What is Parking Study?
A parking study is a traffic engineering investigation that assesses the demand for, supply of, and utilisation of parking facilities in a given area. As urban areas densify and vehicle ownership rises, parking management becomes a critical component of traffic management — inadequate parking forces vehicles to cruise searching for spaces, generating unnecessary traffic and emissions.
Parking Statistics — Key Definitions
- Parking Accumulation: The number of vehicles parked at a specific instant of time at a given location. Measured by periodic counts.
- Parking Volume: Total number of vehicles that parked in a given duration of time (e.g., over a full day). Higher than accumulation since vehicles come and go.
- Parking Turnover: Ratio of number of vehicles parked in a duration to number of available parking bays. High turnover indicates efficient use of spaces.
- Parking Index (Efficiency): Ratio of number of bays actually occupied in a time duration to total parking space available. Expressed as a percentage.
Types of Parking Facilities
1. On-Street (Kerb) Parking
Vehicles are parked on the kerb of the road within the road reserve. Several configurations (angles) are possible, each with different capacity and safety characteristics.
2. Off-Street Parking
A separate parking facility provided away from the road kerb — typically a dedicated parking lot or multi-storey structure. Its main advantage is that it does not cause congestion or delay on the adjacent road. Off-street parking is monitored using video recording. Kiss and ride (where passengers are dropped off and the vehicle parks away) is an example of peripheral off-street parking.
Kerb Parking Configurations
Parallel Parking (0°)
Vehicles park with their long axis parallel to the kerb. This configuration accommodates the fewest vehicles for a given kerb length but has the least chance of accident because no backward movement is required during parking or unparking. Formula: N = L/6.6 or N = L/6.75.
30° Angle Parking
Low capacity among angle parking types. N = (L − 0.85) / 5.1
45° Angle Parking
Used for the most optimum parking result — balances capacity with ease of manoeuvring. N = (L − 2.0) / 3.6. Bay width = 3.6 m, manoeuvring space = 5.6 to 9.7 m.
60° Angle Parking
Higher capacity than 45° but requires more kerb width. N = (L − 2.0) / 2.9. Bay width = 2.9 m.
90° (Right Angle) Parking
Vehicles park perpendicular to the kerb. This configuration fits the maximum number of vehicles (approximately twice parallel parking capacity) but requires the most kerb width and has the highest risk of accidents with main traffic flow. N = L / 2.5.
General Angle Parking Formula (30° to 90°)
For any parking angle θ between 30° and 90°, the number of vehicles that can be parked in a kerb length L is:
n = (L/w)sinθ + cos²θ − (ℓ/2w)sin2θ
Where w = width of manoeuvring space, ℓ = length of vehicle. This formula is NOT valid for parallel parking.
Summary Comparison Table
| Parking Type | Formula | Vehicles/Length | Accident Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parallel | N = L/6.6 | Minimum | Minimum |
| 30° Angle | N = (L−0.85)/5.1 | Low | Low |
| 45° Angle | N = (L−2.0)/3.6 | Medium | Medium |
| 60° Angle | N = (L−2.0)/2.9 | High | High |
| 90° Right Angle | N = L/2.5 | Maximum (~2× parallel) | Maximum |