The use of space availability information in “PARC” systems to reduce search times in parking facilities

Two different ways to manage availability information in parking facilities were evaluated in this article. First, in level 4 PARC systems (Parking Access and Revenue Control), when occupancy percentages for all garage levels are above 90% and 95%, the information on variable message sign (VMS) panel will indicate that there are no free spaces – censoring information. In this article, zoning is understood as the second information management tool; it consists of placing vehicle detection systems at intermediary points around the facility in such a way as to separate it into internal zones. It is a variation applicable to facilities with level 2 PARC systems, such as those in shopping centres, where a modification of the vehicle counting algorithm in the main program of the PARC system allows the determination of the number of free spaces in specific zones within the parking facility. According to the simulations that were carried out after testing an existing choice model, level 4 PARC systems are sufficiently effective in small facilities; the option of preparing “false” information when 5 or 10 free spaces are left on a garage level in order to influence user decisions has few practical repercussions. However, the separation into internal zones proposed for level 2 PARC systems shows a 16.2% reduction in search time.     

Automated parking surveys from a LIDAR equipped vehicle

Parking surveys provide quantitative data describing the spatial and temporal utilization of parking spaces within an area of interest. These surveys are important tools for parking supply management and infrastructure planning. Parking studies have typically been performed by tabulating observations by hand, limiting temporal resolution due to high labor cost. This paper investigates the possibility of automating the data gathering and information extraction in a proof of concept study using a two-dimensional scanning Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor mounted on a vehicle, though the work is compatible with other ranging sensors, e.g., stereo vision. This study examines parallel parking in the opposing direction of travel. The ranging measurements are processed to estimate the location of the curb and the presence of objects in the road. Occlusion and location reasoning are then applied to determine which of the objects are vehicles, and whether a given vehicle is parked or is in the traffic-stream. The occupancy of the parking area, vehicle size, and vehicle-to-vehicle gaps are then measured. The algorithm was applied to an area with unmarked, on-street parking near a large university campus. Vehicle counts from 29 trips over 4 years were compared against concurrent ground truth with favorable results. The approach can also be applied to monitor parking in the direction of travel, eliminating the possibility of occlusions and simplifying the processing.     

System dynamics of urban traffic based on its parking-related-states

The urban parking and the urban traffic systems are essential components of the overall urban transportation structure. The short-term interactions between these two systems can be highly significant and influential to their individual performance. The urban parking system, for example, can affect the searching-for-parking traffic, influencing not only overall travel speeds in the network (traffic performance), but also total driven distance (environmental conditions). In turn, the traffic performance can also affect the time drivers spend searching for parking, and ultimately, parking usage. In this study, we propose a methodology to model macroscopically such interactions and evaluate their effects on urban congestion.The model is built on a matrix describing how, over time, vehicles in an urban area transition from one parking-related state to another. With this model it is possible to estimate, based on the traffic and parking demand as well as the parking supply, the amount of vehicles searching for parking, the amount of vehicles driving on the network but not searching for parking, and the amount of vehicles parked at any given time. More importantly, it is also possible to estimate the total (or average) time spent and distance driven within each of these states. Based on that, the model can be used to design and evaluate different parking policies, to improve (or optimize) the performance of both systems.A simple numerical example is provided to show possible applications of this type. Parking policies such as increasing parking supply or shortening the maximum parking duration allowed (i.e., time controls) are tested, and their effects on traffic are estimated. The preliminary results show that time control policies can alleviate the parking-caused traffic issues without the need for providing additional parking facilities. Results also show that parking policies that intend to reduce traffic delay may, at the same time, increase the driven distance and cause negative externalities. Hence, caution must be exercised and multiple traffic metrics should be evaluated before selecting these policies.Overall, this paper shows how the system dynamics of urban traffic, based on its parking-related-states, can be used to efficiently evaluate the urban traffic and parking systems macroscopically. The proposed model can be used to estimate both, how parking availability can affect traffic performance (e.g., average time searching for parking, number of cars searching for parking); and how different traffic conditions (e.g., travel speed, density in the system) can affect drivers ability to find parking. Moreover, the proposed model can be used to study multiple strategies or scenarios for traffic operations and control, transportation planning, land use planning, or parking management and operations.     

