Municipal/Cities

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Permit holders only parking sign
Data IPMI Blog Municipal/Cities Parking Lots

Exploring Hybrid Residential/Employee Parking Permits in Richmond

In October 2024, I wrote about how the City of Richmond was embarking on a study on a hybrid parking permit model. The key objective was to examine the feasibility and best practices surrounding a hybrid residential/employee parking permit program and examine shared parking opportunities between public and private entities within the parking districts. As urban areas continue to evolve with the removal of parking minimums, so do the challenges, which has led to city officials and residents voicing concerns about the potential negative impacts from this change in zoning parking legislation. Understanding the Challenge Residential parking permit regulations differ among Richmond's five districts because all five districts have unique characteristics, such as permit issuance programs, surrounding land use, opportunities for shared parking, and their unique personalities. Other complexities include: a growing residential population, increased competition for limited spaces, and the future integration of commercial parking needs. Insights from Peer Communities The city contracted with DESMAN to conduct the study. To craft informed recommendations, DESMAN analyzed two peer communities: Columbus, Ohio and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Columbus features a hybrid permit parking model in its Short North District. The fee structure for permits is variable or tiered; for instance, a first employee permit costs $100 annually for one and gradually increases per permit where the tenth is $700. This tiered fee approach to pricing could serve as a guideline for Richmond to help maintain fairness and efficiency. Virginia Beach, on the other hand, presents a monthly permit fee structure at $10 per month, contrasting with Columbus’s annual charges. DESMAN did not recommend implementing a full hybrid permit parking system uniform across all five Richmond districts. However, the study indicated that certain parts of a hybrid permit parking system could be beneficial for some of our residential districts and employees. Possible next steps proposed in the study include: The incorporation of shared parking arrangements, to leverage underutilized spaces, such as those at local churches or libraries during off-peak hours. The establishment of a pilot program incentivizing residents to construct off-street parking pads, alleviating some pressure from on-street spaces. Consider acquiring vacant lots for small permit parking lots, providing more options for parking availability. Pilot a limited number of employee parking permits for businesses to help understand the impacts of a hybrid system. Richmond stands at a crossroads regarding its parking policies, however strategic solutions and learned insights from peer cities do offer a pathway forward. Emphasizing shared resources, innovative pilot programs, and streamlined regulations may lead to a comprehensive solution that accommodates the needs of both residents and businesses, fostering a thriving urban environment for all. Steven Bergin, CAPP, is an Operation Manager for the City of Richmond, Virginia. You can reach Steven at Steven.Bergin@RVA.gov.

Miami Parking Authority (Logo) Announces the Launch of ParkMobile (logo)
Digital Parking Tech IPMI & Member News Municipal/Cities Technology Vendors/Products

