In the ever-evolving world of parking technology, staying ahead of the curve is everything. 

As digitization transforms traditional parking operations, innovative solutions like ExpressLane are paving the way for a seamless, ticketless experience. To explore these advancements, we sat down with Steve Resnick, CAPP, President (NA) of Get My Parking to discuss how parking technology has evolved and why AI is at the forefront of this transformation.

Steve is a passionate contributor to the parking and mobility industry, bringing over three decades of experience in operations, innovation, driving growth and industry transformation.  A serial entrepreneur keen on collaboration, he has played a pivotal role enhancing operations using emerging technology across diverse public and private sector operating environments. Navigating major industry shifts, mergers, and acquisitions, Resnick continues to shape the future of mobility with his strategic expertise as a part of Get My Parking’s leadership team.

Meet Steve Resnick!

Hey there, my name is Steve Resnick. I am the President of North America for Get My Parking. I have the privilege of working with truly dynamic teams of product, sales and customer support professionals that serve a diverse group of clients in gated and gateless environments.

From the Perspective of an Industry Veteran

Q: As a parking industry veteran, could you tell us how the industry has evolved over the past few years? 

Interesting question given all the recent movement we’ve seen in our industry, particularly around technology.  I got into the industry in 1994 while firms were still essentially running what were called cigar box operations.  We even had so called “honor boxes” back then. 

Basically, customers would drive into a parking lot, and the parking attendant would be wearing an apron or holding what amounted to a cigar box, and they would have tickets and cash to facilitate transactions, accept cash and make change. You’d hand out a two-part, park and lock ticket, all which practices still exist to this day. 

Technology was available with Fee Computers and PARCS equipment, but everything has really evolved exponentially over the last few years. And this device right here, the smartphone, has really shifted the industry in ways not imaginable just a few short years ago, just like in your own life, considering all your own behaviors as a consumer. 

I can plan an international trip without a single piece of paper, for example, from the comfort of my own phone. I can get through the TSA, I can get my Uber, my Lyft, make my hotel arrangements, reserve tables at a restaurant, and everything in between on this device. So, it stands to reason we should be able to get in and out of a parking facility seamlessly using the same technology.

Q. How is parking tech different at Get My Parking?

I’ve got this phrase I like to use that everybody already knows, but I think it’s particularly applicable in the parking industry: ‘Playing nice in the sandbox’. 

The real question is, what relevance does your tech stack have in terms of existing technology roadmaps when there are other firms, PARCS equipment, pay stations, mobile payments, handhelds, enforcement, LPR, and all these different pieces of the puzzle? Can your technology come into an existing technology roadmap and have relevance and add value? And can you work with other technology firms either through integrations or strategic partnerships? How do you collaborate to enhance customer experiences? 

And I would say that what I’ve come to learn and expect from GMP is not only do we play nice in the sandbox, I believe we are the sandbox itself.

We’ve got an incredible value proposition for gated and gateless environments; app-based, app-free. We touch EV, and we’ve got real-time geo-targeted public messaging and digital advertising. And truly, we’re creating great customer experiences. 

Q. AI is all the rage now. How has AI changed the parking industry? 

AI is certainly today’s buzzword, right? Everybody goes around using that phrase. And the question is, what does it mean? What value is AI bringing to the different disciplines, the different verticals, for gated and gateless environments? And how is it being used to make processes more efficient, to basically go beyond the constraints and trappings of legacy applications?

It’s very hard to just say, “Hey, I’ve got this kind of old-school application here and I’m going to throw AI into the mix”. You start by saying, “Well, we’re not using tickets in gated environments”. What does that mean?

How do we do that if the capture or read rate from various LPR cameras averages let’s say 95%? The question is, can you take that rate up to 99% in 800 milliseconds? AI can help you do that. And that’s one of the things that we’re doing at GMP. And that’s among the many reasons we’re transforming user experiences. 

I think AI gets people potentially out of the lost ticket business, and out of the paper ticket business. I think AI will continue to push the envelope and bring new possibilities to existing verticals and disciplines. There are some firms out there that are using AI very wisely and interestingly to get accelerated results. 

