This article was authored by Sarah Becherer, SVP Marketing, Ocra, and Brandon Patocka, Engineering Technician II, City of Omaha Parking & Mobility. It was originally published in Parking & Mobility magazine by the International Parking & Mobility Institute on September 3, 2026. To read the article in its original format, click here.
Equity is the principle of providing support based on a group’s needs to achieve fair outcomes, rather than offering uniform treatment. Efficiency is the ability to achieve maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort, expense, or resources.
Traditional economics has viewed the relationship between the two as the “equity-efficiency trade-off.” This relationship holds that maximizing economic efficiency often conflicts with ensuring the fair distribution of rewards, wages, and opportunities.
In modern parking operations, we see another side of the story — one that flips the trade-off on its head through technology, data, and better system design for customers and staff alike.
Data Makes Equity Operational
Too often, equity initiatives are implemented based on assumptions. Replacing assumptions with evidence and data makes equity operationally attainable, directing resources where they’re most needed rather than where they’re easiest to deploy. The good news is that, in parking, there has never been more data available than there is today, due to several significant transformations in our industry:
- Influx of data-driven parking technologies
- Operators adopting or building their own business intelligence systems
- More vendor integrations and data-sharing
When used appropriately, data reduces friction and drives more equitable outcomes by helping operators understand how different customer types experience parking. For example, it can help identify:
- Areas or neighborhoods with chronic parking shortages
- Utilization patterns across different populations
- Whether enforcement disproportionately impacts certain groups
- Accessible parking usage and availability
Automation Doesn’t Always Equal Equity
Many efficiency initiatives in parking focus on mobile apps, digital permits, and cashless payments. However, not every user has the same level of digital access, literacy, or ability. A fully digitized, app-centric parking system will streamline the experience for some customers while creating friction for others. Traditional payment methods will need to remain available, even if limited to coins at multi-space or midblock kiosks in the near future, as technological advances continue to be implemented.
True operational efficiency accounts for everyone. Providing multiple payment options — apps, kiosks, text-to-pay, permits, and portal payments — alongside ADA-compliant digital experiences and customer support methods fosters equity and efficiency at the same time. One example is cash-to-card kiosks, which allow unbanked individuals to participate more fully in the local economy.
Equity Isn’t Always More Work
Too often, organizations treat equity programs as extra work on top of the operational tasks required to keep the business running. In reality, however, systems built for a narrow segment of users make operations less efficient and can create conflict for both the organization and its users. Good system design addresses real-world user needs. When systems meet those needs, staff burden and operational costs decrease, while efficiency and equity improve.
Consider this: equity doesn’t require more infrastructure. Rather, it requires smarter, more efficient allocation of existing resources. Here are a few examples:
- Clearer communication reduces customer service calls
- Better wayfinding reduces congestion and circling
- Accessible payments reduce citation disputes
- Transparent permit management reduces administrative overhead
Investing In People Is a Requirement
Achieving a state in which equity equals efficiency involves designing effective systems for staff, not just customers. Investments in employee training and modern tools improve productivity and service delivery while creating a more equitable workplace. Staff equipped with the right tools and training are more productive, confident, consistent, and empowered to service a diverse customer base.
Frontline staff benefit substantially when employers provide:
- Comprehensive training on technology platforms
- Enforcement tools that are easy to learn and use
- Fewer manual processes and more automation
- Easy access to data for better decision-making
- Clear guidelines and documentation
Conclusion: The Equity-Efficiency Trade-Off Is a Myth
Equity drives efficiency when parking operators use data to understand user needs, design accessible customer experiences, and equip staff with effective training and tools.
The “equity-efficiency trade-off” is predicated on two faulty assumptions: 1) that fairness and productivity compete for the same finite pool of resources; and 2) that implementing equitable workplace practices requires more work, more people, and greater expense.
In modern parking operations, technology enables the exact opposite. The organizations that will lead in the coming years are those that stop thinking of equity as a cost center or a checkbox and instead recognize it for what it is: an efficient, durable approach to building systems that work for staff and customers alike.
Read the original article: How Equity Drives Efficiency