Optimisation of parking guidance and information systems display configurations

Operators of parking guidance and information (PGI) systems often have difficulty in determining the best car park availability information to present to drivers in periods of high demand. This paper describes a behavioural model of parking choice incorporating drivers perceptions of waiting times at car parks based on PGI signs. This model was used to predict the influence of PGI signs on the overall performance of the traffic system.Relationships were developed for estimating the arrival rates at car parks based on trip patterns, driver characteristics, car park attributes as well as the car park availability information displayed on PGI signs. Drivers' perceptions of waiting times at car parks were assumed to be influenced by the PGI signs for observers of the signs and actual car park utilisation levels for non-observers. The model assumes that the choice of car park does not change after entering the city centre, even if conditions observed are different from those initially perceived.A mathematical programme was formulated to determine the optimal display PGI sign configuration to minimise queue lengths and vehicle kilometres of travel (VKT). The model was limited to off-street parking choices and illegal parking was not incorporated. A simple genetic algorithm was used to identify solutions that significantly reduced queue lengths and VKT compared with existing practices.These procedures were applied to an existing PGI system operating in Tama New Town near Tokyo. Significant reductions in queue lengths and VKT were predicted using the optimisation model. This would reduce traffic congestion and lead to various environmental benefits.     

Parking space management via dynamic performance-based pricing

In congested urban areas, it remains a pressing challenge to reduce unnecessary vehicle circling for parking while at the same time maximize parking space utilization. In observance of new information technologies that have become readily accessible to drivers and parking agencies, we develop a dynamic non-cooperative bi-level model (i.e. Stackelberg leader–follower game) to set parking prices in real-time for effective parking access and space utilization. The model is expected to fit into an integrated parking pricing and management system, where parking reservations and transactions are facilitated by sensing and informatics infrastructures, that ensures the availability of convenient spaces at equilibrium market prices. It is shown with numerical examples that the proposed dynamic parking pricing model has the potential to virtually eliminate vehicle circling for parking, which results in significant reduction in adverse socioeconomic externalities such as traffic congestion and emissions.     

Electric vehicles and residential parking in an urban environment: Results from a stated preference experiment

This paper presents the results of a preference survey of 1545 respondents’ willingness to purchase electric vehicles (EVs) in Philadelphia. We pay particular attention to respondents’ willingness to pay for convenient charging systems and parking spaces. If the value of dedicated parking substantially outweighs the value of convenient charging systems, residential-based on-street charging systems are unlikely to ever be politically palatable. As expected, respondents are generally willing to pay for longer range, shorter charging times, lower operating costs, and shorter parking search times. For a typical respondent, a $100 per month parking charge decreases the odds of purchasing an EV by around 65%. Across mixed logit and latent class models, we find substantial variation in the willingness to pay for EV range, charge time, and ease of parking. Of note, we find two primary classes of respondents with substantially different EV preferences. The first class tends to live in multifamily housing units in central parts of the city and puts a high value on parking search time and the availability of on-street charging stations. The second class, whose members are likelier to be married, wealthy, conservative, and residing in single-family homes in more distant neighborhoods, are willing to pay more for EV range and charge time, but less for parking than the first group. They are also much likelier to consider purchasing EVs at all. We recommend that future research into EV adoption incorporate neighborhood-level features, like parking availability and average trip distances, which vary by neighborhood and almost certainly influence EV adoption.     

The optimal dual-pricing policy of mall parking service

In studies of parking policy, the role of parking pricing has been addressed. Most researches have focused on the determination of a proper price for city parking spaces that are open to the public and it is now evident that price is used by authorities as a tool to manage transport demand. However, studies of parking pricing that pertain to privately-owned parking resources are few and in particular, the problem of setting a proper price for physical market parking has rarely been studied, such as a mall’s ‘dual-pricing portfolio’ decision for the simultaneous determination of a parking fee and the consumer spending required for free parking (i.e., the ‘threshold’). This is a common problem for most malls, but the different agents involved (e.g., the visitors, the mall, the marketplace and the parking lot departments) usually have diverse goals, so the decision must take account of a multiplicity of criteria and subtle relationships. In order to systematically support this type of inter-departmental decision process, a decision model that includes an analytical decision-aid process and the relevant programming models is established. A numerical example verifies the proposed model by taking the data for a mall in Taiwan and the implications, in terms of management, are given. This systematic computational model can be generalized to any type of commercial market that requires a (new) parking pricing policy.     

