01664127

Component

Phase 1 of the Westminster Bay Sensor Programme went live in October 2014, covering more than 3,000 paid-for and disabled bays across the West End of London. Real-time information on the availability of parking space on street is provided to users via the fee to use Park Right app. A key aim of the app was “to achieve a better balance of bay occupancy” and help users find available parking in streets that had space when key streets became fully occupied. As the on street parking tariff in the area examined is the same in all streets, the system of sensors and app was effective at providing knowledge to users regarding availability. Differential pricing was not a factor. During times of the day that some streets were fully utilised this knowledge could be expected to smooth out the demand across the adjacent and nearby streets. This paper uses historical data from the sensors to compare parking occupancy in a number of streets around Hanover Square in London's West End. The area examined consists of over 400 parking bays. Parking bay occupancy for the peak lunchtime hour on a number of days immediately after commission is tested with the comparable days one and two years later. The paper finds that using an F test the spread from the mean has not reduced to be statistically significant. The app and real time information on parking bay occupancy have not led to greater redistribution of demand. The paper sets out two explanations for this. First the redistribution was occurring anyway by people searching out available parking. Second the implementation of a high tariff to achieve average occupancies at around 80% meant that on street availability in or within close proximity to a user’s preferred destination was generally good and there was limited requirement to use any further guidance. The paper concludes that real-time information from the sensors and app are having no notable change on the distribution of parking for this area of Westminster.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ABE50 Standing Committee on Transportation Demand Management. Alternate title: Does Real-Time Information from In-Highway Parking Sensors Change Behavior?

18-00380

English

12p

2018

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References

Behavior; Mobile applications; On street parking; Parking; Parking demand; Physical distribution; Real time information; Sensors; Travelers

Occupancy

London (England)

Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Policy

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-00380

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 8 2018 10:06AM