Parking and Park & Ride (P+R) Plans and Studies

What are parking and P+R studies?

Parking plans and studies allow for an analysis of how parking spaces are used in a city or territory, and the definition of strategies to locate, size, and manage parking more efficiently.

Within these studies, Park & Ride (P+R) parking lots play a key role. These are parking facilities that allow drivers to leave their private vehicle and continue their journey by public transport, bicycle, or on foot. When located at public transport stations, they are often also called interchange parking lots, and ideally, they should be located at the public transport stations closest to the origin of the trip, where they have the greatest environmental impact. Other times, they are located in areas near city entrances, where some form of public transport or public bicycle service is also offered. In these cases, they are also called deterrent parking lots. These systems help to reduce traffic within urban centers, improve air quality, and optimize the use of public space.

How we work on parking plans

At VAIC Mobility, we develop parking plans and studies based on the analysis of real mobility patterns and an understanding of the needs of different types of users.

As a transport consultancy specializing in sustainable mobility planning, we analyze both existing supply and potential parking demand to define efficient strategies tailored to each territory.

These studies help answer key questions such as:

• What is the real parking demand in an area?
• What is the occupancy level of existing parking facilities?
• Where is it most efficient to implement park and ride facilities?
• What should be the sizing and management of new parking facilities?

The objective is to define a parking strategy that is coherent with the territory’s sustainable mobility model, integrating parking management with public transport and active mobility.

Phases of a parking study

1. Demand and parking pattern analysis

The first step is to analyze how parking is currently used and the profile of the users. This analysis includes:

• Inventory of public and private parking facilities
• Occupancy and turnover rates
• Average parking duration
• User profiles (residents, workers, visitors)

This information allows for the identification of zones with a deficit or surplus of parking, as well as mobility patterns associated with different types of users.

2. Identification of locations and sizing

Parking plans size the necessary supply to meet the expected demand based on the desired city model, which is outlined in the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan.

This sizing may include the need to identify new parking zones, define relocation strategies, strategies for modifying urban planning parameters, etc., to make the model viable in the short and medium term.

In the case of Park & Ride parking lots, strategic points where these facilities can generate the most benefit for the mobility system are analyzed. The main criteria include:

• Proximity to train stations, metro stations, or interurban bus stations
• Accessibility from the main entry roads to the city
• Potential for capturing commuter trips

3. Parking management model

The definition of the management model is a fundamental aspect that takes into account aspects such as:

• type of regulation: blue zone, green zone, zones reserved for public transport users, zones reserved for certain groups, etc.
• definition of areas and hours.
• definition of tariffs and sensitivity analysis by type of use and profile
• management and control tools, real-time management, etc.
• fixed or dynamic signage
• etc.