strategy

Promoting park and ride schemes

Description:
Well designed park and ride schemes reduce the number of cars entering urban centres and lead to an overall decrease in private car mileage. Schemes need to be carefully designed and seen as one measure in a wider transport strategy for an area.
Context:
A 1998 UK study investigated the effectiveness of bus-based park and ride in response to growing concerns that schemes could lead to an overall increase in private car mileage. It examined a cross section of schemes serving eight urban centres and found that park and ride resulted in a net reduction in private car use and car mileage in each case.

The size of the reduction in each urban centre depended on the extent to which: sites are located further out from the urban area which they serve; and, services are complemented with bus priority measures and restraint measures on private car use in the urban centre. Users indicated that they found park and ride easier and cheaper than parking in the town centre, and that the service available was convenient, quick and reliable.

Counter Claim:
The main reasons given for non use of park and ride were that it was quicker and easier to drive in to the urban centre, the duration of the stay in the urban centre did not make use of park and ride worth while, the availability of town centre parking, and other reasons of personal convenience.
Type Classification:
G: Very Specific strategies
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities