Client Snapshot
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- Municipality: Upper Darby Township Parking Enforcement Division
- Location: Upper Darby, Pennsylvania (a suburb just west of Philadelphia)
- Population Served: ~85,000 residents
- Parking Spaces Supported: ~2,000 spaces, ~1,200 parking meters, 12 kiosks, and 8 parking lots
- Department Oversight: Upper Darby Police Department, Parking Enforcement Division
- T2 Solutions: T2 MobilePay, UPsafety® Permits and Enforcement Solution
Background
Located just six miles west of Philadelphia, Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, is the state’s sixth-largest municipality, with ~85,000 residents spread across 7.9 square miles. The township is one of the most diverse in the region — 24% of residents are foreign-born, and more than 100 languages are spoken in homes and businesses across the community.
“There are about 100 different languages spoken in Upper Darby Township,” said Lt. Louis Garay. “It’s a very diverse community — our slogan is the world in one place.”
In August 2023, the Township Council transferred parking enforcement operations to the Police Department, ushering in a modernization initiative led by Lt. Louis Garay. With 16 years of law enforcement experience, Lt. Garay was tasked with improving operations, enhancing accessibility, and ensuring a better experience for residents and visitors.
“Our goal was to make parking easy, fair, and accessible for everyone,” Lt. Garay said. “We wanted a system that our community could use without frustration — one that actually worked for them.”
The Challenge
Before switching to T2, Upper Darby relied on a different parking permit and enforcement (PE) and mobile pay vendor. Over time, the township faced persistent challenges that made daily operations difficult for staff and confusing for the public:
- Confusing parking signage: Residents often paid for parking in the wrong city or zone because the previous app used similar five-digit zone codes. “We were getting calls from people who paid zones in other cities because the old app just wasn’t clear,” Garay said.
- Patrons didn’t know which parking app to use: “The signs would tell people to download this app, but when you searched for it, there were about five different apps — sometimes people chose the wrong one,” Lt. Garay explained.
- App-only access: Users were required to download and set up an app to pay, creating barriers for visitors or those with limited smartphone access.
- Confused Parkers, Overwhelmed Staff: Staff received frequent calls and walk-ins from confused parkers disputing payments or asking for refunds.
- Maintenance costs: Outdated meters and infrastructure added unnecessary repair and labor costs.
- Limited integration: Enforcement officers had to work between separate systems to verify payments, slowing productivity and increasing frustration.
- Unresponsive Support from Previous Vendor: Lt. Garay shared that reaching their former provider for help was often frustrating and time-consuming. “We couldn’t even get in touch with them half the time or would have issues,” he said.
These challenges created frustration for residents and staff alike, from confusing payment experiences to disjointed systems and poor vendor support. Upper Darby needed a modern, integrated solution that would make parking simple, accessible, and reliable for the entire community.
The Solution
In May 2025, Upper Darby rolled out T2 MobilePay for payments and UPsafety for enforcement and permitting, replacing its previous parking management vendor.
Simplified, App-Free Payments
With T2 MobilePay, Upper Darby replaced a confusing, app-dependent system with a fast, frictionless way for residents and visitors to pay for parking. Instead of requiring users to download an app or remember long zone codes, parkers can now simply scan a QR code or text to pay, completing their transaction in seconds.
The township also replaced more than 300 outdated signs with clear signage, making it easier for drivers to use the right payment method for parking.
“The difference was immediate,” said Lt. Garay. “People love that they can just scan or text and pay.”
Before switching to T2 MobilePay, residents and visitors often downloaded the wrong app or accidentally paid for parking in another city. Since launching the new system, those issues have virtually disappeared.
“They don’t have to download an app, remember a code, or guess which one to use,” Garay explained. “I tell people that they can save the number in their phone — and anytime you park, just text it. You’re good to go.”
The simplicity of the system has also reduced confusion and made parking more inclusive for the township’s broad mix of residents and visitors.
