Digital Parking Tech

Vancouver, Canada – Lightyear Capital, a New York-based private equity firm with over US$7 billion in assets under management, has signed an agreement to acquire PayByPhone, a global leader in mobile parking payments, from Corpay (NYSE: CPAY).

Killeen, TX — Travelers at Killeen Regional Airport (GRK) will soon experience a faster, simpler way to park. Beginning Feb. 1, the airport will remove parking gates and transition to a free-flow parking system powered by Premium Parking’s digital platform, GLIDEPARCS®.

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

San Diego, CA — EnSight Technologies announced that it has partnered with Emerald Queen Casino to deploy a comprehensive parking occupancy management and guidance solution across the casino’s three hotel and casino garages in Tacoma, Washington. The project will serve the North, South, and East Garages and is designed to provide real-time parking visibility while simplifying infrastructure and reducing the need for excessive hardware. Using EnSight’s vision-based technology and cloud platform, the system will deliver accurate occupancy data, digital wayfinding signage, and added security visibility to support a smoother parking experience for casino and hotel guests. At the core of the deployment is EnSight’s total occupancy management solution, featuring full-matrix digital signs at each garage entrance to clearly communicate space availability. Additional enhancements will expand the system’s capabilities, including license plate recognition at entry and exit points, level-by-level vehicle counting, and interior digital signs that guide drivers as they move through each garage. “Parking is often the first and last touchpoint of a guest’s visit,” said David Yerbury, Security Director for Emerald Queen Casino. “This new system will help us create a smoother arrival experience by making it easier for guests to find parking quickly and confidently.” The EnSight solution will be managed through the EnSightful Portal, a single cloud-based dashboard that provides live occupancy monitoring, historical utilization reporting, and system oversight across all three garages. Casino operators will gain improved visibility into how their parking assets are used, while guests benefit from clearer guidance and reduced time spent searching for parking. “Our focus with Emerald Queen Casino was to deliver a parking solution that is powerful, yet easy to manage,” said Chris Scheppmann, Managing Member of EnSight Technologies. “By leveraging a vision-based approach, we’re able to limit physical infrastructure while still providing real-time insight, guidance, and additional security benefits. The result is a system that is easier to manage and easier for guests to use.” This deployment reflects EnSight Technologies’ continued commitment to delivering smart, scalable parking solutions that adapt to complex environments, like gaming and hospitality destinations. By combining real-time data, intuitive signage, and flexible software integrations, EnSight helps operators improve efficiency while enhancing the overall visitor experience. For more information about EnSight Technologies and its parking occupancy management and guidance solutions, visit www.ensight-technologies.com. About EnSight Technologies EnSight Technologies is a parking technology company that has set out to simplify parking guidance with smart technology. EnSight’s smart, simple, and scalable technology ecosystem offers a cost-effective alternative to parking occupancy management and guidance for parking owners and operators of all sizes. The company can be found at www.ensight-technologies.com.

Arrive’s, 2026 Urban Mobility Compass’ is a collection of insights from experts and leaders across the industry. This report maps out the key trends across major sectors of the mobility landscape, highlighting the expanding role of data in creating connected, smarter services that will help define the future of urban mobility. The 2026 Urban Mobility Compass covers key industry areas including parking, public transport, the digital in-car experience, as well as areas which impact multiple sectors including payments, AI and data-driven insights. The compass includes insights from Arrive CEO, Cameron Clayton, and leaders for the company’s business units including Parking, Automotive & Data, Transport, Payments, Data & AI, Insights and Security & Cyber Resilience. Key trends covered in the Urban Mobility Compass 2026 include: The increasing use of AI across the mobility industry brings opportunities to ease friction Drive for a more cohesive in-car experience for both private and fleet drivers The integration of parking management systems, creating an easier to navigate landscape for cities How growing digitization in public transport ticketing and insights gathering for cities is unlocking easier multi-modal journeys and a better understanding of transport patterns The rise of the open market for Mobile Parking Payment apps as cities move away from the current tender based procurement model to provide better consumer choice For the full overview of what to expect in urban mobility in 2026, you can find the full 2026 Urban Mobility Compass, here. Press Contact: Contact us at: mediarelations@arrive.com Follow Arrive in our newsroom: https://news.cision.com/arrive About Arrive Arrive is a leading global mobility platform with the mission to ease movement in cities. Through its family of brands, including EasyPark, Flowbird, RingGo, ParkMobile and Parkopedia, the company is present in more than 20,000 cities across 90 countries, helping people and decision-makers make smarter choices about urban travel. Arrive makes cities more livable through delivering core competencies from smart payments and optimizing parking solutions, to data-driven traffic reduction measures and refining public transport networks. For more information and news, visit arrive.com.