Miami Parking Authority Announces the Launch of ParkMobile in Miami

MIAMI, FL — Miami Parking Authority (MPA) announces the launch of ParkMobile in Miami. The leading provider of mobile parking payment products, ParkMobile will launch in Miami effective Monday, March 3, 2025. With a longstanding record in other cities in South Florida, ParkMobile will be added as an additional parking payment option alongside PayByPhone to the MPA product portfolio. ParkMobile is the leading provider of parking solutions in the U.S. Located in eight of the top 10 cities, ParkMobile prides itself on providing both cities and drivers a more efficient way to manage and pay for parking digitally. In 2021, ParkMobile was acquired by the Easy Park Group, a Sweden-based mobility solutions company. Currently, ParkMobile is recognized as a brand under the EasyPark Group name. For customers who park in Miami, the convenience is unmatched. ParkMobile and PayByphone users can pay for parking using the same location number. In addition, Miami residents will continue to enjoy the resident discounted parking rate when they register with MPA, ensuring that the benefits of the existing system are not lost with the addition of ParkMobile. “When MPA launched PayByPhone in Miami about 16 years ago, the decision was rooted in deriving a benefit to the customer, meaning a seamless, quick, and easy way to pay for parking,” said Alejandra “Alex” Argudin, Chief Executive Officer. “That purpose remains unwavering today. Considering the city’s rapid growth rate, transformation, and traffic challenges, adopting ParkMobile will afford customers an additional payment option, help enhance urban mobility, and increase consumer engagement.” The process is designed to be as user-friendly as possible for the consumer. When they pull into a space, they can easily open either the ParkMobile or PayByPhone app, select the location number, set the time, and begin parking, all with a few simple smartphone taps. Download either app. “We’re on a mission to make cities more livable by providing advanced parking and mobility solutions that further enhance and improve a city’s overall infrastructure,” said David Holler, vice president of sales at ParkMobile. “We’re thrilled to be expanding in southern Florida to provide more access and choice to Miami visitors and residents.” Both apps will continue to offer customers the benefit of sending notifications before the parking session expires. By sending an alert before the session expires, parkers will know precisely when the time will run out, avoiding citations. About Miami Parking Authority MPA is committed to unlocking the potential of deploying breakthrough technology to make the parking experience easier, enhance urban mobility, and forging public-private initiatives that foster economic development. Officially known as the Department of Off-Street Parking of the City of Miami, the MPA was created in 1955 by a Special Act of the Florida State Legislature and incorporated into the City of Miami's Charter in 1968. For more information about MPA, please visit www.miamiparking.com and follow us on IG @mpacommunity, FB @miamiparking, and X @miamiparking. To register for the resident discount program, please visit  https://www.miamiparking.com/resident-discount/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/miami-parking-authority/posts/?feedView=all About ParkMobile ParkMobile, LLC is the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in North America and part of the global parking tech company, EasyPark Group. With the vision to make cities more livable, EasyPark Group owns and develops the apps EasyPark, ParkMobile,RingGo and Park-line, and operates in over 3,200 cities across more than 20 countries. ParkMobile offers digital solutions to quickly find and pay for on-street and off-street parking via a mobile device. The company also offers parking reservations at stadiums, venues, and metro area garages. ParkMobile’s technology is used in thousands of locations across the U.S., including 8 of the top 10 cities, as well as college campuses and airports. ParkMobile has been named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Pacesetter Award list, the Atlanta JournalConstitution's Top Workplaces and won the 2022 Stevie Awards for Best Mobile On-Demand Application. Visit ParkMobile.io or @ParkMobile on Twitter for the latest news and information. For EasyPark Group news, visit easyparkgroup.com. MEDIA CONTACT: MPA: Margarita Rohaidy Delgado, margarita@mrd-consulting.com or (305) 336-6267 ParkMobile: Haley Haas, haley.haas@parkmobile.io.

Strategic partnership drives smarter parking solutions in the Scenic City.
Data Enforcement IPMI & Member News Municipal/Cities Vendors/Products

Chattanooga Expands Parking Management with Park Loyalty

Chattanooga, TN — Known as the “Scenic City” for its breathtaking mountains, rivers, and outdoor recreation—isn’t just a destination for adventure seekers. It’s also a city committed to innovation, leveraging technology to improve public services. We’ve been proud to partner with the Chattanooga Parking Authority for years, and we’re excited to support their continued expansion with Park Loyalty’s integrated parking management software solutions. From Enforcement Management Software to a Fully Integrated Ecosystem Chattanooga first adopted Enforce Pro, a leading enforcement management software, to modernize parking enforcement. Since its launch, Enforce Pro has streamlined operations, boosting efficiency and compliance. But that was just the beginning—Chattanooga has now expanded to the full Park Loyalty platform without any system conversion downtime. Parking violations, permits, and meter reservations have been transitioned seamlessly, with no disruption to motorists. With the addition of Process Pro and Permit Pro, the City is now building a fully integrated parking management ecosystem that enhances enforcement, streamlines violation processing, and improves public access to permits and reservations. Optimizing Violation Processing with Process Pro With Process Pro, Chattanooga strengthens violation records management, ensuring smoother workflows and more effective case tracking. This ticket processing software automates citation handling, streamlining tasks such as payment processing, DMV data management, noticing, sanctions, and adjudication. While Process Pro strengthens the back-end citation management process, Chattanooga also sought to enhance both its operations and the public’s experience with parking permits. That’s where Permit Pro comes in, offering a seamless and user-friendly solution for permit applications and renewals. Enhancing Public Access with Permit Pro Permit Pro seamlessly integrates with Enforce Pro and Process Pro to manage the full digital permitting lifecycle. Its public-facing portal allows residents to apply for permits, make payments, renew accounts, and reserve metered spaces—all while ensuring compliance with city policies. With enforcement and permitting now fully integrated, Chattanooga is creating a parking system that works seamlessly for both administrators and the public. This unified approach reflects their commitment to smart parking solutions that eliminate manual processing and improving user experience. A Unified Parking System for Chattanooga’s Future Chattanooga’s commitment to smart parking solutions highlights the power of an integrated ecosystem. By combining enforcement, permitting, and reservations within a single platform, the city is improving accessibility, efficiency, and the overall parking experience. We’re proud to continue supporting their vision for a smarter, more connected urban infrastructure. About Park Loyalty At Park Loyalty, we make parking management easier. Whether it’s helping you improve parking enforcement, manage violations, or supporting broader initiatives like curbside management, our Pro Solutions® help parking operations of all types and sizes run smoothly through practical solutions that adapt to your needs. More: www.parkloyalty.com

