Park-and-ride facilities allow commuters to leave their personal vehicles in a public parking lot before transferring to a form of public transportation or carpooling to reach their destinations. These facilities are often strategically placed in suburban areas near larger metropolitan areas to decrease the amount of traffic in cities from commuters transporting to and from work.1,2 It can also attract certain groups of people that would benefit the most from this service such as older adults and low-income individuals.3
How it Helps
Introducing park-and-ride facilities can reduce vehicle emissions since fewer personal vehicles will be on the road. It can also alleviate the stress of finding parking in crowded downtown areas by decreasing the time spent circling parking lots, further contributing to reduced vehicular emissions.4 In addition, fewer vehicles commuting to downtown areas can enhance the safety of road users by minimizing driving frustration. Although park-and-rides can emit vehicle noise during peak time periods 1, the reduction in traffic congestion from fewer vehicles on the road may lower overall urban traffic noise. In addition to getting to work, park-and-rides are helpful for individuals to reach other destinations (such as doctor’s appointments, grocery stores, and schools) with little to no parking available. Therefore, this can minimize community severance if individuals are able to easily reach these goods and services.
Implementing
Location, Capacity, and Layout:
Several factors should be considered during the design process and implementation of park-and-ride facilities, including the location, capacity, and physical layout of the facility.5 The lot should be easily accessible while still located near highly congested travel areas. The number of parking spaces and walking distance to the bus stop(s) should be considered to ensure that the park-and-ride option is a practical alternative to driving independently to work or another destination. It may be worthwhile to make use of existing, unused parking areas, as opposed to constructing a new facility.
Examples
1) Houston, Texas Metro
The Houston Metro offers 16 park-and-ride routes, with several routes serving the Texas Medical Center and downtown areas.
https://www.ridemetro.org/Pages/BusSched.aspx#pr
2) Dallas, Texas DART
The DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) has numerous park-and-ride locations in the Dallas area so that commuters can park their personal vehicle and commute to work.
1. Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Park-and-Ride Lots. https://mobility.tamu.edu/mip/strategies-pdfs/system-modification/technical-summary/Park-And-Ride-Lots-4-Pg.pdf
2. Christiansen, D. L., et al. (1978). Design Guidelines for Park-and-Ride Facilities. Texas A&M Transportation Institute. https://static.tti.tamu.edu/tti.tamu.edu/documents/205-3.pdf
3. Zhao, X., et al. (2019). How does 'park and ride' perform? An evaluation using longitudinal data. Transport Policy, 74, 15-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2018.11.004
4. Mesa, J. A., et al. (2021). Assessing the effectiveness of park-and-ride facilities on multimodal networks in smart cities. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 733, 576-586. https://doi.org/10.1080/01605682.2020.1854628
5. Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Park-and-Ride Lots. https://static.tti.tamu.edu/tti.tamu.edu/documents/policy/congestion-mitigation/park-and-ride-lots.pdf