How do you conduct a parking study for a shared parking and TOD site plan?

1 What is TOD?

TOD stands for transit-oriented development, which is a type of urban planning that focuses on creating mixed-use, walkable, and compact neighborhoods around public transit stations. TOD aims to increase the accessibility and attractiveness of transit, as well as the diversity and vitality of the surrounding areas. TOD can also reduce the reliance on private cars and the associated emissions, congestion, and sprawl.

2 Why combine shared parking and TOD?

Shared parking and TOD are complementary strategies that can amplify the advantages of each other. When combined, they can increase the efficiency and utilization of parking spaces near transit stations, reduce the parking requirements and costs for developers and tenants, improve the urban design and walkability of the TOD area, and support transit ridership and mode share. This is achieved by minimizing the visual and physical impacts of parking structures and surface lots, as well as providing flexible parking options for transit users and reducing competition for on-street parking.

3 How to conduct a parking study for shared parking and TOD?

A parking study is a systematic analysis of the existing and future parking supply and demand for a specific site or area. It can help determine the optimal amount, location, and design of parking spaces, as well as the potential for shared parking and TOD. To conduct such a study, you need to define the study area and scope, collect and analyze existing parking data, forecast future parking demand, evaluate future parking supply, develop and compare various scenarios, and finally recommend a preferred parking strategy. Additionally, consider the impacts of shared parking and TOD on the parking demand such as peak periods, user profiles, trip purposes, and mode choices. Furthermore, assess the opportunities and constraints for shared parking and TOD in terms of availability, accessibility, compatibility, and management of parking spaces. Finally, provide specific recommendations for the amount, location, and design of parking spaces as well as an implementation and monitoring plan.