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Sample Service: Carpool Parking

Carpool parking or HOV (high occupancy vehicle) parking is implemented at many US worksites as a strategy to reduce parking demand and trip generation. In Providence, carpool parking is available at Providence Place Mall in the downtown area. However, on average only 40 of the 500 carpool parking spaces are taken up [13]. These spaces may be underutilized because of insufficient marketing and promotional efforts. As an example, the Providence Place Mall website page on parking does not provide any information whatsoever on the HOV parking program.

The worksites with the greatest potential for a carpool parking program are ones that have a permit parking program in place, namely Brown University, RISD, and Lifespan. These worksites currently do not offer discounted carpool permits or preferential carpool parking.

There are different schemes for carpool parking programs. Some programs provide carpoolers preferential location while others offer discounted parking rates. Programs may also offer additional incentives such as guaranteed ride homes and occasional use permits (for a limited number of days when carpool is not intact). Carpool identification may be hangtags, stickers, or a carpool permit holder [54].

Costs/Benefits Analysis

There are many advantages to having a TMA-supported carpool parking program. A carpool parking program generally requires marketing and promotion, efforts that an employer may not have time to do. The TMA can take on that marketing role for the employers, ensuring that the carpool parking program is well advertised. The TMA also provides a forum for employers to discuss what parking strategies have been effective and ineffective.

The costs associated with implementing a carpool parking program are administrative, enforcement, and printing costs for carpool permits. There is the argument that for every carpool permit printed, at least two regular permits are not printed. However, the actual case is that for every regular permit that a carpooler has given up, there is always someone else eager to take that permit.

This thesis used Brown as a model for estimating the costs/benefits of a carpool parking program. A Brown University Parking Demand Analysis conducted in 2001 [53] determined that there are about 1950 available spaces for students/faculty/staff at the university owned garage/lots. However, the parking demand is 3100. This leaves a current unmet demand of 1150. Below is an analysis of the costs/benefits of a Brown carpooling program that allocates 50 carpool spaces with carpool permits costing $100 a year.

*Annualized cost per space based upon land value and operations/maintenance costs for a parking facility in a central business district, does not include construction

The table above shows that implementing a carpooling program would decrease the need for parking by 50 spaces. The university would then have annual net benefit of 42,600 per year.

Summary

A carpool parking program (that provide incentives) can motivate SOV drivers to carpool. The administrative costs for the program are minimal compared to the benefits reaped. The benefits include:

• $100 parking savings or more (if carpool permit cost was split among carpoolers)
• decreased driving costs for employee
• decreased employee travel stress
• employer cost savings from reduction of parking demand
• Increased employee productivity/morale

The benefit of having a TMA for a carpool parking program is that the TMA can:

• Provide marketing and administrative support
• Offer information and consulting services
• Coordinate carpool programs for worksites which are close together