Torrance, CA — HONK, North America’s leading provider of contactless payments for parking, announced that El Camino College has replaced its legacy parking permit system with HONK’s fully digital, automated solution — streamlining operations, improving the campus parking experience, and laying the foundation for future growth. The College’s move away from physical permits represents a broader shift in how parking is managed, with HONK’s digital platform giving El Camino new tools to streamline day-to-day operations for both administrators and campus drivers. Administrative teams now spend less time on manual tracking, accounting, and reconciliation – everything is digital, easier to audit, and less prone to error. “We needed a modern parking solution that would make our internal operations more efficient while improving the overall experience for our students and staff, said Matthew Vander Horck, Chief of Police,  El Camino College. “HONK delivered a system that is intuitive for our team, reduces administrative burden, and gives our campus community a simple, mobile-first way to park— with the flexibility to grow as our needs continue to evolve.” For students and staff — the people parking on campus every day — the change is even more visible. Parking is now mobile-first, giving drivers a faster, more intuitive experience that aligns with how they already use technology. No more waiting in line, managing paper passes, or dealing with lost permits. The system supports popular mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, which means drivers can pay using the same tools they already rely on every day. Behind the scenes, the system has also helped reduce long-term operational costs. By shifting away from hardware-heavy infrastructure, El Camino has minimized the need for expensive equipment replacements and ongoing maintenance. “El Camino’s move to digital parking reflects what we’ve seen work well across higher education,” said Matt Critchell, Chief Revenue Officer, HONK. “Schools are looking for systems that are easy for students to use and simple for teams to manage, and El Camino now has a parking program that reduces manual work, scales as needs change, and supports a modern campus experience.” About El Camino College Founded in 1947, El Camino College is situated on a beautiful and spacious 126-acre campus near Torrance, California. The college enrolls about 33,000 students each semester and boasts a curriculum of about 200 degree and certificate programs taught by exceptional faculty in an environment that supports equity and student success.

“The university is a series of individual entrepreneurs held together by a common grievance about parking.” Clark Kerr’s observation from his time as Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley still rings true. Decades later, parking remains one of the most persistent sources of frustration on college and university campuses. Students circle lots looking for spaces, faculty want reliable access near offices and classrooms, visitors struggle to understand where they can park, and administrators are left balancing competing needs with limited resources. What has changed since Kerr’s era is the technology available to manage parking. Yet many universities still rely on physical permits, spreadsheets, and manual processes that no longer align with the expectations of modern campus communities. Parking has become part of the daily campus experience, and outdated systems can undermine that experience before the day even begins. University parking is inherently complex. Faculty, staff, resident students, commuters, athletes, and event attendees all have different needs, usage patterns, and expectations. Managing these demands fairly with legacy tools almost guarantees confusion and dissatisfaction. Cloud-based digital parking management platforms are built to handle this complexity. They provide flexible tools that adapt to different user groups and demand patterns, while offering online self-service for permits, payments, and renewals. Automation reduces errors, eliminates the cost and waste of physical permits, and frees parking staff from routine administrative work. Financial oversight improves as well, with automated reporting and account-level tracking across departments or campuses. Rutgers University’s digital parking management program illustrates the impact of this shift. By moving to a modern cloud-based system, the university was able to combine permit types, enable online transactions and system-wide access, improve event and guest parking, and gain real-time data for planning and pricing. Compliance improved, complaints declined, and parking became more predictable for users. For many people, parking is their first interaction with campus. Digital parking management helps ensure that experience is efficient, transparent, and far less frustrating, turning a long-standing grievance into a strategic operational advantage. Click here to read the Parking & Mobility magazine article. Chris Perry, PTMP, is the Senior Vice President of Parking Base. He can be reached at chris.perry@parkingbase.com.