Development of location-based services for recommending departure stations to park and ride users

More and more commuters are beginning to favour public transportation. Fast and convenient park and ride (PnR) services provided by public transportation authorities are the result of changes of household demographics and household, increasing fuel prices and a focus on environmental sustainability. However, lack of parking spaces in PnR facilities creates a major bottleneck to this service. The aim of this research is to develop a location-based service (LBS) application to help PnR users choose the best train station to use to reach their destination using a multicriteria decision making model. A fuzzy logic method is used to estimate parking availability when a user is estimated to arrive at a PnR facility. Two surveys are conducted to collect traffic flow, travel behaviour and service quality data at four selected Perth Western Australia train stations. With the proposed approach and survey data, a prototype of LBS application, Station Finder, was developed using the Android SDK 4.0 and Google API 16. This application is a useful and practical tool to save travel cost and time of PnR users’.     

Drivers’ parking location choice under uncertain parking availability and search times: A stated preference experiment

To assess parking pricing policies and parking information and reservation systems, it is essential to understand how drivers choose their parking location. A key aspect is how drivers’ behave towards uncertainties towards associated search times and finding a vacant parking spot. This study presents the results from a stated preference experiment on the choice behaviour of drivers, in light of these uncertainties. The attribute set was selected based on a literature review, and appended with the probabilities of finding a vacant parking spot upon arrival and after 8 min (and initially also after 4 min, but later dropped to reduce the survey complexity). Efficient Designs were used to create the survey design, where two rounds of pilot studies were conducted to estimate prior coefficients. Data was successfully collected from 397 respondents. Various random utility maximisation (RUM) choice models were estimated, including multinomial logit, nested logit, and mixed logit, as well as models accounting for panel effects. These model analyses show how drivers appear to accept spending time on searching for a vacant parking spot, where parking availability after 8 min ranks second most important factor in determining drivers’ parking decisions, whilst parking availability upon arrival ranks fourth. Furthermore, the inclusion of heterogeneity in preferences and inter-driver differences is found to increase the predictive power of the parking location choice model. The study concludes with an outlook of how these insights into drivers’ parking behaviour can be incorporated into traffic assignment models and used to support parking systems.     

Parking management for promoting sustainable transport in urban neighbourhoods. A review of existing policies and challenges from a German perspective

ABSTRACT

The organisation of parking is a key challenge to more sustainable mobility in urban areas, as its pricing and availability affect the rates of private car ownership and use. However, changing parking policies is a challenging issue for local politicians and planners because residents frequently oppose changes or restrictions to conditions they have taken for granted such as on-street parking in a public space. The aim of this paper is firstly to assess how the parking policy of an urban neighbourhood can be structured to contribute to more sustainable mobility and to increase liveability in the neighbourhood. The second aim is to apply the policies reviewed to an example neighbourhood. For this purpose, we systematically reviewed academic literature and identified five types of relevant parking policies: (i) maximum parking requirements, (ii) physical detachment of residence and parking space, (iii) residential parking permits and the limitation of available parking space, (iv) performance-based pricing and (v) parking as a demand management strategy. We discovered that most research focuses on econometric models about parking and that studies rarely address the effects of parking on the quality of life in neighbourhoods. Therefore, we need further research regarding the relationship of parking and liveability. We conclude that for the implementation of such parking policies in an example neighbourhood, the municipality needs to develop a mobility vision for its city. It has to understand parking as a tool for transportation demand management to increase the acceptance of parking policy concepts and to avoid spillover problems. Finally, in the German case, as in most other countries, states and municipalities need to redesign their legal frameworks to be able to manage parking supply better and to react to changes related to digital developments and parking. The findings have implications for other European neighbourhoods regarding the transfer from research to local circumstances and applications for the whole city.     

Generic model for resource allocation in transportation. Application to urban parking management

In this paper, we define the online localized resource allocation problem, especially relevant for modeling transportation applications. The problem modeling takes into account simultaneously the geographical location of consumers and resources together with their online nondeterministic appearance. We use urban parking management as an illustration of this problem. In fact, urban parking management is an online localized resource allocation problem, where the question is how to find an efficient allocation of parking spots to drivers, while they all have dynamic geographical positions and appear nondeterministically. We define this problem and propose a multiagent system to solve it. The objective of the system is to decrease, for private vehicles drivers, the parking spots search time. The drivers are organized in communities and share information about spots availability. We have defined two cooperative models and compared them: a fully cooperative model, where agents share all the available information, and a “coopetitive” model, where drivers do not share information about the spot that they have chosen. Results show the superiority of the first model.     

