Enforcement

Atlanta, GA - Arrive, a leading global mobility platform, announced the intention to acquire Passport, unifying enforcement technology, paid parking and payment infrastructure for autonomous-ready mobility into one platform.

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.

De-Escalation — Distance, Language, and Boundaries

Adrienne shared strategies for shifting parking enforcement from rigid rule enforcement to customer-focused solutions, emphasizing education over punishment and empowering officers with field discretion. She highlighted initiatives at Kansas State University, including a donations-for-citations program, vehicle inspections, and alternative resolution options. The presentation reinforced treating parking officers as ambassadors rather than enforcers and encouraged attendees to adopt service-oriented approaches in their own operations. The session concluded with a Q and A covering uniform standards, email communication, and faculty parking expectations.

The Hidden System That Keeps Communities Moving

Presented by the IPMI Technology Committee, the focus is on giving enforcement and parking professionals a clear view of the technologies their peers around the world are using today and what lessons those approaches may offer for future technology planning.

The California Mobility & Parking Association (CMPA) surveyed agencies throughout California from December 10, 2025, through January 10, 2026, to understand the use and impact of Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) in parking enforcement. Across CMPA respondents, BWC adoption in parking enforcement is emerging but not yet widespread.

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

The Hill Country destination of Fredericksburg, Texas, may have only about 12,000 residents, but it welcomes roughly 1.5 million visitors a year who come for its wineries, walkable Main Street and small-town charm. With 84 wineries in and around the community and a compact historic downtown, legal curb space is at a premium, especially near tasting rooms, restaurants and hotels. The City of Fredericksburg has installed 11 MPS SafetyStick® devices in some of its most sensitive curbside locations. The initial deployment, completed on August 26, focuses on prohibited parking zones and fire hydrants, where blocked access can slow emergency response and create dangerous conflicts between drivers and pedestrians. With only 37 full-time police officers, city leaders were looking for a way to extend their enforcement reach without pulling officers away from higher-priority calls. The SafetyStick® uses solar power, motion detectors and cameras to monitor no-parking areas and provide clear, time-stamped photo evidence of violations that local authorities can review and act on. “Illegal parking undermines the efforts of those who work hard and follow the rules, signaling that laws can be disregarded,” Lt. Seelig said. “The SafetyStick strengthens our ability to deter illegal parking and enforce compliance with parking regulations.” Fredericksburg selected MPS based on the company’s story and patented innovations in parking enforcement, as well as its track record helping other communities protect critical curb space in no parking zones, at bus stops, in bike lanes and around fire lanes. The SafetyStick® is designed as a force multiplier that supports existing enforcement staff, improves compliance in problem zones and makes it easier for residents, visitors and first responders to move through busy corridors. The new SafetySticks are expected to reduce illegal parking near hydrants and other restricted zones and to free up scarce legal spaces for people who are visiting Main Street, tasting rooms and other attractions. Over time, the Fredericksburg deployment will add another case study to the growing list of tourism destinations that are using smart, solar powered enforcement to keep streets safer and parking fairer for everyone. About Municipal Parking Services (MPS) Municipal Parking Services Inc. (MPS) is a pioneer in AI-driven enforcement and compliance technologies. Since 2013, MPS has leveraged its unique platform to deliver cloud-connected parking and safety solutions that reduce illegal parking, increase compliance, and improve safety outcomes. MPS solutions use embedded AI to automate license plate recognition, dynamic pricing, zone monitoring, and enforcement, creating safer, smarter communities. The company partners with leading safety organizations, including Vision Zero, IPMI, IACLEA, and IACP. Headquartered in Austin, Texas. Learn more at www.mpspark.com.

