PARKING STUDIES

Presented by:
Engr. Stephen Agyeman
Sunyani Polytechnic
Civil Engineering Department

Introduction

Traveling vehicles at one time or another will need to park for short or long
times.

Need for parking spaces is great in areas where land uses include (business,
residential, or commercial).

Park-and-Ride increased the need for parking spaces at transit stations.

In high density areas spaces are very expensive, thus the space provided
for automobiles usually has to be divided between their movement and
parking.

Parking spaces in CBD are mostly parallel to curb type which reduces the
capacity of the streets.

The solution is not simple of course.

Introduction
1.

For the above reasons parking studies are therefore

used to:
1.

Determine the demand for and the supply of parking facilities

in an area.

2.

The projection of the demand.

3.

The views of various interest groups on how best to solve the

problem.

Introduction
2.

Types of Parking Facilities:

1.

On-Street parking facilities (curb facilities):

1.

2.

Unrestricted parkings: for free and unlimited duration of

parking and parking.
Restricted parkings: if limited to specific times of the day
for a max. duration which may or may not be free (may
include handicapped parkings and bus stops or loading bays).

Introduction
2.

Off-Street parking facilities:

2.

Privately or publicly owned.

3.

Includes surface lots and garages.

4.

Self or attendant parking.

Definition of Parking Terms

Parking load: is the area under the accumulation curve b/n two
specific times (given as the no. of space-hours used during the
specified period of time).

Parking duration: is the length of time the vehicle is parked at a

parking bay (average parking durations give an indication of how
frequently a parking space becomes available).

Parking turnover: is the rate of use of a parking space (obtained

by dividing the parking volume for a specified period by the
number of parking spaces).

Definition of Parking Terms

Parking load: is the area under the accumulation curve b/n two
specific times (given as the no. of space-hours used during the
specified period of time).

Parking duration: is the length of time the vehicle is parked at a

parking bay (average parking durations give an indication of how
frequently a parking space becomes available).

Parking turnover: is the rate of use of a parking space (obtained

by dividing the parking volume for a specified period by the
number of parking spaces).

Methodology of Parking Studies

1.

Inventory of existing parking facilities.

2.

Collection of data on parking accumulation, parking turnover, and

parking duration.

3.

Identification of parking generators.

4.

Collection of information on parking demand.

Information on related factors, such as financial, legal, and

administrative matters, may also be collected.

Inventory of Existing Parking Facilities

Is a detailed listing of the location and all other relevant xtics of

each legal parking facility.

The relevant characteristics are:

Type and no. of parking spaces at each parking facility.
Times of operation and limit on duration of parking.
Type of ownership (private or public).

Inventory of Existing Parking Facilities

The relevant characteristics are:

Parking fees and method of collection.

Restriction on use (open or closed to public).

Other restrictions if any (loading and unloading, bus stops,)

Probable degree of permanency (can the facility be regarded

as permanent or is it just a temporary facility).

Should be updated at regular intervals (4 to 5 yrs.).

Collection of Parking Data

Accumulation: these data are obtained

by checking the amount of parking during
regular intervals (2hr. basis b/n 6:00am
and 8:00pm) on different days of the wk.

Selection of the times depend on the

operation times of land-use activities.

Collection of Parking Data

Turnover
and Duration: these data are usually obtained by collecting data

on sample of parking spaces in a given block.

This is done by recording the license plate of the vehicle parked on each
parking space in the sample at the ends of fixed intervals during the study
period.

The length of the fixed interval depends on the maximum permissible

duration (e.g. for max. permissible of 1ht, an interval length of 20 minutes is
suitable).

Turnover (T) =

Identification of Parking Generators

This

Identifying parking generators:

phase involves:
Shopping centers.
Transit terminal, Etc

Locating these parking generators on a map of the study

area.

Demand Factors

Changes in population, motor vehicle registrations, and travel.

Changes in CBD employment, floor space, new economic activity

generators and loss of existing generators, competition from
outlying areas.

Economic factors relating to a specific parking project

(competitive price changes, subsidies, development of competitive
parking facilities).

Demand Factors

Change in public transit availability, service and usage, or other

changes in CBD accessibility.

Public policies regarding parking and transit.

