Parking Management

Todd Litman explores the topic of “parking management.” The topic “refers to policies and programs that result in more efficient use of parking resources.” Todd Litman, Parking Management: Strategies, Evaluation and Planning, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, August 24, 2007 at 2 (available at www.vtpi.org/park_man.pdf). Litman argues that“appropriately applied parking management can significantly reduce the number of parking spaces required in a particular situation, providing a variety of economic, social and environmental benefits.” Id.

With regard to specific policy, Litman offers a few proposals. One, the city should “[u]nbundle parking, so parking spaces are rented separately from building space. For example, rather than paying $1,000 per month for an apartment with two parking spaces renters pay $800 per month for the apartment and $100 per month for each parking space. This typically reduces parking requirements by 20%.” Id. at 5. Two, businesses should be encouraged to implement programs that reduce employee use of nearby parking, including “offered $50 per month if they don’t use a parking space.” Id. “This typically reduces automobile commuting by 20%.” Id. Three, the city should “[p]rovide information to resident, employees and visitors about transit, rideshare and taxi services, bicycling facilities, and overflow parking options.” Id. at 5.

The third point – parking “user information” – warrants further examination. “User information refers to information for travelers about parking availability, regulations and price, and about travel options, such as walking, ridesharing and transit. Many parking problems result in part from inadequate user information. User information can be provided by signs, maps, brochures, websites, and electronic guidance systems. It is particularly useful if there is a perceived parking shortage, although space are actually available in an area.” Id. at 21.

A parking shortage can be addressed via overflow parking options. An obvious overflow option is remote parking.  "Remote Parking (also called Satellite Parking) refers to the use of off-site parking facilities. This often involves shared facilities, such as office workers parking at a restaurant parking lot during the day, in exchange for restaurant employees using the office parking lot evenings and weekends. It can involve use of public facilities, such as commercial parking lots. Remote parking can also involve use of parking facilities located at the periphery of a business district or other activity center…Special shuttle buses or free transit service may be provided to connect destinations with remote parking facilities, allowing them to be farther apart than would otherwise be acceptable…Remote parking requires providing adequate use information and incentives to encourage motorists to use more distant facilities. For example, signs and maps should indicate the location of peripheral parking facilities, and they should be significantly cheaper to use than in the core. Without such incentives, peripheral parking facilities are often underused while core parking is congested."  Id. at 15.



Workshop on Development and the Environment (week 3)