A Study of Parking Behavior and Parking Information Requirements in Shanghai CBD

Abstract

Searching for a parking space has become an unavoidable task for drivers in Shanghai central business district (CBD). Providing drivers with parking availability information will reduce their searching time and thus reduce traffic on the road during congested periods. However, there is a need for more field study/surveys in order to improve our understanding of parking behavior and drivers’ reactions to the parking information provided. The main goal of this paper is to analyze parkers’ behavior in choosing a parking lot in the Shanghai CBD and to develop a better understanding of the users’ need for parking information. The Xujiahui Area, one of the CBDs in Shanghai where a Parking Guidance and Information System (PGIS) was deployed in December 2003, has been chosen to conduct the case study. In April 2006, a scientifically designed parking survey was carried out to collect data about parkers’ revealed-preference and stated-preference. The results of 783 drivers’ responses are used in this study. The analysis of this study shows that parking difficulty mainly resulted from the lack of parking information. The drivers’ behavior in choosing a parking lot is mainly influenced by walking time, availability of parking spaces, parking fees and trip purposes. In particular, this is the first time that a study has investigated the performance of a PGIS operating in China.