Parking Facilities

Accepting payments, both digital and traditional, in ungated parking environments is commonplace in all parking markets. Traditional notions of payment acceptance become more complicated in new, ungated environments due to the still-evolving regulatory and legal environments. Most reputable ungated service firms will indeed indemnify and protect their operators and landlords from many (not all) of these challenges, but that doesn’t mean the landlord doesn’t have affirmative duties in the ecosystem to uphold. The webinar, article, and white paper, “Ungated Environments: Best Practices for Parking Payment Providers,” aim to unpack the still-developing, complex, and detailed expectations that form the foundation of the modern parking environment. Improper signage (content and style), misalignment between digital and traditional payment methods, lack of consistent policies and processes, misleading consumer journeys, and more are just some of the concerns that this webinar/article/whitepaper seeks to educate on. As authors, we are pleased to share our knowledge and experience with the parking, transportation, and mobility community, much of which was gained through extensive observation of trial and error while operating downstream of all parking operators, landlords, payment providers, and other relevant stakeholders conducting business in a parking facility. Click here to read the Parking & Mobility magazine article. Click here to read the white paper. Click here to purchase and watch the webinar. Michael J. Drow, PTMP, is the CEO of PRRS, Inc. He can be reached at mdrow@prrsparking.com. Todd Tucker, PTMP, is the COO for PRRS, Inc. He can be reached at ttucker@prrsparking.com.

Denver, CO – PRRS, the leading provider of parking compliance solutions, announced the introduction of Autostart, a groundbreaking AI-powered parking management technology designed to transform the way drivers access and pay for parking. Powered by Paralign’s ARCFlex software and leveraging advanced AI vision, Autostart offers an open network, precise payment activation for gateless, free-flow parking facilities, capturing and verifying license plate data the instant a vehicle enters and exits a facility and automatically charging drivers for the exact amount of time that the parking session lasted via your preferred payment platform. Unlike other payment networks serving the parking industry, this is an open network, which allows parking owners and operators to choose their preferred payment provider for collecting parking fees. “Autostart is a game changer when it comes to parking,” said John Conway, Co-Founder and Chief Business Development Officer for PRRS. “Ticketless parking enables a more efficient, cost-effective, and driver-friendly experience, but it has always been challenging to manage payments fairly and accurately. Autostart solves that problem and makes free-flow parking work for any parking facility.” Autostart provides unmatched convenience and accuracy, including: Instant Vehicle Recognition: The system’s AI vision technology automatically detects and verifies license             plate data upon entry and egress with 99.88% accuracy. Effortless Payment: If the driver is pre-registered with the facility’s preferred payment provider, the system  automatically processes the payment—eliminating the need for tickets, cash, or manual check-ins. Flexible Options for All Parkers: Drivers who aren’t registered with the facility’s preferred payment app can still easily register with that app and pay manually. Real-Time Notifications: For registered users, the facility’s payment provider’s app of choice instantly notifies them when a parking session begins. Precision Billing: Upon exit, Autostart reads the license plate again and activates the payment precisely for the duration of their stay via the facility’s preferred payment app. ARCFlex is already integrated with more than 45 parking payment providers and PRRS is migrating payment providers to Autostart, making it one of the most interoperable and user-friendly parking solutions available. “Until the introduction of Autostart, drivers parking in ticketless parking lots and garages had to pre-pay for a set amount of parking,” said Conway. “The problem is that people don’t always know how long they will park. Meetings run long or people just lose track of time. When that happens parking owners have had to treat overstays as an enforcement issue, sending notices for noncompliance fees. Drivers hate receiving notices for $50 or more. Autostart minimizes this unpleasant pain point.” The launch of Autostart underscores PRRS’ commitment to improving the compliance of facility and simplifying the payment process in free-flow parking facilities and reducing the need to issue notices of noncompliance. More information about Autostart can be found here. PRRS’ main focus is making customer journeys and experiences in parking better while improving compliance with facility rules. With Autostart and the facility’s preferred payment provider, parkers have less hassle to perfectly choose parking times, payment providers have more successful payments, and landowners have improved compliant use of their facility. It’s a win-win-win for all parties! About PRRS Parking Revenue Recovery Services (PRRS) is the leading provider of fully-integrated parking compliance and customer support services to the parking and other industries. PRRS today provides services to over 600 parking locations and proudly represents national, regional, and local parking operators throughout the United States. Our client owners and parking operators use our monitoring and compliance services in all types of properties, including commercial lots and garages, municipal facilities, college and university facilities, airports, hospitals, commercial properties, and residential buildings. PRRS creates exceptional value for its parking operator clients through increased overall customer compliance, enhanced visibility into operating activity and usage, while delivering exceptional customer service. For more information, please visit https://prrsparking.com. About Paralign Paralign is a technology leader dedicated to creating smarter, more efficient parking solutions. With a focus on innovation, seamless integration, and user experience, Paralign delivers cutting-edge products that enhance mobility and improve operational performance for parking owners and operators worldwide, including commercial campuses, residential complexes, colleges and universities, industrial sites, resorts, and airports. For more information, please visit https://paralign.co.

