Parking Fees: A Key to the Success of Proposed Park and Ride

Abstract

As a measure of total demand management, park and ride (P&R) has been widely used in Europe and North America and has been proved to be successful in mitigating congestion and difficulty of finding parking space in urban centers. Many city governments in China are considering this measure to reach the same goals. To understand drivers’ willingness to use P&R and the factors that influence drivers’ decision to support governments’ decision making, we conducted an onsite face-to-face survey in Nanjing, China. We found that the drivers are flexible on parking fees and fuel price. The willingness to use P&R does not guarantee an action to use P&R. Parking fee is critical to the success of P&R, that is, high parking fees and fuel prices would increase the probability of drivers to use P&R. A parking charge may be acceptable, but it should be cheaper than regular parking. P&R should be treated as a non-profit project for public interest. In addition, good transit access plays an important role in intercepting drivers in P&R. The drivers who drive every day show greater interest in P&R than those who drive less frequently. Commuters are hassled by finding a spot to park their cars, and they hope to get to their work locations quickly and cheaply. For bus-oriented P&R, the schedules, routes, and fare are important.