PAYING FOR PARKING

FUNDAMENTAL CONDITIONS OF PARKING SPACE SUPPLY AND DEMAND WERE EXAMINED, AND POLICY PROPOSALS WERE OFFERED. A STRUCTURE OF MARKET PRICES WAS PROPOSED, DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT SCARCE PARKING SPACE IS USED AT VARYING TIMES AND PLACES TO SATISFY MOST URGENT REQUIREMENTS. VARIED FORMS OF PARKING DEMAND AND KINDS OF SUPPLIERS WHO MIGHT ACT IF PARKING SPACE WERE PRICED WERE EXAMINED. IN BRITAIN, PARKING HAS COMMONLY BEEN CONSIDERED A SOCIAL SERVICE THAT MUST BE PROVIDED BY PUBLIC AUTHORITY AT LOW OR ZERO PRICE. THE CONFUSION FOLLOWING FROM THIS APPROACH AND THE WASTES CAUSED BY ATTEMPTS TO RATION A SCARCE RESOURCE WITHOUT USE OF PRICES WERE NOTED. NONUSE OF PRICES DOES NOT MAKE SPACE AVAILABLE TO ALL MOTORISTS WHO WANT IT WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT BUT RATIONS SPACE BY ADMINISTRATIVE DECREE OR REGULATION WHICH CAN BE ARBITRARY, CAPRICIOUS, AND WASTEFUL. THE STRUCTURE OF PRICES TO EQUATE SUPPLY AND DEMAND WAS ARRIVED AT THROUGH MICRO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS. THUS, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ANALYZING RESPONSES OF INDIVIDUAL PERSONS, COUNCILS OR COMPANIES AS BUYERS AND SELLERS IN A MARKET WAS ILLUSTRATED. IF PUBLIC POLICY IS TO FOLLOW THE LINES RECOMMENDED, MANY CHANGES WILL BE NEEDED IN PUBLIC ATTITUDE TO PARKING SPACE AS A FREE SERVICE TO USE MARKER PRICES AS AN ORDERLY METHOD OF ADMINISTERING AND ALLOCATING SCARCE SPACE.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Hobart PapeR 33, 64 PP
• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Economic Affairs

  2 Lord North Street, Westminster
  London SW1,   England 
• Authors:
  • ROTH, G J
• Publication Date: 1965

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Administration; Cost allocation; Economic analysis; Market value; Microanalysis; Parking; Parking demand; Policy; Prices; Studies
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Old TRIS Terms: Allocations; Parking studies
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Policy;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00225120
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 2 1994 12:00AM