As digital payments surge in ungated parking environments, ensuring clarity, consistency, and compliance has become more vital than ever. This white paper outlines key best practices for parking operators and payment providers to prevent consumer confusion and mitigate legal risk.

Parking has long been managed through fixed rules: pay before you stay, don’t exceed the time limit, and expect a citation if you do. But that model rarely reflects how people actually behave. The shift toward behavioral parking is about bridging that gap—creating systems that respond to real usage rather than rigid expectations. At the heart of behavioral parking is one simple idea: charge based on how people actually use the space. Instead of guessing how long they’ll stay or rushing back to feed a meter, drivers park and go about their business. The system tracks their actual behavior—start time, end time, duration—and charges accordingly. This shift solves a long-standing issue: underpayment and non-compliance that doesn’t always come from bad intent, but from confusion, unpredictability, or inflexible systems. Rather than focusing on enforcement and punishment, behavioral models recover revenue by adapting to the parker—not the other way around. In environments like universities, city centers, and hospitality, where stay durations vary widely, this approach offers fairness and financial sustainability. Operators gain more accurate data, fewer disputes, and ultimately, better compliance without increasing friction. Behavioral parking is not just about technology—it’s about trust. When people feel that parking is transparent and reasonable, they're more likely to engage honestly with it. And when systems are built around real-life behavior, everyone benefits….. We’re no longer just managing space. We are managing people…and adjusting to real behavior to reduce violations. Trystan Henry, PECP, is the Vice President of Business Development for ParkEngage. Trystan can be reached at trystan.henry@parkengage.com.

Barcelona — ParkHelp has been awarded the contract to upgrade the parking guidance system in the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 garages at Barcelona Airport, deploying a unified solution that combines next-generation ultrasonic sensors and camera-based technology across a total of 13,092 parking spaces. ParkHelp’s relationship with the airport began back in 2009, when the original U1 ultrasonic system was installed. Since then, the system has remained fully operational and effective for over 15 years, guiding millions of drivers to free parking spaces with speed and accuracy. The new project marks a significant technological leap forward with the deployment of Ultrasonic 2 (U2) and C2 camera-based units with License Plate Recognition (LPR). Of the 13,092 spaces, 8,362 will be monitored using U2 sensors and 4,730 with the C2 system. ParkHelp’s unique mix-and-match approach allows the most suitable technology to be applied in each area, offering a flexible, scalable solution within one seamless platform. ParkHelp’s solution is fully integrated with the airport’s Parking Access and Revenue Control System (PARCS), allowing users to locate their vehicle directly from the pay station. The system displays the car’s location (level and space number), shows a photo of the vehicle, and provides a map with the exact location of the parking space. This project is part of a complete overhaul of the parking system, which demands the highest technical and operational standards within the airport ecosystem. Alexis Puig, CEO of ParkHelp, stated: “We are extremely proud to have been selected for this iconic project. Successfully passing such a rigorous tender process proves that our technology meets the highest standards of quality, reliability, and innovation demanded in an airport setting. Our ability to combine ultrasonic and camera-based systems in one integrated platform gives us a competitive edge in delivering tailored solutions.” With this renewal, Barcelona Airport strengthens its commitment to innovation, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement of the user experience. ParkHelp is proud to support the airport’s journey toward smarter and more sustainable mobility. About ParkHelp Technologies ParkHelp is one of the world’s leading providers of smart parking solutions, offering a range of innovative products designed to optimize parking management, improve the user experience, promote sustainable urban mobility, and help parking owners generate more revenue. The company manufactures, sells, and services advanced parking guidance systems (PGS), digital guidance signage, license plate recognition (LPR) cameras, and integrated software solutions tailored for diverse environments, including commercial complexes, shopping malls, hospitals, corporate campuses, airports, and municipalities. ParkHelp can be found online at www.parkhelp.com.

