Rahm Emanuel, the mayor of Chicago, recently proposed a $2 tax for motorists using public parking garages. The "congestion tax" is an effort to alleviate traffic volume in downtown Chicago by encouraging commuters to use public transportation instead of driving to work, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Opponents, however, note that similar initiatives have not increased ridership on public transit and the tax would ultimately be a burden on commuters that would force parking providers to relocate in order to cut costs. Some opposed to the bill say that public transit remains an overcrowded and unattractive system, and that funding is better served to improve traffic flow and parking congestion in the area.

"What we found over the last five years, if you look at transit congestion, is that more city residents are willing to drive to work because they cannot get on overcrowded buses in the morning," said InterPark CEO Marshall Peck.

Parking guidance solutions can help congested urban areas like Chicago's downtown reduce high traffic volumes exacerbated by parking garages by monitoring lots and parking levels and directing motorists to available spots. Monitoring and digital signage manages the flow of traffic through parking garages unilaterally, so motorists aren't circling crowded lots unnecessarily.