“We were getting calls from people who paid zones in other cities because the old app just wasn’t clear,” Garay said. “Now, people understand exactly what to do.”
With T2 MobilePay’s app-free Text to Park and Scan to Park options, residents and visitors can pay in seconds — a major advantage for older users or people who just don’t want to download another app.
Unified Permits and Enforcement via UPsafety
UPsafety integrates payment data, permit data, and enforcement tools into one platform. When a parker pays via T2 MobilePay, that transaction appears quickly on officers’ handhelds — no more disjointed systems. If there is an active permit, which can be secured through the UPsafety patron portal, enforcement officers can see that as well.
“With UPsafety everything’s integrated now … our officers can see payment and citation data easily.”
Furthermore, if a parker uses UPsafety’s online, mobile-friendly payment interface, it includes Google Translate support, aiding multilingual users directly in the system. This is important given that there are ~100 different languages spoken in Upper Darby Township, PA.
“Having Google Translate built into T2’s UPsafety system is huge for us and our residents.”
The Results
Upper Darby Township, PA transitioned to T2 Systems for parking management in May 2025, and the impact was immediate and sustained.
Increased Transactions, Higher Revenues
- Immediate uplift (April → May): Mobile pay transactions increased by ~17%, while revenue jumped nearly 50%, as users quickly adopted the effortless T2 MobilePay system.
- Growth over time (April → September): Transactions rose by ~28%, and mobile payment revenue climbed ~80%.
“We saw results right away,” Garay said. “Once we launched T2 MobilePay, payments went up almost instantly. The system is so easy to use that people actually want to use it. This is because of T2’s simpler, more user-friendly systems and improved signage.”
Beyond the numbers, the department has seen a significant drop in customer confusion and complaints with parking payment issues, freeing up staff time for more critical operations.
“People aren’t confused anymore with how to pay for their parking,” Garay added.
A Clear, User-Friendly Experience
The confusing, app-based system that once frustrated parkers is now replaced by a clean, intuitive experience.
With T2 MobilePay, users can scan or text to pay without downloading an app or guessing which one to use.
“The difference was immediate,” Garay said. “People love that they can just scan or text and pay. They don’t have to download an app or remember a code.”
The township’s simplified signage and app-free approach eliminated payment errors and confusion, restoring public confidence in parking operations.
No More App Confusion
Previously, parkers often downloaded the wrong app or paid in the wrong city. T2 MobilePay’s app-free, QR-based design removed that barrier completely.
“The signs would tell people to download this app, but when you searched for it, there were about five different apps — sometimes people chose the wrong one,” Garay explained.
Now, parkers know exactly what to do: scan, pay, and park — no downloads, no guesswork.
Reduced Customer Complaints and Walk-ins
Since implementing T2 MobilePay, Upper Darby has seen a sharp reduction in complaints, calls, and walk-in payments. The system’s simplicity and clear instructions have improved satisfaction across the community.
“Before, we’d get calls from people who paid zones in other cities because the old app just wasn’t clear,” Garay said. “Now, people understand exactly what to do.”
Staff now spend less time troubleshooting and more time focusing on proactive community operations.
Lower Maintenance and Operational Costs
As residents increasingly adopt T2 MobilePay, reliance on aging meters continues to drop — reducing maintenance and repair expenses.
The township plans to phase out more hardware and expand T2 MobilePay signage to further optimize costs.
“If a meter’s only making $30 a week and costs $220 to fix, it doesn’t make sense to keep it,” Garay noted.
Integrated Systems for Enforcement and Permitting
Through T2’s UPsafety platform, payment and enforcement data now sync seamlessly. Officers can instantly confirm a vehicle’s payment status in the field, reducing disputes and improving response times.
“Everything’s integrated now,” Garay said. “If there’s ever a question about a citation or payment, our officers can see it immediately. It saves time, reduces confusion, and helps us serve people faster.”
The unified system also supports digital permitting, making it easier for residents and businesses to manage parking without paperwork or delays.
