University of Utah Delivers App-Free, Frictionless Parking with T2 MobilePay

Client Snapshot

• Institution: University of Utah
• Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
• Campus Size: 1,534 acres, including Health Sciences, Research Park, and Fort Douglas
• Population Served: ~35,260 students, plus 8,000+ hospital employees and thousands of visitors
• Managed Parking: 30,000+ spaces across 88 surface lots and 20 garages
• Industry: University Parking, Medical Center Parking
• T2 Systems Solutions: T2 MobilePay, T2 Pay Stations, Flex Permit and Enforcement Solution

Background

The University of Utah, the state’s flagship institution and a leading research university, sits on a sprawling 1,534-acre campus on the east bench of Salt Lake City. The campus includes Health Sciences, with five hospitals and research facilities, as well as Research Park and historic Fort Douglas.

Managing parking for such a large and complex operation is no small task. Commuter Services oversees more than 30,000 parking spaces across 88 surface lots and 20 garages, in addition to shuttle services for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

“Our priority is to make parking as easy and convenient as possible. We want visitors to have a smooth experience — whether they’re going to class, visiting a patient, or attending a concert.”
— Gregory Hansen Christoffersen, Manager of Visitor Parking and Off-Site Lots

Managed Parking Snapshot

Operation Size:

• 30,000+ parking spaces
• 88 surface lots and 20 garages
• Coverage includes Research Park, Fort Douglas, and University of Utah Health Sciences

Staff & Services:

• Full parking and shuttle operations
• Visitor parking management, event parking coordination, and enforcement

Key Needs:

• Reduce physical infrastructure like booths, kiosks, and stall signage
• Provide a simple, app-free solution for visitors and students
• Improve adoption and streamline event parking rate changes

Challenge

Before adopting T2 MobilePay, the University of Utah used staffed pay booths in visitor lots and later transitioned to a pay-by-phone system that required users to download an app and find their stall number.

“We had to post signage at every stall with stall numbers, and parkers had to download an app and enter that number,” Christoffersen said. “It was expensive to maintain and not as convenient as we wanted for our visitors.”

Solution: A Frictionless Experience with T2 MobilePay

“The product works exceptionally well—it’s convenient, easy to use, and user-friendly. We significantly prefer T2 MobilePay over the previous solutions we’ve used.”

The university implemented T2 MobilePay, which offers an app-free way for visitors to pay for parking simply by scanning a QR code or using text-to-park.

“The implementation was pretty smooth and training was simple,” Christoffersen said. “Visitors appreciate the ease of use and the convenience of not having to download an app. QR codes make the process simple and streamlined, enhancing the overall parking experience.”

Results

Since deploying T2 MobilePay, the University of Utah has seen strong adoption growth and operational improvements:

• MobilePay usage grew from 27% in FY2022 to 70% in FY2025
• Lower maintenance costs thanks to reducing the number of kiosks and service calls
• Fewer abandoned sessions and fewer customer service calls due to self-service receipts and easier account management
• Improved flexibility for special events, with quick rate changes possible for concerts and athletic events

“MobilePay has been much easier to maintain,” Christoffersen said. “And we’ve significantly reduced kiosk maintenance expenses by moving more transactions to MobilePay.”

He also highlighted the customer impact: “Students appreciate being able to pay on their phones and handle payment conveniently while walking to class after parking.”

To learn more about T2 MobilePay, T2’s app-free, frictionless mobile parking payment solution, contact us for more information.

About T2 Systems 

T2 is the largest provider of parking and mobility solutions in North America. With over 27 years in business, T2 now serves more than 2,000 customers and maintains the largest Customer Community with over 7,500 active members. T2 helps universities, municipalities, operators, healthcare campuses, and transportation hubs generate revenue and operate efficiently with a comprehensive, integrated suite of solutions featuring touchless and contactless capabilities. From curbside management to gateless, from mobile payments to transportation demand management, T2 strives to make every trip a smooth journey by streamlining the parking, mobility, and transportation experience with technology solutions that help organizations manage resources, achieve goals, and empower consumers with choices.