Dynamics of On-Street Parking in Large Central Cities

Abstract

Parking is a critical component of transportation policy and management, especially for large central cities. Policies and management practices affecting parking in turn affect land use, air quality, traffic congestion, travel behavior, safety, economic development, and revenue. Yet effectively managing parking is an ongoing struggle for large central cities as they face competing objectives and ever-increasing demands for space. As important as parking is, relatively few serious analyses of parking exist, and even fewer of on-street or curb parking, which is of particular interest to central cities. FHWA funded a year-long study that included an extensive literature review, one-on-one discussions with city parking officials, a peer-to-peer exchange, and a questionnaire to which nine U.S. cities responded. The study was intended to describe comprehensively on-street parking policies and management practices in large cities and to identify best practices and areas for further research. Lessons learned include the following: to manage effectively, one must know what is being managed, yet many cities lack basic information about their parking resources; integration and coordination among agencies and divisions that manage parking is critical; and ongoing peer exchanges allow important information sharing to occur between cities.