Q. What was Get My Parking’s biggest achievement in 2024?

Yes, I believe it was July 18th. We came to the market with our ExpressLane solution, which is, I must tell you, one of the great industry and AI innovations I’ve seen. It’s really leading our growth. It’s our marquee product. And there’s so much around ExpressLane that I’d love to share in a simple interview, but I would just say, similar to how I highlighted in the discussion about AI, it’s all about getting people out of legacy operating methodologies and trappings in gated environments.

No more lost tickets. 84% of in-lane calls basically evaporate.  And we can use existing gates and infrastructure. That could mean existing LPR cameras, gates, and that kind of thing. And, there’s a whole evolution around signage, and what you’re instructing customers to do, and we’ve got these digital displays we can offer to make it easier for consumers to navigate entries and exists. 

ExpressLane to me is a hardware-light, Cap-Ex-light alternative to doubling and tripling down and making the same type of extensive capital investment without the other benefits that come with an AI-driven experience to improve processes, accountability, revenue control, all of the above.

And we’re seeing ExpressLane work in highly diverse operating environments with diverse constituencies and use cases. It’s kind of a joy to watch people drive in and the gate opens automatically. So, the single most remarkable thing about 2024 to me was the release of ExpressLane.

Q. 30 years later, are gates still relevant?

I think gates have unnecessarily gotten a bad rap. When you’ve run enforcement programs, and I’ve done that in the public sector, you realize that gates are a very functional, non-controversial and appropriate enforcement tool in certain operating environments.

It’s also in the minds of customers that there’s a perceived level of security in a gated environment. And I must tell you, in 2017, I and others were pulling gates out of garages and literally going with LPR and pay stations and mobile payments and that kind of thing.

And gates may not be right for every environment, but they certainly have value. Think about a commercial office building or mixed-use operation.  And I think that will continue to be the case for as long as this industry is around. 

Q. How can operators save their gates?

ExpressLane to me, it is the missing link. 

And there’s such a value proposition between the real cost of a full-blown PARCS application.  We get to these end-of-life PARCS situations every 5-7 years. Okay, the landlord’s got to write the big check, and it could be as much as $300,000-$500,000. The message is you’ve got to upgrade, and you’re at the end of life, if not mechanically, certainly your system is functionally obsolete. And now they’re in this next amortization schedule over the next 5 to 7 years.

It’s very expensive, but we can take, with ExpressLane, legacy infrastructure all the way back to Federal APD gates, and state-of-the-art PARCS equipment that you see today, very expensive installs, and for less than $2,000 a lane in components, we can outfit a project to be out of the paper ticket business, and the lost ticket business while instantly transforming user experiences with easy validations and payments, reducing in-lane intercom calls, and we see consumers downloading the operators’ white-label app.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Parking

Q. One last question, Steve. Any predictions for 2025?

Well, I don’t know that I have one single prediction, as many things can happen, but I think it’s safe to say those who rely upon conventional wisdom and legacy operating methodologies will get left behind.  The industry and consumers will essentially discount them in the ordinary course.  

Slowly but surely over the last ten years, you just see more and more tech, and more and more advancements and evolving consumer expectations. And this is a tech-driven industry, so I see that continuing and being front and center. That’s rhetorical for anybody who’s a student of this game in our industry. I think legacy systems and solutions will get left behind because we’re also in economic times which require new solutions, options and answers.

And you need to do something different. You need to bring a different value proposition to the same old problem. Otherwise, if you don’t have that answer, somebody else is bringing that answer to the same opportunity. 

So, my prediction for 2025, in a nutshell, is anybody tied to conventional wisdom simply gets left behind. 

Key Takeaways

• The industry is shifting towards software-driven, AI-powered solutions.
• From improving LPR accuracy to eliminating lost tickets, AI is reshaping parking operations.
• ExpressLane is leading the charge – Get My Parking’s hardware-light, cap-ex light, AI-powered solution is transforming ticketless parking experiences.
• Adapt or get left behind – Legacy parking solutions are on their way out, and tech-driven innovation is the way forward.

Agree with Steve?

ExpressLane is the future of ticketless, automated parking. 

If you’re looking for a cost-effective, seamless parking solution, it’s time to make the switch to AI.

Check out our website to learn more about ExpressLane!