By Maria Irshad, MPA, CAPP
If you work in a municipality, chances are you’ve received an email from a colleague in another city requesting information—anything from a simple meter rate survey to more complex issues like commercial loading zones or managing ADA parking in the on-street environment. Or perhaps you’ve been the one sending that email. You may have also participated in numerous IPMI municipal roundtables, whether in person at the annual conference or virtually.
One of the unique aspects of our profession is our willingness to share challenges and solutions. If Houston is facing a particular issue, cities like LA, Seattle, or Miami have probably already tackled it and can offer valuable insights. That’s how emails and conversations flow, allowing us to collaborate—because, after all, why reinvent the wheel?
While this informal system has worked well, it’s time to take it to the next level.
IPMI has formalized this collaboration by creating a space where we can exchange ideas, discuss policies, and share municipal codes—the backbone of any city. The newly established IPMI Policy & Legislative Cohort will offer strategic guidance and recommendations on policies and regulations impacting the parking and mobility profession.
The Cohort’s work began with a survey aimed at identifying the most pressing policy topics across cities. Among the top issues are policies around new technologies that could revolutionize parking management by reducing friction—think AI, LPR, and citation by mail. What policies or city codes are necessary to facilitate the adoption of these tools to improve efficiency and effectiveness?
However, cities are also grappling with policies that limit the use of these technologies, hindering progress. For instance, if state or city codes require parking citations to be placed on a windshield, a city can’t even begin to explore mailing citations until the code is updated—assuming there’s political will to make that change.
Other key policy concerns include curb management for critical building access and ADA parking. If you have a topic you’d like the Cohort to consider, we encourage you to share it with us.
In addition to this, IPMI has launched an updated member online community with a dedicated “Policy and Legislation” Community. The updated platform will enable seamless conversations and document exchanges where you can easily find relevant information on any hot topic you’re currently tackling.
The municipal sector of IPMI has always been a strong, tight knit, yet welcoming community. The work of the Policy & Legislative Cohort will help build on this foundation, driving meaningful change and fostering greater collaboration across the parking and mobility profession.
Maria Irshad, MPA, CAPP, is the Deputy Director for the City of Houston, Texas (ParkHouston), a member of the IPMI Board of Directors, and Co-Chair of the IPMI Policy & Legislative Cohort.