New Passport Study Shows Cities Shifting Toward Compliance-First Parking Strategies

Survey of hundreds of cities highlights growing adoption of digital tools and behavior-focused enforcement

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

SOURCE Passport