31
AirportImprovement.com      November | December 2026
PARKING 
STS
In recent years, overseeing 
parking issues had become an 
increasing burden at Charles 
M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport (STS), 
and a new system was needed. 
“Our old equipment was breaking 
down more frequently, and it was 
taking more time 
and money to fix 
things,” explains 
Airport Manager 
Jon Stout. “We also 
wanted to improve 
the customer 
experience. It 
was taking our 
customers longer to exit the property if 
one of the exit gates was down. Tickets 
were frequently lost by customers, or 
not working.”
To solve these issues, the California 
airport recently began using the 
Metropolis Recognition Platform, a 
ticketless system that leverages a 
computerized digital camera system 
that reads license plates and provides 
a time stamp as vehicles enter and exit 
its three parking lots (two long-term and 
one short-term).   
With the new tech platform in place, 
drivers no longer have to stop and take 
a ticket when entering any of the lots at 
STS. Customers simply pull into the lot, 
find an empty space and head to the 
terminal. Upon returning, those with an 
active account and payment method 
with Metropolis drive to the exit, where a 
camera confirms their license plate and 
entry time. The system computes the 
associated fee, opens the gate and texts 
a receipt to their cellphone.
Registering via the company’s 
website involves customers entering 
their license plate number, cellphone 
number and credit card information. 
Customers who don’t have an active 
Metropolis account can enter any 
parking lot, scan the QR code on signs 
inside and register before exiting. 
Rob Mitchell, 
vice president 
of aviation for 
Metropolis, stresses 
that registering 
with Metropolis 
is not required. 
“Customers can still 
conduct a one-time 
transaction using the digital exit screens, 
or provide payment to on-site staff, 
where they can use a credit card or even 
cash to make a one-time payment.”   
When an unregistered vehicle 
approaches the exit, the gate will not 
open, and a QR code and text-to-pay 
number appear on the digital screen. 
Customers can use either method 
to complete a one-time payment. 
Alternately, they can use a call box 
in any lot to summon an on-site 
Metropolis employee on duty at the 
exit to meet them and process the 
transaction remotely on an iPad. 
Whether or not a vehicle has an 
active payment method when it entered 
the lot, the system knows when it 
entered (via license plate recognition) 
and calculates the customer’s parking 
fee accordingly. Registering on the 
company’s website simply saves time 
and potential confusion when exiting.
Having personnel on hand to assist 
customers is particularly important 
because the Sonoma County area has 
a large population of residents who may 
not be accustomed to using QR codes 
or text payment systems. 
Sonoma County Airport 
Converts to Ticketless 
Parking System With 
License Plate Recognition
JON STOUT
ROB MITCHELL
FACTS&FIGURES 
Project: New Parking Access & Revenue 
Collection System
Location: Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport, 
in Santa Rosa, CA
Technology Leveraged: License plate readers
Platform Provider: Metropolis Technologies
Reservation System: AeroParker, 
a Metropolis company
Annual Management Fee: $347,736 in 2026 
with 3% increase/yr.
Customer Fee: $.99 to $3.99/transaction
Length of Contract: 5 yrs
System Installation: Late April to mid-May 2026
Launched to Public: June 1, 2026
Key Benefits: Customers save time entering/exiting 
parking lots & receive receipts via their cellphones; 
airport no longer handles equipment or customer issues; 
live data about parking demand 
BY MIKE SCHWANZ

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.