Technology or science affecting transportation, new laws and

regulations affecting motor travel, energy or fuel shortages, and
community and national economic health.

Parking Demand Survey

Interview drivers on a typical weekday b/n 8:00am and 10:00pm Or
give drivers a survey form
If you get 30% back,
you are really
fortunate.

Trip
origin

Trip
purpose

Arrival and departure

Vehicle type

Destination
after parking

Parking Demand

Information on parking demand is obtained by interviewing drivers

at the various parking facilities listed during the inventory.

Interviewing all drivers using the parking on a typical weekday b/n

8:00am and 10:00pm.

Information sought should include:

Trip origin.
Purpose of trip.
Driver destination after parking.
The time of arrival and departure.

Parking Demand

Interviews can be carried out also by postcard technique. (usually

only about 30 to 50 % returned).

Time and no. of cards distributed should be recorded, because

this information is required to develop expansion factors, which
are used to expand the sample.

Analysis of Parking Data

Include summarizing, coding, and interpreting the data so that

the relevant information required for decision making cab be
obtained.

Relevant information includes:

1. No. and duration of vehicles legally parked.
2. No. and duration of vehicles illegally parked.
3. Space-hours of demand of parking.
4. Supply of parking facilities.

Analysis of Parking Data

The analysis required to obtain information on the first two

items is straight forward.
It involves simple arithmetical and statistical calculations.

Data obtained from these items are then used to determine

parking space-hours.

Parking Demand Estimation

N

D ni ti
i 1

Class
N (= 2 here)

Average duration
(ti)

No. of vehicles
(Ni)

Commuter

9 hrs.

120

Shopper

2 hrs.

80

D = Space vehicle-hours demand for a specific period of time (usually the duration the
parking facility is open)
N = No. of classes of parking duration ranges (commuters, shoppers, business
meetings, etc.Class means grouping of purpose and parking durations)
ti = mid-parking (meaning average here) duration of the ith class.
ni = No. of vehicles parked for the ith duration range (meaning class)

Parking Supply Estimation

M

10hrs

S f t j
j 1

j = 1, 2, 3,

Simply stated: S = f*tave/space*M

S = practical number of space-hours of supply for a specific period of time
M = number of parking spaces available
tj = total length of time in hours when the j-th space can be legally parked on during
the specific period
f = efficiency factor to take into account the time lost during turnovers

Analysis of Parking Data

The efficiency factor is used to correct for time lost in

each turnover

F= average of 90% for curb parking.

F= average of 85% for surface lots.

F= average of 80% for garages.

Analysis of Parking Data

No. and duration for vehicles legally parked.
No. and duration for vehicles illegally parked.
Space-hours of demand for parking.
Supply of parking facilities.

Work Example 4.1

The owner of a parking garage located in a CBD has observed that

20% of those wishing to park are turned back every day during
the open hours of 8am to 6pm because of lack of parking spaces.

An analysis of data collected at the garage indicates that:

60% of those who park are commuters, with an average parking
duration of 9 hrs., and
the remaining are shoppers, whose average parking duration is 2hrs.

Work Example 4.1

If 20% of those who cannot park are commuters and the rest are
shoppers, and a total of 200 vehicles currently park daily in the
garage.

Determine the no. of additional spaces required to meet the

excess demand.

Assume parking efciency is 0.90.

Solution 4.1

Calculate

the space-hours of demand using eqn 4.1.

Total number of vehicles turned away

Solution 4.1

Total space-hours served

Total space-hours of demand
No. of space-hours required
Determine the number of parking spaces required from eqn 4.3.

Solution 4.1

Length

of time each space can legally park = 6pm-8am = 18pm8am = 10hrs.

Use the length of time each space can be legally parked on to determine
the no. of additional spaces.

Conclusion: At least 19 additional spaces will be required, since a fraction

of a space cannot be used.

Assignment 4.1

Data collected at a parking lot indicate that a total of 300 Cars

park b/n 8am and 6pm.

10% of these cars are parked for an average of 2 hrs.

30% for an average of 4 hrs. and,

the remaining cars are parked for an average of 10hrs.

Determine the space-hours of demand at the lot.

Answer: Space-hours of Demand = 2520 space-hrs.