RIDESHARING ELEMENT OF PARKING FACILITIES FOR INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYMENT CENTERS

This report's intent is to provide evidence to support the concept of trading off parking requirements for viable ridesharing programs at industrial employment centers (IECs), The study entailed determining the role of ridesharing in the planning, design, provision, and economics of parking facilities at IECs. The role of local zoning and planning agencies in reducing parking requirements for employers and developers who institute active ridesharing programs was also examined. Ridesharing was defined as the use of multiple-occupancy vehicles for commuting purposes. IECs were defined as mixed-use facilities that are predominantly industrial. They were studied to provide information for revision of the Institute of Transportation Engineers' (ITE) report "Parking Facilities for Industrial Plants." A literature illustrating the importance of parking to ridesharing was conducted; it also indicated some of the significant variables that must be taken into account in analyzing parking facility requirements. Data for the study came from four questionnaires: University of Maryland Questionnaire 1, sent to employers known to have ridesharing programs; Questionnaire 2, sent to planning/zoning agencies; the ITE/NAVPO (National Association of Vanpool Operations) Survey of Parking Facilities at Major Employment Centers, sent to over 200 NAVPO members; and the NAVPI/ITE Employee Home-Work Travel Survey, distributed by some of those members to their employees. The data indicate that decreased parking requirements result from active ridesharing programs and that many zoning/planning agencies consider ridesharing an alternative to increasing parking requirements. These agencies' major concern involved monitoring programs and enforcing regulations. Case studies illustrate parking reduction and the economics of ridesharing programs at IECs, as well as local zoning agency involvement. Also documented are changed commuting habits of IEC employees because of ridesharing programs. Local planning and zoning agencies have incorporated potential ridersharing benefits into planning by providing exemptions or amending existing ordinances. The differences between these developments and the trends outlined by the ITE in its 1969 report warrant a revision of the report. References and appendices are included. The appendices consist of questionnaires, examples of results of SPSS analysis, the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission Survey, and sample legislation.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Maryland, College Park

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  College Park, MD  United States  20742

  Dingle Associates, Incorporated

  1625 I Street, NW, Suite 915
  Washington, DC  United States  20006

  Federal Highway Administration

  Transportation Management and Ridesharing Programs, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Carter, Everett C
  • O'Connell, K
• Publication Date: 1982-9

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; References;
• Pagination: v.p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Design; Economics; Industrial plants; Paratransit services; Parking facilities; Planning; Ridesharing; Zoning
• Subject Areas: Design; Economics; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00451499
• Record Type: Publication
• Contract Numbers: DTFH61-80-C-00057
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 30 1985 12:00AM