Upgrading the Parking Experiencefor the City of Rockford Parking

The City of Rockford, Illinois is a mid-sized city located two hours outside of the Chicago metro area. Home to manufacturing plants and various cultural attractions, the city is proud of its “big-city amenities and a small-town feel.”

Challenge

Facing aging equipment, outdated pricing, and a labor-intensive parking operation, the City of Rockford’s public parking was in need of a complete overhaul. Due to the hurdles of self-managing the garages and the difficulties of increasing the parking rate structure, the city was unable to make much-needed repairs and improvements to its facilities. In addition to maintaining its own personnel to perform parking enforcement and staff parking booths, the city also had to dedicate internal resources to resolving disputes.

Solution

Put Parking Operations in the Hands of ABM

Since 2013, ABM has managed the City of Rockford’s parking operations. ABM has implemented rate increases that generated revenue for much-needed facility improvements, modernized outdated equipment, and eased the city’s staffing burden.

- Modernized outdated equipment: ABM removed teller stations and replaced them with automated parking gate systems.
- Eased labor challenges: ABM provides a dedicated team to enforce on-street parking, perform basic maintenance on equipment, and help keep parking facilities clean.
- Implemented new technologies: From modern on-street parking enforcement software to a custom-made parking website, ABM brought in new technologies to improve the customer experience and enhance transparency for the city.

Benefits

By outsourcing to ABM, the city has been able to meet customer demand for a modernized parking operation and gain access to insights on revenue, asset performance, and more.

- ABM handles all customer complaints and acts as the city’s representative in citation hearings, easing the burden on city personnel and elected officials.
- Customers can find parking, apply for monthly passes, and pay fines online. The payment software also integrates with Ticketmaster so customers can purchase parking for large events at the same time they buy their tickets.
- Technology and equipment upgrades led to increased revenue. Year-over-year revenue increased 6% from 2020-2021 and 25% over 2021 and 2022 YTD.
- The city can monitor revenue and information on their parking assets via an online portal.
- ABM consulted on the construction of three new surface lots, advising on maintenance and the optimal location of walkways and payment machines.
- The city’s parking facilities are listed on ParkWhiz to make it easier for customers to locate nearby lots and garages.
- Booting devices were replaced with the Barnacle immobilization device, which customers can disable themselves with a credit card.

About ABM

ABM (NYSE: ABM) is a leading provider of facility services in the United States and various international locations. ABM’s comprehensive capabilities include janitorial, electrical & lighting, energy solutions, facilities engineering, HVAC & mechanical, landscape & turf, mission critical solutions and parking, provided through stand-alone or integrated solutions. ABM provides custom facility solutions in urban, suburban, and rural areas to properties of all sizes - from schools and commercial buildings to hospitals, data centers, manufacturing plants, and airports. ABM Industries Incorporated, which operates through its subsidiaries, was founded in 1909. For more information, visit [ABM.com](https://www.abm.com).