Impact of Parking Pricing and Regulations on User Behavior

Abstract

Parking has the potential to increase or reduce traffic congestion. One parking policy technique that can be utilized to maintain controlled parking, cut down on car use, and achieve desired modal split is parking pricing and regulations. Regulating parking is important to maintain the balance between the supply and demand management. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for the city authorities to understand people’s attitudes toward parking, regulations, and their awareness before formulating any policy for better long-term results. Parking duration varies based on the trip purpose, mode choice, and parking availability. In this study, using Cox regression, an attempt has been made to estimate the duration of parking by modeling different variables that would impact the decision of parking on-street or off-street. The study area was delineated based on the high parking demand in the city, for which a random sampling of 300 drivers was carried out for seven days at different hours of the day, both on-street and off-street. Results indicated that most on-street parking happens for a shorter duration while off-street parking is for longer duration. The socio-economic characteristics, trip purpose, and frequency significantly impact the parking duration. The study also highlighted the changing parking pattern due to existing enforcement in the city and its impact on their day-to-day routine before and after the pandemic scenario. In conclusion, strict parking enforcement affects the behavior of parking of short-term and long-term parkers and is a strong predictor of user attitude and behavior.