Responsive Partnership and Reliable Support from T2
One of the most significant differences has been T2’s customer service and responsiveness compared to the previous vendor.
“It just made a world of difference because, again, with the previous vendor, we couldn’t even get in touch with them half the time or would have issues,” Garay said. “When you have great customer service on both sides — enforcement and T2 MobilePay — it allows us to do our jobs better.”
Garay emphasized that strong communication and immediate support from T2 have helped Upper Darby provide better service to residents and visitors.
A Simpler Parking Experience for Everyone
The app-free “Text to Park” or “Scan to Park” model has made parking accessible for everyone — especially older residents and those with limited data access.
“You don’t need to download anything — just text the number. Save it in your phone as ‘Upper Darby Park,’ and anytime you park, just text it. You’re good to go,” Garay said.
Integrated Systems and Unified Reporting
One of the most impactful outcomes of the transition has been the seamless integration between Upper Darby’s third-party parking meters and T2 Systems’ UPsafety platform. Payment data from both T2 MobilePay and the meters now flows directly into UPsafety, giving officers and back-office staff real-time visibility into every transaction.
This integration allows enforcement officers to see up-to-date payment activity in the field, helping them make faster and more informed decisions. In the back office, staff can now review meter and mobile pay data together, streamlining citation verification and reporting.
“Everything’s integrated now,” Garay said. “If there’s ever a question about a citation or payment, our officers can see it immediately. It saves time, reduces confusion, and helps us serve people faster.”
With unified reporting, Upper Darby can now pull comprehensive, accurate data on transactions, payments, and citations from a single platform — replacing the fragmented reports they used to receive from separate systems.
“We can see everything in one place now — meter data, MobilePay data, enforcement activity — all connected,” Garay explained. “It’s easier to track what’s happening day to day and make better decisions.”
The UPsafety platform also supports virtual permitting, enabling residents and businesses to manage permits online while giving administrators full visibility into usage and compliance. The result is a more transparent, data-driven parking operation that’s easier for everyone to manage and maintain.
By removing barriers and streamlining the process, T2 MobilePay has helped transform parking in Upper Darby into an efficient, customer-friendly experience.
One Partner, One Unified Solution
For Lt. Garay, one of the biggest advantages of switching to T2 Systems was the ability to manage all aspects of parking—parking mobile payments, enforcement, permits and reporting—under a single provider. This is something he said he shares with the parking permit and enforcement leaders in nearby towns, who ask about T2 Systems’ UPsafety and T2 MobilePay.
“T2 Systems is great if you like having a one-stop shop. We like everything in one place,” Garay said. “It’s like Apple products: you buy the watch, the iPad, the phone, and everything works together. That’s the biggest selling point for us. You’re dealing with one vendor for one complete parking solution — everything’s connected but still works seamlessly on its own.”
He explained that having enforcement and payments unified under T2 saves time, improves communication, and ensures consistency across the operation.
“I’ve had this conversation with other towns around me who have asked, because the sales side of UPsafety puts them in touch with me — which I’m fine with, because I’ll be an advocate for it,” Garay said.
He also emphasized the operational and financial benefits of a connected platform:
“Being able to run financial reports from everything — having all that data pulled into one place — is the biggest selling point,” he said. “It’s very streamlined, and again, it’s because it’s all through one provider.”
By consolidating parking management with T2, Upper Darby eliminated the complexity of juggling multiple vendors and systems. The result is a more efficient operation that gives staff instant visibility and residents a seamless parking experience.
Simplify Parking with T2 MobilePay, the App-Free Way to Pay for Parking
An 80% increase in mobile payment revenue. A 28% rise in transactions. And a dramatic drop in customer confusion.
Upper Darby’s results show how T2 MobilePay makes parking effortless for drivers and efficient for municipalities. With app-free Text to Park and Scan to Park options, T2 MobilePay delivers the simplicity today’s communities expect—while UPsafety and T2’s integrated platforms connect payments, permits, and enforcement in one place.
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