The University of Guelph, known for its veterinary and agricultural colleges, operates a 5,500-space parking system serving 27,000 students and 5,000 staff. Urban expansion has left the campus landlocked, with parking spaces decreasing as new buildings arise - a very common problem for many Universities today.
Before finding Offstreet, visitor parking at Guelph required a frustrating and time-consuming registration process. Guests had to create an account before they could park, which added unnecessary steps and confusion. Many visitors found the process inconvenient, leading to frequent complaints and parking citations. Departments also relied on manual reservations, paper permits, and attended booths, leading to inefficiencies. The need for a more flexible and user-friendly digital solution became clear, especially when COVID-19 halted parking revenue for nearly two years.
Visitors often didn't have the time or patience to create an account in order to correctly park on campus. This lead to complaints and frustration by both visitors and staff.
Mobile payment providers restricted guest parking to specific lots, leaving visitors without options when those areas filled up. Departments had no way to direct guests to other available spaces across campus, creating a frustrating experience.
Large events such as the Ontario Good Roads Conference — a premier annual summit focusing on municipal infrastructure and road management—along with athletics tournaments and other events hosted by conference services, required complex parking coordination. The old system involved lengthy manual imports, leading to errors, delays, and unnecessary parking citations.
Seeking a flexible and efficient parking solution, the university adopted Offstreet, a digital parking management platform that:
What was implementation like?
The implementation process was seamless and quick, taking only a few weeks to roll out in time for the summer conference season.
The university initially focused on conference services, a major parking user, before expanding Offstreet to other departments and events.Key areas where Offstreet has been successfully implemented:
Since implementing Offstreet, the University of Guelph has seen significant improvements in efficiency, user experience, and revenue management:
The University of Guelph’s adoption of Offstreet has transformed its parking operations, replacing outdated manual processes with a modern, flexible, and user-friendly system. By simplifying guest parking, improving event logistics, and enhancing the overall parking experience, the university has set a new standard for digital parking management in higher education.
With growing adoption across campus and continued improvements to Offstreet’s platform, the university is well-positioned to continue optimizing its parking operations well into the future.
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Looking to improve your event parking process and guest experience? Meet with a team member to see if Offstreet is a good fit for you.
