From self-driving cars to ride-sharing apps, we’re living in an era of unprecedented transportation innovation. Technology is making getting from Point A to B smarter, simpler, and easier.

Despite this future-focused landscape, most of today’s parking garages are still stuck in the past. Many are outfitted with gate arms, equipment that feels woefully outdated given our increasingly flexible and barrier-free world.

So, the question remains—if technology is changing are gate arms the best solution for capturing parking revenue? Below are some of the top reasons why it’s time to get rid of gate arms and move on to something better.

1.    They break. A lot. As a safety precaution, most gate arms are built to break away from the equipment when enough force is applied. Which means that every time a bad driver—or someone trying to game the system—hits one, it’s rendered useless. What’s the point in a gate if it doesn’t work? And if someone wanted to evade them, all it would take is a quick online search to figure out how.

2.    They’re expensive. Installing a parking gate can be costly, not to mention the additional expenses associated with ongoing maintenance and equipment failure (see above). Add to that the fact that broken gates and human error lead to less enforcement and lost revenue for garages. While the likely culprit is the gate arms; it’s really the people using the gate arms. In a gated environment, if one person has a problem, everyone has a problem.

3.    They’re inconvenient. Honk if you’ve ever been stuck in a rush hour bottleneck in a parking garage. The likely culprit? Gate arms. The stop-and-go system of entering and exiting garages seems almost designed to create long lines, headaches, and an overall negative customer experience.

4.    They’re bad for traffic—and the environment. Speaking of backups, idling cars and trucks emit over 130,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year. And parking gate systems aren’t helping with that. Because they’re slow-moving and inefficient, they create unnecessary long lines, traffic jams, and emissions. A lose-lose situation for both people and the planet.

5.    They’re not future proof. As customers continue to adopt new payment strategies, gate arms require physical updates and complex integrations. With a gateless garage, all credentialing is virtual and seamless to integrate.

If technology is changing the way we drive for the better, it should change the way we park for the better, too. It’s time we evolved and got rid of gate arms for good. Go gateless with GLIDEPARCS and experience the future of parking—intelligent, intuitive, and more convenient for everyone involved. Join the hundreds of other property owners and managers and go gateless.