passport@983group.com

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. We parallel parked the car, checked for signs, maybe paid a meter, then went on to our destination. Much has changed. The once quiet edge of the street is now a full-blown stage for rideshare zones, sidewalk cafes, e-commerce deliveries, bike lanes, EV charging, micromobility, and bus priority projects. As Ken Hustings noted, curb space has become so valuable that a meter rate increase in Los Angeles was not only acceptable; it helped the city preserve staff positions during a fiscal crisis. The public’s relationship with the curb shifted in a very real way during the pandemic. As downtowns emptied and front doors became loading docks, people noticed just how much work the curb was doing behind the scenes. Take-out, package deliveries, and temporary restaurant patios all depended on it, and when it wasn’t managed well, the impacts were hard to ignore. David Lipscomb, Washington, D.C.’s curbside manager, recalled that this moment was eye-opening for residents. A minor inconvenience had quickly become a safety and access issue as delivery vehicles stacked up, cafe tables spilled onto sidewalks, and curb space was pushed to its limits. The public began paying attention to what mobility professionals had long understood: unmanaged curb space creates chaos. Awareness is just the first step. Turning that awareness into better outcomes requires updated policies and a different kind of leadership. Today’s parking and mobility professionals aren’t just managing assets; they’re also storytellers, educators, and coalition builders. Joseph Al-Hajeri, Austin’s Park Enterprise Manager, described his role as “getting the public to nerd out” about curb management using data, pilots, and transparent communication so that complex policy becomes shared understanding. In today’s rapidly evolving mobility landscape, the curb has become the new City Hall: a high-stakes, high-visibility arena where decisions play out block by block. And those who manage the curb are emerging as some of the most influential communicators shaping urban policy and public understanding. Maria Irshad, PTMP, MPA, is the Deputy Director for The City of Houston (ParkHouston). Maria can be reached at Maria.Irshad@houstontx.gov.

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