IPMI’s Planning, Design, and Construction committee hosted a member roundtable focused on parking-related design and construction trends, including commercial real estate market costs and technologies that affect how garages and PARCs systems are designed.

San Diego, CA — EnSight Technologies has been selected to implement an advanced AI-based parking guidance and occupancy management system at Salt Lake City’s largest mixed-use development, which features upscale retail, residential, and office spaces. The cutting-edge system will use EnSight’s AI-powered cameras to monitor parking occupancy on each floor and guide tenants and patrons of tenant stores to the best available parking spaces via integrated LED signage. Installation is expected to be completed in the fall of 2025. “We are excited to be providing our industry-leading parking guidance technology to this world-class development,” said Chris Scheppmann, Managing Partner of EnSight Technologies. “This is an extraordinary property and we have designed an elevated parking experience that tenants and patrons of its stores and restaurants are going to love.” The EnSight Technologies parking guidance platform will feature 81 EnSight Vision cameras to monitor parking occupancy in the development’s East and West Garages, each of which offers four levels of underground parking spanning a full city block. The cameras will transmit occupancy data to five exterior and five entry-level signs, letting parkers know where parking is available throughout the garages, as well as 48 interior wayfinding signs informing drivers of how many parking spaces are available on each floor and zone. All of the signs are edge-to-edge LED Variable Message boards, which offer full sign content customizations and high-resolution displays. The system will also feature license plate recognition (LPR) technology to inventory vehicles and monitor how long they park. Cameras at entrances and exits will be capable of monitoring stay durations and identifying vehicles that exit and reenter garages in an effort to misuse the center’s two-hour grace period. “Once implemented, the new EnSight parking guidance solution will be a significant upgrade over the property’s current loop-based count system and old signage,” said Scheppmann. “The technology has advanced by leaps and bounds since the original parking guidance technology was installed, and tenants and guests are going to love this new equipment and the improved parking experience it will provide.” 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 provides a cost-effective parking guidance alternative to parking owners and operators of all sizes. The company can be found on the Internet at www.ensight-technologies.com.

How did Princeton evolve to meet the new demand for parking? With a multi-pronged approach, they integrated cutting-edge technology, incentivized alternative commutes, and rolled out transit programs, all while maintaining operations on a 275+ year-old campus amidst major construction. Join the Princeton University team as they showcase how data can drive smarter decisions, ease parking stress, reduce congestion, and ultimately improve the campus experience. 

Do you ever enter a lot and have absolutely no idea what to do? Have you ever entered a lot and witnessed fifteen different signs giving you 27 different pieces of information? Have you ever parked in Los Angeles before? All of the above for me… What is too much and what is too little information? I feel I have seen both. When you are designing the signage to your lot what are you thinking? Is it a minimum number of mobile signs you would like to reach or quiet directions for a seamless transition in and out of the parking lot? I often try to find a fine line between meeting the company minimums on signage while also trying to keep the beautiful features of the lot, the main attraction. I know sometimes we are stuck in a cracked asphalt lot squished between two high rise buildings with a twelve inch by eighteen inch mobile sign plastered on every space but what can we do to beautify the lot. How far do you space your signs to minimize both the cost and distraction of the lot? We have all had parking lots that we either love or hate. What is the discrepancy between the two? Location or distraction? Tate Misiaszek, PTMP is a Project Manager for LAZ Parking. You can reach Tate at TMisiaszek@lazparking.com.

