Methodology for Parking Modeling and Pricing in Traffic Impact Studies

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The need to park a car is a key consideration in any trip. The need can affect or determine travel mode, departure time, and even the entire trip chain, as well as impose pressure on the network; drivers can create traffic jams as they seek places to park. Given the complexity of motorist parking behavior, no reliable methodology has been developed to model parking activities realistically. To date, the studies have focused on the effects of parking on travel demand (especially on mode choice). The study reported here developed a convenient and easy-to-use methodology, which integrated parking choice with the traffic assignment. The methodology responds in particular to the needs of practitioners who carry out traffic impact study projects in which a detailed analysis is sought of a confined area (study area). The proposed methodology splits a study area's zonal trips into two main parts: (a) walking trips to and from parking lots and (b) vehicular trips between origin parking lots and destination parking lots. A logit model was adapted to model parking choice, which could accommodate factors that influenced motorist behavior (e.g., a lot's price, security, protection from the elements). The methodology was tested through its application to a part of the central business district of the city of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. A pragmatic approach to the problem of how to price parking to alleviate its shortage and to use its supply efficiently was proposed.