City with bridge and cars moving.
Digital Parking Tech IPMI & Member News Municipal/Cities Technology Vendors/Products

Passport Accelerates Growth in 2024, Helping Cities Improve Parking Compliance and Streamline Curbside Payments Across North America

Charlotte, NC – Passport, the technology leader in parking compliance and curbside payment solutions, demonstrated impressive growth in 2024, with continued momentum anticipated in 2025 and beyond. The Charlotte-based company has processed over 235MM transactions and $3.5B in curbside payments across paid citations, mobile payments, and parking permits. Passport’s daily peak transaction volume is ten times greater than the peak experienced by the largest publicly traded financial institutions in the U.S. Data also revealed that one in five Americans has interacted with at least one of Passport’s products, showcasing the company’s growing impact nationwide. The company’s growth also underscores cities' increasing importance on parking compliance and convenient payment solutions. Over the past 18 months, Passport has launched its parking compliance software in over 40 cities. More than half of these launches were with new clients, generating over $12 million in compliance and payments revenue on their behalf. Passport recently launched its advanced Photo Enforcement solution in five U.S. locations, including Atlanta’s Ponce City Market. The company also rolled out its integrated payments software in 43 locations, including its meter and pay station payment processing solution. “2024 was an exciting year and a culmination of what we've built over the last fifteen years. In many ways, our team got back to the basics and settled in to drive creative approaches and solutions that help cities solve complex problems at the curb,” said Khristian Gutierrez, co-founder and CEO of Passport. “Passport is committed to partnering with cities to understand their unique needs to deliver tools that make their lives, and the lives of their communities, more convenient and efficient.” The City and County of Denver, Colorado, recently partnered with Passport to upgrade its parking compliance and permitting technology. “Our partnership with Passport has enabled us to enhance our processes and innovate to improve compliance and provide better experiences for our residents and visitors,” said Nina Black, City and County of Denver. Another significant milestone announced in 2024 was the expansion of Passport’s Partner Marketplace, a robust partner ecosystem that makes it easier for cities to manage multiple curbside offerings through one platform. The Marketplace includes over 60 partner integrations with leading technology providers like Automotus and Cleverciti and private operators like LAZ Parking, who help cities launch Passport products and solutions. “At Passport, we’re committed to empowering our clients with a future-proof environment. Our modular, API-driven architecture allows us to scale storage and compute resources on-demand, enabling us to support over 850 transactions per second,” said Gene Rohrwasser, CTO of Passport. “This ensures that cities can grow without worrying about infrastructure limitations, giving them the confidence to focus on enhancing their services and building smarter, more connected communities.” Passport supports more than 800 cities and private operators and has processed over $3.5B in curbside payments. For more information, including best practices, resources, and other reports, visit https://www.passportinc.com/. About Passport Passport is the technology leader in parking compliance and curbside payment solutions. By helping cities integrate paid parking, enforcement operations, and payment infrastructure into one software solution, Passport provides the only platform that connects the complexities of mobility to efficiently manage and monetize the curb. From mobile payments to citation issuance, permitting technology, and more, Passport empowers cities of all sizes with better insights to improve parking turnover, expand revenue opportunities, and create better compliance. Passport is trusted by more than 800 clients across North America. Media Contact: Aimee Eichelberger Aimee@983group.com

Parking scam on parking app
IPMI & Member News Municipal/Cities Technology Vendors/Products

Passport Issues City Alert to Help Combat Fraud & Protect Consumers

Passport, the technology leader in parking compliance and curbside payment solutions, is alerting North American cities about a new scam that could potentially make parkers victims of fraud. The scam involves fraudulent text messages claiming to be from a city, notifying individuals of an outstanding parking invoice, and requesting payment via a link. These messages are currently being sent to users in the cities of Charlotte, NC, and Boston, MA and Houston, TX. To safeguard consumers, cities should communicate this potential issue with a warning and clarification on how consumers can confirm if the request is valid. Passport suggests that cities inform residents that: They can verify any outstanding citations through the city's parking portal. By entering a license plate number, users can view all citations, see related photographs, and either appeal or pay charges directly through the secure online system. The city will only use official methods to notify residents of parking citation charges. This includes a physical citation on the windshield and letters via USPS if the citation is unpaid. The city will never send payment links via text message or request payment through unofficial channels.

