Solutions to parking problems

Every motorised trip ends in a parking situation. Truly, when one arrives at a destination by any motor vehicle one of the first experiences is of parking. This gives rise to parking problems and solutions.

 

There are two kinds of parking in the United Kingdom:

• Public parking (usually on-street)
• Private parking (all sorts on private grounds)

Particularly in the cities and the big towns there is a problem where the supply-demand ratio makes parking a problem for parking space providers, the motorists or both.

We are here to give a bare summary on the difficult subject of parking problems and solutions.

These are just some of the many solutions that are available to thinking parking professionals and their customers/users who are the motoring public.

 

Increase parking supply

This is the first thing that comes to mind when pondering parking problems and solutions. Essentially, its gets property managers/developers, businesses and central/local governments to build more parking facilities. It has the advantage of economies of scale. The top disadvantage is that it increases overheads and encourages driving as opposed to public transport.

 

Establish minimum parking requirements

By raising the requirements for parking spaces the demand for parking can be reduced. The use of zoning is usual in this context. This method is easy to implement but can add to the costs of providing parking to developers and public authorities.

 

Increase on-street/curbside parking provision

This has the advantage of being relatively cheap and convenient with parking problems and solutions. It has the disadvantage of having provision ceilings and parallel parking makes for hazards for cyclists and increases the chances of motor crashes.

 

Increasing on-street parking

Town planners can design more on-street parking while local governments can have fewer parking restrictions and encourage parallel parking. This is easy and cost-effective but there are limits on how many extra parking spaces can be created.

 

Subsidizing off-street parking

This has the advantage of making parking cheaper and bringing it into policy but it amounts to a public subsidy for driving instead of encouraging utilisation of public transport.

 

Adding overflow facilities

This amounts to having in reserve extra parking facilities when the usual nearby parking spaces have been all taken up. This can happen during popular events. It has the advantage of flexibility and one disadvantage is how remote the secondary parking area is.

Maximising parking spaces in existing facilities

This can involve utilising unused spaces such as in corners and on the edges of the parking areas and having specially sized spaces for smaller vehicles. This is relatively inexpensive but there is a ceiling on how much can be added.

 

Use of mechanisation

Lifts and elevators can do wonders for increasing parking spaces as well as flexible but these methods are hideously expensive.

This is merely scratching the surface of parking problems and solutions and people involved in this field can choose from these and other methods.

Parking problems and solutions vary from country to country and from district to district within a country.