From pause to progress: modernizing parking enforcement across one of the nation’s largest transit networks.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is one of the largest transit systems in the U.S., serving nearly four million people across five counties in the Philadelphia region, with connections to Delaware and New Jersey. SEPTA operates an extensive network of regional rail, subway, trolley, and bus services, making it a critical mobility provider.
For many commuters, their journey begins and ends at a SEPTA parking lot or garage, making it a crucial touchpoint in their daily routine. A smooth parking experience can be the difference between a stress-free commute and a missed train. As part of its mission to deliver safe, accessible, and dependable transportation, SEPTA manages parking at 138 facilities, including three garages and, with recent additions, 99 paid surface lots.
Before 2024, SEPTA faced longstanding challenges in its commuter parking operations. Aging infrastructure, cash-only payments, and manual enforcement using slot boxes created long lines, limited compliance, and ultimately, revenue loss. While these issues predated the COVID-19 pandemic, they were further entrenched by a four-year moratorium on parking fees, which suspended revenue collection and delayed the necessary upgrades.
As a result of the pause, a significant financial gap emerged. Today, revenue from paid parking and enforcement citations is helping to close that gap by supporting SEPTA’s core transit services, contributing to the upkeep of parking facilities, and reinforcing the agency’s broader goal of delivering reliable regional mobility.
Scope of SEPTA’s service in the Philadelphia region
A 4-Year Moratorium, Manual Processes, and No Technology
Prior to its upgrade initiative, SEPTA’s parking program lacked modern payment kiosks, mobile payment, enforcement technology, and real-time, integrated data: components that define today’s most efficient parking ecosystems. Without them, operations were slow, disconnected, and frustrating for both commuters and staff, resulting in missed revenue and a poor parking experience. The system relied on cash-only slot boxes at 84 lots, charging $1 per day. Enforcement officers issued citations manually and lacked the real-time evidence that technology provides to help determine when issuing a violation was appropriate. Meanwhile, administrative staff had no visibility into compliance levels, officer activity, or lot-by-lot performance, limiting their ability to monitor, support, or improve the program.
Ken Kalczewski, SEPTA’s Director of Project Integration, helped lead the transition away from this outdated system. “From no enforcement technology, slot boxes, and no metrics to a high-tech enforcement system with Park Loyalty, it’s been a dramatic shift for us,” he said.
Enforcement Modernization with Park Loyalty
SEPTA enforcement officer during training
In 2024, SEPTA launched a comprehensive parking modernization initiative beginning with a competitive RFP process. The awarded vendor, Flowbird (now Arrive), was tasked with delivering a complete parking management ecosystem. As part of the integrated solution, Park Loyalty partnered with Flowbird and SEPTA to provide enforcement and citation processing technology through its Enforce Pro and Process Pro platforms.
This combination equipped SEPTA’s team with the tools needed to issue citations efficiently in the field, supported by a back-office system for citation processing, compliance tracking, appeals, and payment resolution. The entire system was rolled out under the SEPTA Park brand, with phased deployment beginning in Fall 2024 and full enforcement operational by November.
Officers were equipped with mobile handheld devices running the Enforce Pro application with integrated license plate recognition (LPR) technology to verify plate status in real time. Officers gained access to tools for digital chalking, image capture, GPS tagging, and on-the-spot validation of payment data. These features allowed officers to issue tickets with greater confidence and consistency, while also capturing the supporting evidence required for compliance and appeals.
“The system is extremely user-friendly, and our officers were able to pick it up and master the application quickly. The efficiency gains have far exceeded expectations. Officers are writing tickets in around 27 seconds!”— Ken Kalczewski, Director of Project Integration, SEPTA
On the back end, Process Pro manages citation data flow from the field through to resolution. This included automated notice generation, online adjudication, and payment portals. Together, the systems replaced SEPTA’s previously manual, fragmented approach with an integrated enforcement lifecycle.
Park Loyalty’s team supported the rollout with on-site training, documentation, and timely responses throughout implementation. Their responsiveness, even to questions beyond the original scope, helped build trust and keep the project moving.
“Marc and Kristen were fantastic,” says Ken. “Very professional and always responsive. When a problem arises, they’re on it immediately.”
Results: Efficiency, Insight, and Revenue Recovery
The results were immediate and measurable. Despite no prior exposure to enforcement technology, SEPTA parking officers quickly adapted and began working with new workflows and real-time tools.
Within the first 8 months:
- Citation issuance time averaging 27 seconds
- Over $4 million in parking payment & citation revenue collected within 7 months, which is needed to offset parking maintenance and operations cost so far
- Real-time insight into officer activity, lot performance, and enforcement coverage
- Compliance strengthened through GPS tracking, image documentation, and LPR matching
- Most payments and appeals are now processed via the Park Loyalty motorist portal
“It’s been transformative for SEPTA and our staff. We’re very proud of the progress we’ve made.” — Ken Kalczewski
What’s Next: Expansion and 24/7 Enforcement
SEPTA’s early success is fueling the continued growth of the program:
- 38 additional lots are being converted from free to paid parking
- Anticipated annual citation volume 100,000+
- 24/7 enforcement is expanding to all commuter locations
- Planned integration with SEPTA’s Key 2.0 fare system could mean more seamless connections between parking and transit payments
SEPTA’s shift from manual processes and a pandemic-era moratorium to a high-performing, data-driven enforcement and partnership, SEPTA now has the tools, insight, and scalability to support both parking and transit goals moving forward.
Key Takeaways for Parking Leaders
- Starting from scratch with technology, without a legacy system to replace, is not a disadvantage; it can lead to a faster, more efficient implementation
- Phased rollouts and responsive support ease adoption and reduce commuter friction
- Real-time data improves daily oversight and informs long-term planning
- User-friendly tools increase officer efficiency and accuracy in the field
- Reliable vendor partnerships provide continuity, expertise, and fast issue resolution