Join us for a live interview where Kacey Siskind, SVP of Account Management at HONK, sits down with Linda Braak, Director of Customer Care & Planning at UC Davis, to discuss what UC Davis has learned since redefining its permit parking program and why working with HONK has made a difference.

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

Urban parking is evolving, and a parking reservation system is becoming the backbone of efficient, modern parking operations. Transitioning from traditional methods to a digital platform delivers significant benefits for both operators and drivers. A parking reservation system (or parking management system) is a digital solution - often a website or mobile app - that lets drivers book and pre-pay for parking spaces in advance. It provides real-time data on availability, pricing, and duration. Integrated with sensors, license-plate readers, payment machines, and other parking software, it gives users convenience while giving operators control over utilization and pricing. Why Parking Reservation Software Matters With a parking management system, operators gain real-time inventory tracking, centralized control of multiple locations, and instant capacity updates - eliminating manual juggling and overbooking. Automated workflows - contactless entry/exit, QR codes, license-plate recognition, and digital payment - streamline operations, reduce staffing needs, and cut costs. Parking management software simplifies processes and reduces friction at the gates. For customers, parking reservation software means convenience, predictability, and control. Drivers can reserve parking months, days, or hours in advance - ideal for airports, events, or downtown garages. Offering add-ons like EV charging, valet, or premium spots becomes effortless, generating extra revenue streams. Driving Revenue, Efficiency, and Satisfaction Operators using a parking reservation system have seen a 28% revenue increase, 15% cost reduction, and a 40% jump in online reservations within six months. Consolidated management across multiple lots reduces customer-service calls, cuts congestion, and improves satisfaction. The Future is Digital As parking demand grows, traditional methods can’t keep up. Modern parking software and parking management software are inexpensive, easy to install, and deliver immediate results. Upgrading to a parking reservation system provides faster booking, better utilization, higher profitability, and happier customers - transforming parking operations for the 21st century. David Sparks is the Chief Marketing Officer for Space Genius. David can be reached at dsparks@spacegenius.com.

Orikan Group has acquired UbiPark, a parking technology company headquartered in Melbourne and with a growing footprint in the US. UbiPark specialises in digital solutions for commercial property owners, parking operators and large institutional operations, maintaining a strong customer base across Australia, New Zealand, UK and the US. The agreement will see UbiPark’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mosstyn Howell join Orikan as a member of the Executive Team, bringing a team of thirteen people to Orikan’s business. Peter Neale, Orikan Chief Executive Officer, cites strong synergies between the two businesses as a key driver for the acquisition. “UbiPark’s modern set of digital technologies complement our own, broadening our technology offering in the off-street parking segment. Alongside our July acquisition of GPS USA, the acquisition of UbiPark builds on our expansion into the US market. By joining forces with UbiPark we can offer our holistic, end-to-end parking solutions to even more communities, off-street operators and institutions across Australia, New Zealand, UK and the US.” In his new role, Mosstyn Howell says the agreement will be particularly beneficial to all customers. “Our strategic partnership with Orikan marks a pivotal step forward enhancing our capabilities and accelerating investment in our technology stack to deliver smarter, more seamless solutions for our customers.” The acquisition represents a further step in Orikan’s growth strategy, expanding regional reach, combining complementary capabilities, and enhancing the technology delivered to customers.

We received so many great responses to the December 2025 question that we wanted to share them all!