Conway, NC — Portier USA, a leading provider of parking guidance technology, announced a partnership with Precision Technology Solutions (PTS). Through this partnership, PTI becomes Portier’s exclusive installation and servicing partner throughout the New York Metro Tri-State and Mid-Atlantic regions. “We are excited to be partnering with Precision Technology Solutions,” said Steve Gorski, Vice President, Portier USA. “Over the past forty years PTS has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s best parking technology integrators. We are thrilled to be working with them to bring the world’s most reliable and innovative parking guidance technology to parking owners and organizations throughout the region.” Through this partnership, Portier and Precision Technology Solutions will sell, install, and service Portier’s industry-leading parking guidance technology. Portier products include Portier Vision™️, a suite of camera-based guidance solutions for indoor and outdoor parking facilities; Portier Sonic™️, ultrasonic sensors offering space-specific guidance; car counting solutions; Portier Host™️, a powerful platform that manages the technology and provides robust, actionable data that parking owners can use to improve the parking experience for customers while operating parking facilities more efficiently and profitably. Portier also offers Portier Wayfinder™️, an internet-connected application that drivers can use to located available parking via their personal devices or other online technology. The company’s newest technology, Portier AI™️, is an innovative predictive wayfinding tool that can tell drivers how much parking is available at a selected garage or parking lot, predict how much parking will be available when the driver arrives, and suggest alternative parking locations if the selected facility is likely to be full. “We are thrilled to be joining the Portier team,” said Rob Bell, President of Precision Technology Solutions. “Portier is the industry’s most innovative parking guidance provider, and we are excited to be bringing their technology to the New York Tri-State and Mid-Atlantic regions.” About PTS Precision Technology Solutions is the leading parking technology integrator serving the New York Metro Tri-State, Mid-Atlantic, and Eastern Pennsylvania Regions. In addition to installing and servicing Portier parking guidance technology, PTS also specializes in the innovation, installation, and support of parking access control systems and security technologies and is the and the exclusive TIBA Parking Systems VAR (Value Added Reseller) for the markets we serve. Precision Technology Solutions can be found online at www.precisiontimesystems.com. About Portier USA Portier USA is the US branch of Portier, one of the world’s leading and most innovative providers of parking guidance technology. Portier has provided parking guidance solutions for more than 20 years and currently covers nearly 400,000 parking spaces globally. In addition to the company’s industry-leading camera-based, sonic, and counter guidance systems, Portier also offers Portier Wayfinding, a groundbreaking web-based platform showing parkers real-time occupancy information to help direct them to parking facilities with available parking. Portier can be found online at http://portier.host.

When you receive a citation what is the first thing you think? For some of you reading this, you know exactly what you did wrong, for the larger majority, it is a systematic attack to ruin your day. When we are writing citations are we thinking about correcting the incorrect actions of residents and visitors to our city, or has Revenue Generation taken over the tone? Often times at the end of the week or month we are looking at our citation numbers as a revenue generator and we cant wait to report back how well we did. This being said, there is an argument for high compliance and therefore low citation revenue… which would you prefer? The price tag on a citation weighs much more than paying the two dollar parking fees. This also adds to the stickiness of the parking operator in that private or public lot. Is this corrective action or are we kidding ourselves and we are all about the money? There is a fine line between your bottom line and correcting incorrect actions in your private or public lot, city, or jurisdiction. What do you find that outweighs one way or another at your location? Tate Misiaszek, PTMP is a Project Manager for LAZ Parking. You can reach Tate at TMisiaszek@lazparking.com.

In this joint roundtable between IPMI and the British Parking Association (BPA), we will discuss the similarities and differences between higher education parking in North America and Great Britain and what can be learned from the experiences of both.