Dealing with parking issues on an urban campus: The case of UC Berkeley

Abstract

Many transportation planning studies focus on mode-of-transportation as a static variable, not accounting for a range of user decisions such as miles traveled or (if driving) the duration of time between departure and arrival. Existing research into parking decisions investigates factors that determine or underlie mode choice decisions (Shoup and Willson, 1992; Vaca and Kuzmyak, 2005; Willson and Shoup, 1990). However, these studies do not address specific interventions tied to less driving and to projected reductions in greenhouse gas GHG emissions, This study looks at dynamic variables to see how parking price reforms, traveler information systems and incentives affect an increase in the use of public transit and non-motorized modes among the faculty and staff at UC Berkeley. Through a stated preference survey this study assessed the participants’ responsiveness to changes in pricing and information to reveal how a campus population can (1) search less for parking, (2) drive fewer days per week and (3) switch modes entirely. The University is one of the largest regional employers in the San Francisco Bay Area, generating consistently close to 50,000 daily trips to the campus (Riggs, 2009; Wilmot, 2012). Data from transportation surveys and geographic information systems (GIS) technology showed the percent of faculty or staff within walkable distance or bikeable distance (36%), or in areas that are transit accessible (48%). Regression analysis also indicates that social factors and incentives can have a strong pull on driving behavior. This means that focusing on such transportation demand management programs can result in fewer vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions along with a more equitable and accessible campus environs. It also justifies the need for campus to systematically document and benchmark commuting behavior.