Recently, Passport CEO Khristian Gutierrez joined industry leaders from INRIX and the City of Philadelphia to explore one of urban mobility’s most pressing challenges: how cities can use real-time occupancy data to create smarter, fairer curb management strategies.

Hosted by INRIX and featuring insights from their own Nate Berry and Michael Schwartz, alongside Philadelphia’s Smart Cities Director Akshay Malik, the webinar unpacked the evolving role of data in shaping curb policies that work in the real world – not just on paper.

Defining Occupancy in 2025

Panelists broke down the three primary ways cities can measure occupancy:

• Transaction-based: Captures paid parking behavior but misses unpaid activity
• Sensor-based: Offers real-time precision but comes with infrastructure and maintenance costs
• Model-based: Uses predictive data to estimate demand, offering the broadest coverage at scale

While each method has its tradeoffs, cities are increasingly adopting blended approaches that combine the breadth of transaction data, the accuracy of sensors, and the foresight of predictive models.

From Enforcement to Compliance

Passport’s CEO Khristian Gutierrez emphasized a growing shift in how cities approach curb management, from punitive enforcement to proactive compliance.

It’s not about writing more tickets – it’s about ensuring fair access. With better occupancy data, cities can identify misuse, optimize enforcement staffing, and boost payment compliance. And perhaps most critically, they can justify these actions with transparent, data-backed decision-making.

As Khristian put it, “Transparency equals legitimacy.”

Lessons From the Field

Akshay Malik offered a candid look at the challenges public agencies face when trying to modernize their curb policies. IT resources are often deprioritized in transportation budgets, and procurement processes can slow down innovation.

Rather than custom-building new tools, Malik advocated for configurable, off-the-shelf software – solutions that help cities test and iterate quickly without getting bogged down in bureaucracy.

A Glimpse at the Tech

Michael Schwartz previewed INRIX’s latest curb analytics tool, which estimates block-level occupancy likelihood (“low,” “medium,” or “high”) using trillions of connected vehicle data points. This real-time insight helps cities:

• Adjust pricing dynamically
• Identify enforcement gaps
• Rebalance curb policies based on true demand

The Bottom Line

As cities rethink the curb, occupancy data is proving to be more than just a metric – it’s a strategic tool for building responsive, equitable curb systems. When used effectively, it enables smarter enforcement, better planning, and improved experiences for everyone who interacts with the curb.

Watch the full webinar recording here.