The City of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania is expanding its SafetyStick® program after a successful first year of automated parking enforcement in high-risk curbside locations. What began as a small deployment of 10 devices downtown has grown into one of Municipal Parking Services’ flagship SafetyStick® programs, with the city now operating 42 units and planning to add 20 more in the coming months. The initiative focuses on illegal parking that creates safety hazards rather than routine meter enforcement. SafetySticks monitor handicap spaces, bus stops, fire hydrants, corners, commercial loading zones and other restricted areas where blocked access can put people at risk or slow emergency response. Proven Results in the First Year In a little over a year of operation, Wilkes-Barre’s SafetyStick® program has generated 9,883 citations for parking violations, uncovering the true scale of unsafe, previously under-enforced activity at key locations. Over that same period, the city received $126,135 in revenue from citations issued through the SafetyStick® program. Just as important as the revenue, city leaders report that citation volumes in the earliest deployment zones have begun to drop as drivers change their behavior. Fewer violations in those original locations suggest that motorists are learning to avoid unsafe stopping and parking where SafetySticks are installed, even as new devices are added in other areas. Expanding to School-Adjacent Corridors As the program has grown, Wilkes-Barre has pushed beyond the downtown core to address additional safety priorities and annoyance parking. New SafetySticks are being installed along Old River Road near Kistler Elementary School, where vehicles were previously parking on grassy areas and blocking sight lines when children were arriving and leaving. “By extending automated enforcement to school-adjacent corridors, the city aims to keep pick-up and drop-off zones clear and reduce risky driver behavior during the busiest times of day for pedestrians,” said Robert Sliker, head of parking enforcement. “We have parking enforcement officers, but they can’t be everywhere,” Mayor George Brown said in a recent interview with FOX56. A Safety-First Model for Other Cities Wilkes-Barre’s experience shows how cities can pair automated enforcement with a clear safety narrative to build public understanding and long-term compliance. Key elements of the city’s approach include: Starting with obvious safety hazards such as hydrants, corners, handicap spaces and bus stops to demonstrate why enforcement is needed. Using solar-powered, AI-enabled devices to provide continuous monitoring without major capital projects or added staff. Framing the program as a public safety initiative that protects residents, schoolchildren and emergency responders rather than a purely revenue-driven effort. Expanding in phases as results, community awareness and internal comfort with the technology grow. With dozens of devices already delivering strong results and additional SafetySticks on the way, Wilkes-Barre has become a leading example of how automated enforcement can improve safety, strengthen compliance and support city budgets at the same time. About Municipal Parking Services (MPS) Municipal Parking Services Inc. (MPS) is a pioneer in AI-driven enforcement and compliance technologies. Since 2013, MPS has leveraged its unique platform to deliver cloud-connected parking and safety solutions that reduce illegal parking, increase compliance, and improve safety outcomes. MPS solutions use embedded AI to automate license plate recognition, dynamic pricing, zone monitoring, and enforcement, creating safer, smarter communities. The company partners with leading safety organizations, including Vision Zero, IPMI, IACLEA, and IACP. Headquartered in Austin, Texas. Learn more at www.mpspark.com.

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

Every legislative cycle brings forward new ideas about how cities should manage parking, mobility, and the public realm. Most proposals are well-intentioned. Some even sound appealing at first glance. But every so often, a bill emerges that deserves the parking industry’s full attention because its implications reach far beyond the curb. Florida’s House Bill 323 is one of those bills. On the surface, HB 323 appears consumer-friendly: refunding unused parking time, extending grace periods before enforcement, and prohibiting certain uses of public property for paid parking. But underneath that simple narrative lies a much more complex reality that affects revenue stability, technology systems, curb management, university operations, and long-standing public and private partnerships. And this is not the first time we have seen an idea like this circulate. A few years ago, a similar concept surfaced in Iowa that proposed refunds for unused parking time or the ability for leftover minutes to automatically transfer to the next vehicle using the same space. The idea resonated with the public but unraveled quickly once cities, universities, and parking professionals explained the operational and fiscal consequences. The bill ultimately died before advancing. The lesson was clear:  Parking policy may seem simple from the outside, but the operational ecosystem behind it is anything but. In Iowa, the proposal collided with the realities of modern parking systems such as pay-by-plate technologies, LPR enforcement, turnover management, and the financial responsibilities that support local services. Refund mandates and time-transfer requirements introduced accounting complications, revenue instability, and enforcement challenges that could not be resolved with current infrastructure. The industry spoke up, and policymakers listened. Florida now faces a similar moment of decision, and the stakes are even higher. HB 323 extends beyond refunds and leftover minutes. It introduces statewide enforcement delays and eliminates many forms of public and private collaboration on public property. These collaborations support downtowns, campuses, tourism districts, and event venues across the state. The national parking community should care deeply about these conversations, even if the legislation is not in your state. What happens in one large state sets precedent for others. Bills spread. Ideas resurface. Once policy narratives take hold without industry input, they are difficult to unwind. This is the moment for parking and mobility professionals to engage rather than react. We are the practitioners who understand how these systems actually function.  We are the ones who see the downstream effects on safety, turnover, economic development, and municipal budgeting.  We are the ones who bridge technology, compliance, public expectation, and financial stewardship every day. If we want better policy outcomes, we must be part of shaping the conversation early. So here is the call to action: Stay informed. Track legislation in your state that touches the curb, parking enforcement, or public and private partnerships. Educate policymakers. Many lawmakers simply do not understand how operationally complex parking systems are, and they should not be expected to without our help. Share lessons learned. Iowa’s experience matters. Florida’s debate matters. Each gives us insight into how to frame the discussion constructively. Advocate proactively. Reach out before decisions are made. Once a narrative is set, it is far harder to change. Parking is not a passive industry. It shapes how cities move, grow, and thrive. Legislation that affects parking ultimately affects communities. Whether or not HB 323 passes, the conversation it sparks is an opportunity for our industry to show up, share expertise, and ensure that future policies strengthen mobility rather than disrupt it. Now is the time to engage. Brooke Krieger is a Regional Sales Director for Arrive. Brooke can be reached at brooke.krieger@arrive.com.