University of Guelph adopts flexible parking solution for department and event guests

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.

Shannon Talbot

Manager, Campus Parking Services

“There's nothing worse than ticketing an important visitor on campus, resulting in an upset department and guest. Offstreet helps us prevent these situations.”

Challenges with the previous solution...

Poor guest experience‍Visitors 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.
Lack of flexibilityMobile 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.
Limited event parking managementLarge 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.

‍

The decision to use Offstreet...

Seeking a flexible and efficient parking solution, the university adopted Offstreet, a digital parking management platform that:

Allows visitors to reserve parking spaces in advance across multiple locations.
Provides flexible permit structures for event parking, including single-day and multi-day options.
Integrates seamlessly with the university’s License Plate Recognition (LPR) system, reducing manual verification.
Enables departments to self-manage guest parking registrations, eliminating the need for administrative oversight.
Supports easy billing and automated reporting, reducing manual data entry and reconciliation.
Offers custom QR codes and links, making it easy for visitors to pay for parking on the spot.

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:

Conference Services – Eliminated manual guest registration and reduced ticketing errors.
Athletics Events & High School Competitions – QR codes allow parents and visitors to pay quickly upon arrival.
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Shuttle System – Used OffStreet to streamline ticketing and shuttle reservations.
Construction & Lot Rentals – Contractors now pay for lot rentals through the platform, simplifying financial tracking.
Job Fairs & Campus Tours – Pre-registration for guests reduces confusion and ticketing issues.

Results + impact

Since implementing Offstreet, the University of Guelph has seen significant improvements in efficiency,
user experience, and revenue management:

Time savings

Staff no longer need to manually process visitor permits or import license plates, reducing administrative workload.

Revenue recovery

Digital payments ensure more visitors are paying for parking, replacing lost revenue from previous manual systems.

Reduced ticketing errors

Guests are properly registered, minimizing the issuance of incorrect citations and improving visitor experience.

Enhanced event parking

Departments and guests can seamlessly book, pay, and manage parking, streamlining large event logistics.

Faster procurement

Offstreet’s seamless payment integration allowed the university to bypass complex treasury approvals, speeding up deployment.

Scalability + flexibility

The university continues to find new use cases for Offstreet, from VIP guest tracking to departmental lot management.

Transforming guest parking

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.

Shannon Talbot

Manager, Campus Parking Services

“Ideally, I want everybody to park correctly and not issue tickets. If I never had to issue a ticket in my life, I would be happy because then everybody would park properly. Offstreet helps us get people parked the right way while reducing manual work for our team.”

Streamline guest parking on campus

Improve your guest experience, reduce time
spent managing guest parking, and reduce
your reliance on hardware.

Book a demo