Economic analysis of collecting parking fees by a private firm

The purpose of this paper is to show the possibility of a co-existence of public and private parking management systems even when all the parking spaces are owned by the government. This study focuses on the issue of collecting parking fees by a private firm that has been used by some local governments in Taiwan. We assume that the government behaves as a leader and a private firm as a follower in a Stackelberg three-stage game. At stage 1, the government selects its parking space. At stage 2, the government and the firm set their parking fees simultaneously. At the final stage, consumers (drivers) choose the parking lot between the space of the government and that of the firm by considering the full costs, consisting of the parking fee and the searching (with congestion) time cost. The objective of the government is to maximize welfare and that of the firm is to maximize profit. The model is constructed at first and a simulation analysis is then made. The result supports the strategy of adopting the franchise of collecting parking fees if the private firm is more efficient than the government. Moreover, the government may keep fewer parking spaces and release more parking spaces to the firm under the goal of maximizing welfare.     

Campus parking supply impacts on transportation mode choice

Parking demand is a significant land-use problem in campus planning. The parking policies of universities and large corporations with facilities located in small urban areas shape the character of their campuses. These facilities will benefit from a simplified methodology to study the effects of parking availability on transportation mode mix and impacts on recruitment and staffing policies. This paper, based on a case study of North Dakota State University in the United States, introduces an analytical framework to provide planners with insights about how parking supply and demand affects campus transportation mode choice. The methodology relies only on aggregate mode choice data for the special generator zone and the average aggregate volume/capacity ratio projections for all external routes that access the zone. This reduced data requirement significantly lowers analysis cost and obviates the need for specialized modelling software and spatial network analysis tools. Results illustrate that the framework is effective for analysing mode choice changes under different scenarios of parking supply and population growth.     

Estimation of parking accumulation profiles from survey data

Parking accumulation profiles at car parks are time-dependent quantities that require data from lengthy observation surveys. However, it is found that car parks can be clustered into groups based on the similarity in the shape of their accumulation profiles. This procedure increases the efficiency of the survey data collected for this purpose. This paper describes a method developed to estimate aggregate parking accumulation profiles at different districts in a city. The planning of the survey conducted in Hong Kong in the year 2000 and the results of the data analysis are also described.     

Parking policy and urban goals: Linking strategy to needs

Parking management strategies have traditionally been used as a means of accommodating traffic demand, with little or no effort made to identify how such strategies might relate to other urban objectives. In this paper, parking management strategies are classified according to the control they exert over the amount of aggregate parking supply, access to parking, spatial distribution of parking supply, or dollar price of parking. Six general categories of urban policy objectives are identified, and the relationship between parking strategies and these objectives analyzed. The parking program in Baltimore is used to illustrate some of the relationships identified in this analysis. This paper concludes that the linkage between parking and the attainment of some urban objectives is potentially quite strong, and that further empirical research is needed to fully establish this relationship. Several different directions for further research are also identified.     

Modeling and optimization of multimodal urban networks with limited parking and dynamic pricing

Cruising-for-parking constraints mobility in urban networks. Car-users may have to cruise for on-street parking before reaching their destinations. The accessibility and the cost of parking significantly influence people's travel behavior (such as mode choice, or parking facility choice between on-street and garage). The cruising flow causes delays eventually to everyone, even users with destinations outside limited parking areas. It is therefore important to understand the impact of parking limitation on mobility, and to identify efficient parking policies for travel cost reduction. Most existing studies on parking fall short in reproducing the dynamic spatiotemporal features of traffic congestion in general, lack the treatment of dynamics of the cruising-for-parking phenomenon, or require detailed input data that are typically costly and difficult to collect. In this paper, we propose an aggregated and dynamic approach for modeling multimodal traffic with the treatment on parking, and utilize the approach to design dynamic parking pricing strategies. The proposed approach is based on the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (MFD), which can capture congestion dynamics at network-level for single-mode and bi-modal (car and bus) systems. A parsimonious parking model is integrated into the MFD-based multimodal modeling framework, where the dynamics of vehicular and passenger flows are considered with a change in the aggregated behavior (e.g. mode choice and parking facility choice) caused by cruising and congestion. Pricing strategies are developed with the objective of reducing congestion, as well as lowering the total travel cost of all users. A case study is carried out for a bi-modal city network with a congested downtown region. An elegant feedback dynamic parking pricing strategy can effectively reduce travel delay of cruising and the generic congestion. Remarkably, such strategy, which is applicable in real-time management with limited available data, is fairly as efficient as a dynamic pricing scheme obtained from system optimum conditions and a global optimization with full information about the future states of the system. Stackelberg equilibrium is also investigated in a competitive behavior between different parking facility operators. Policy indications on on-street storage capacity management and pricing are provided.     