Stock image of two people holding up cutout of bridge with buildings
Magazine Municipal/Cities Planning

Building Bridges

How City Officials Can Improve Urban Planning Through Strong Community Relationships

drawing of multiple cameras on a grid
Enforcement Finance Magazine Municipal/Cities Technology

Blueprint for Change

Pittsburgh Builds Legal Structure for Ticket-by-Mail

Data Enforcement IPMI & Member News Municipal/Cities Vendors/Products

Ephrata Joins Park Loyalty’s Expanding Presence in Pennsylvania

Park Loyalty continues to expand in Pennsylvania with the successful deployment of Enforce Pro® in Ephrata. This fast and seamless implementation brings immediate improvements to citation productivity, accuracy, and volume while maintaining smooth operational continuity. Park Loyalty is thrilled to welcome the Borough of Ephrata to our growing Pennsylvania network! Nestled in the heart of Lancaster County, Ephrata is known for its rich history and small-town charm. With the deployment of our Enforce Pro parking enforcement platform, Ephrata is poised to modernize its parking operations and begin experiencing the benefits immediately at go-live. The implementation of Enforce Pro in Ephrata was completed in record time, and the borough is already issuing citations live. This rapid onboarding showcases the power of Park Loyalty’s turnkey solutions, designed to minimize operational disruptions and deliver immediate benefits. As Ephrata begins live enforcement, they are well-positioned to see gains in citation productivity, ticket accuracy, and enforcement volume—all with minimal downtime. Fast deployments like this aren’t just about speed; they’re about ensuring a smooth transition for municipalities of all sizes. By reducing interruptions to existing operations, Park Loyalty enables communities to adapt quickly to new systems, maintain consistent service levels, and start benefiting from advanced enforcement tools without delay. These rapid transitions are critical in communities like Ephrata, where every resource counts and operational continuity is paramount. This successful deployment was made possible by the collaborative efforts of the Ephrata parking team and our trusted partner, Butts Ticket Systems. Together, we’ve created a unified system that aligns with Ephrata’s operational goals and sets the stage for long-term success. About Park Loyalty: https://parkloyalty.com/

Hurricane Irma Strikes United States
Community IPMI Blog Municipal/Cities Parking Facilities

Hurricane Disaster Prep

As many of you all know the City of Charleston, South Carolina is a coastal city.  Hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th.  Hurricane season can provide many challenges for Charleston County.  Parking Operations is a division under the Facilities Department, all parking employees are required to assist in preparation and recovery after a storm.  In addition, we have employees that assist the Emergency Operations Center with the Citizen Information Line. We have three different operating levels at Charleston County- Opcon 1 – Normal Daily Operations Opcon 2 – Enhanced Awareness Opcon 3 – Full Alert At each Opcon Level, the Parking Division is required to take certain action.  This includes securing signage and trash cans, installing flood panels, parking gate removal, securing pay machines, sandbagging, system backups, drain cleaning, shutting down elevators etc.  In addition, as storms approach, City of Charleston and the County of Charleston offer free parking within the garages for residents and visitors during storms.  Parking is limited to cars only.  As everyone knows people don’t always follow the rules, we’ve had boats, grills, golf carts, trailers, everything but the kitchen sink.  Cars must be out of the garages on specific days and times, if not customers will pay the prevailing rate after the day and time has passed.  From a customer service aspect, we do take into consideration people that evacuated and cannot get back in time to remove their car as to whether to require payment.  This is conducted on a case-by-case basis. Paul Whetzel, CAPP is the Parking Operations Manager for the County of Charleston, SC. Paul can be reached at PWhetzel@charlestoncounty.org.

Curb shot with cars parked closely together
Curb Management Enforcement Municipal/Cities

On-Demand Education: On Street Parking Regulations & Maintenance

In this course you will learn about the different types of on-street parking management organizations, regulations and program maintenance as well as the need for effective parking regulation analysis.

Member Roundtable chats
Events Municipal/Cities Training/Education

Municipal Member Roundtable

Register for the free municipal members-only roundtable, ask for advice about your own situations, and connect with others facing similar challenges.

Member Roundtable chats
Events Municipal/Cities Training/Education

Municipal Member Roundtable

Register for the free municipal members-only roundtable, ask for advice about your own situations, and connect with others facing similar challenges.