Kerbside Parking Assessment Using a Simulation Modelling Approach for Infrastructure Planning—A Metropolitan City Case Study

Abstract

The main purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of kerbside parking demand and provision on short-term parking (STP) and freight activity space (FAS) as a benchmark for infrastructure planning, considering the impacts of expected future growth and capacity changes. In this study, we adopted a mixed-methods approach of quantitative analysis including a spatial view of parking using manual and video-captured camera data from the majority of STP and FAS parking bays covering a diverse range of loads/tasks with different levels of elasticity and substitutes, as well as simulation of current demand influenced by various factors, as a basis for the development of strategies and prioritisation of the allocation of limited kerbside spaces in Parramatta, a rapidly transforming/growing CBD city centre environment. Parking demand consisted of a diverse range of FAS and STP categories. Spatial analysis showed a non-homogeneous distribution of parking demand and loads across several sections of the city. A large proportion of short-term parking spaces is attributed to two peak periods during the day and increased traffic volumes at peak times. Comparatively lower average parking times in the northern and western regions compared to those in the city centre indicate the potential to reduce peak parking periods and therefore traffic congestion in the city centre by changing parking limits. The presented simulation model can be used as a reliable benchmarking model for the simulation of future impact scenarios and to make recommendations with respect to infrastructure planning and to develop travel demand management strategies. This research is based on a case study and is therefore subject to limitations in its applications in other contexts. Extension of the baseline simulation with future impact scenarios is planned for the next stage of this research. A simulation model is presented and illustrated as a reliable benchmarking tool for the simulation of future impact scenarios through a case study of a rapidly changing city environment.