Determinants of bicycle commuting in the Washington,DC region: The role of bicycle parking,cyclist showers,and free car parking at work

This article examines the role of bicycle parking, cyclist showers, free car parking and transit benefits as determinants of cycling to work. The analysis is based on commute data of workers in the Washington, DC area. Results of rare events logistic regressions indicate that bicycle parking and cyclist showers are related to higher levels of bicycle commuting—even when controlling for other explanatory variables. The odds for cycling to work are greater for employees with access to both cyclist showers and bike parking at work compared to those with just bike parking, but no showers at work. Free car parking at work is associated with 70% smaller odds for bike commuting. Employer provided transit commuter benefits appear to be unrelated to bike commuting. Regression coefficients for control variables have expected signs, but not all are statistically significant.     

A parking model hierarchy

The last decade has seen considerable developments in computer assisted design procedures which enable planners to investigate the impacts of changes in the transport system. These developments have become more available to analysts through the introduction of microcomputers and computer graphics. Unfortunately, the impacts of parking on the transport have not been incorporated explicitly in many of these models since their prime concern is the movement of traffic. Parking system design and policy analysis can, however, benefit greatly from these developments in computer technology and availability. The design of parking systems can be improved and the investigation of policy impacts can be trialed or refined prior to their introduction using microcomputer packages. This paper outlines some developments in these areas. More specifically, it outlines a hierarchy or microcomputer models and information systems that can investigate parking policy and study the level of service provided by parking systems.     

Establishing parking generation rates/models of selected land uses for Palestinian cities

Estimating parking demand in Palestine requires more oriented studies towards parking generation to enrich transportation planning, design, and management. Using regional or international models and rates of parking demand may not be appropriate for Palestine. This research is conducted to establish a reference for provision of parking supply for three major types of land uses, which are residential, office, and retail.Seventy-three sites of different land uses were selected through field investigations, interviews, and availability of information for each site. The study covered all main cities in the West Bank, Palestine. Data collection was conducted manually, which contains site characteristics and average of two-day parking counts during three periods (AM, PM, and Peak of the Development).Numerous models and rates were investigated yielding variable statistical accuracies. Most appropriate statistical models/rates were summarized and highlighted for each type of land use, and parking generation models with acceptable statistical significance were recommended, otherwise, parking generation rates were recommended. Simple linear regression, natural logarithmic linear regression, and power were the forms of the recommended models for the studied land uses.This study forms the first step of a future Palestinian “Parking Generation Manual” that should contain various local land use types.     

Demand management in suburban settings

This paper provides findings from a review of employer based demand management strategies for reducing traffic congestion in several areas of the United States. The research was carried out by K.T. Analytics, Inc. in 1989 under a contract with the Federal Department of Transportation, Transportation Systems Center. Relying on a review of employer based programs in 26 sites, as well as selected literature, the paper draws conclusions about the effectiveness of employer based transportation systems management (programs to encourage carpooling, transit, biking, cycling, walking and flextime) and parking management (preferential parking for carpoolers, removal of parking subsidies, and other measures) aimed at reducing solo driving and peak period commuting.Several conclusions are offered for local planners and policy makers. Demand Management programs can be effective in reducing traffic congestion, provided they are targeted to larger employment centers, accompanied by transit development, high occupancy vehicle incentives and parking management strategies, especially pricing. Flextime should not be encouraged without careful evaluation as it may discourage ridesharing. Guaranteed ride home services appear promising and deserve attention. With all strategies, long term vigilance will be necessary as programs are susceptible to change over time. Stringent public policies do not appear necessary for development of effective programs. Ordinances should require plans not specific strategies, as it is difficult estimating the probable effectiveness of particular strategies. Ordinances should contain sanctions for employers not carrying out agreed to plans, and should include fees and financing to support public sector review of plans and on-going monitoring.