REPORT OF PROJECT COMMITTEE ON PARKING

THE DIRECT-INTERVIEW TYPE OF SURVEY HAS PRODUCED DATA PERMITTING THE MOST COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF PARKING PROBLEMS YET ATTEMPTED. CERTAIN COMPARABLE INFORMATION OBTAINED FOR PARKING HABITS IN VARIOUS CITIES APPEARS SIGNIFICANT. IN 12 CITIES THE PROPORTION OF VEHICLES IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT WHICH DID NOT STOP TO PARK RANGED BETWEEN 55 AND 69 PERCENT. IN SIX OTHER CITIES THIS PROPORTION WAS SOMEWHAT LESS. THIS TRAVEL CHARACTERISTIC IS INFLUENCED CONSIDERABLY BY CONDITIONS OF ROUTE DEVELOPMENT, TOPOGRAPHY, LOCATION WITH RESPECT TO ADJACENT CITIES OR ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS. PRELIMINARY ANALYSES OF USAGE AND AVAILABILITY OF PARKING FACILITIES INDICATE THAT EFFICIENCY IN USE SELDOM EXCEEDS 80 PERCENT BECAUSE OF THE TIME NECESSARY TO MAKE A TURNOVER IN THE USE OF A SPACE. LIMITED INFORMATION RELATIVE TO TYPES OF TRAFFIC GENERATORS INDICATE THAT THEY MAY BE GROUPED WITH RESPECT TO USAGE OF PARKING SPACE BY PERSONS WHOSE DESTINATIONS ARE THE GENERATORS AND THE FLOOR AREA OF THE GENERATOR. SIGNIFICANT RATIOS HAVE BEEN DETERMINED FOR RETAIL OUTLETS OF MAIL ORDER COMPANIES; SUBURBAN SHOPPING CENTERS; DOWNTOWN DEPARTMENT STORES; OFFICE BUILDINGS; BLOCKS OF OFFICES, BANKS, AND RETAIL STORES; BLOCKS OF SPECIALTY RETAIL STORES; HOTELS; AND BLOCKS OF 5 AND 10 CENT STORES. ADDITIONAL DATA ARE DESIRABLE TO APPARAISE THE RESULTS ALREADY OBTAINED AND TO BROADEN THE EXPERIENCES OBTAINED. /AUTHOR/