The role of parking in the accessibility of destinations

Abstract

Transportation sector is a key element in the growth of a society. During the last century, rapid urbanization took place. As a result of which vehicle ownership increased. The increase in vehicle ownership led to an increase in traffic related problems like traffic congestion, traffic accidents and environmental pollution. With the increase in vehicle ownership, the demand of parking spaces also increased. Due to this various traffic problems related to parking arose. This includes the cruise traffic which is the unnecessary traffic in search for a parking space. Parking is one of the essential components of a transportation system. Problems in parking would lead to a restrain in accessibility. The aim of the transport planners is to develop a sustainable transport system. Accessibility is one of the key characteristics of the sustainable transport system. Parking is amongst one of the factors that affect accessibility. Parking plays a vital role in the accessibility of destination since it is an integral part of the transportation system. The objective of this research is to evaluate the role of parking in the accessibility towards destination. A car journey can be divided into various stages. These stages include walk time to vehicle, in-vehicle time, parking search time and final walk time to the destination. The effect of the last part of the journey has been evaluated in this paper. By analyzing the effect of parking search time and final walk time to the destination, the role of parking in the accessibility of destin