park and ride - ciht

2016

Park and Ride Guidance Note

Acknowledgements

This guidance note was prepared for the CIHT Network Management and Operations Panel with the kind assistance of the following authorities:

Bath & North East Somerset CouncilCambridge City CouncilThe City of Cardiff Council Cheshire West & Chester CouncilDurham County CouncilThe City of Edinburgh Council Norfolk County CouncilReading Borough CouncilShropshire CouncilWarwickshire County Council

Authors: Roger Elphick OBE Consultant

Dave Wafer Strategic Traffic Manager, Durham County Council

Contributors: Linda Proud Technical Assistant, Durham County Council

Photographs courtesy of: Bath & North East Somerset Council Durham County Council Norfolk County Council

CIHT and the members of the Network Management and Operations Panel who produced this document have endeavoured to ensure the accuracy of its contents. However, the guidance and recommendations given should always be received by the reader ‘in light of the facts’ of their specialist circumstances and specialist advice obtained as necessary. Any references to legislation discussed within this document should be considered in the light of current and any future legislation. No liability for negligence or otherwise in relation to this document and its contents can be accepted by CIHT, the members of the Network Management and Operations Panel, its servants or agents, or the managing editors or contributors.

Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation

119 Britannia WalkLondon N1 7JEt: +44 (0)20 7336 1555e: [email protected]

Registered Charity in England No. 1136896

Registered Charity in Scotland No. SC040873

2 Park and Ride Guidance Note

Park and Ride Guidance Note 3

Increasing numbers of people are finding the use of park and ride facilities become their preferred option where they have been developed. Using park and ride services is more convenient, cheaper and avoids coping with town centre congestion, providing the facilities are adequately signed, easily and reliably accessible, carefully developed and well maintained. Sites should ideally be located on or adjacent to the strategic road network or major radial routes.

The criteria to be considered during the development and management of a successful park and ride service are outlined in this document. It incorporates practical details of the service developed by a diverse group of authorities who responded to a questionnaire issued by CIHT. The participation of these authorities is acknowledged and much appreciated.

1. Managing Parking DemandIt is essential that all city and town centres have an overall parking strategy which deals effectively with the demands for long and short stay visits. The economic viability of most centres is dependent upon the provision of convenient and attractive access arrangements for business, shopping and tourist visits by both car and public transport. Whilst all town centres have their individual requirements, almost all are unlikely to have sufficient capacity to be able to cater adequately for both long and short stay visits. Failure to provide attractive and convenient access to centres, increases the attractiveness of out-of-town office and retail developments potentially further eroding the viability of the UK’s most sustainable locations in town centres.

A reduction in all-day commuter, longer stay shopper and tourist parking within a central area, can assist in providing more on and off-street space in a town centre for shorter stay visits. Park and ride should assist with the long term viability of a town centre by removing unnecessary traffic with consequential benefits in air quality and accessibility. Commuters need to be encouraged to consider the use of alternative modes of transport including attractive and efficient park and ride facilities, where available, for at least part of their trips. At the edges of conurbations it is often necessary to consider the development of sites in Green Belt locations which are permitted developments. The availability of a park and ride can often be seen favourably by developers wanting to create town centre employment without the need for expensive and unsustainable infrastructure.

Park and RidePark and ride experience across England and Scotland guidance note

Since the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) published its Park and Ride Network Management Note in 2001 considerable experience has been gained in both the development and operation of park and ride facilities. This guidance note, based on a survey of authorities operating park and ride services, sets out the key issues to be considered in the development of a successful service.

Details of the responses given by authorities are provided as an appendix to this note on the CIHT website. These are cross-referenced in the questionnaire summaries in this note.

Providing quick and convenient accessibility to town centres


planning conditions to ensure that the overall parking strategy is consistent and uncompromised. In addition, congested town centre conditions will progressively encourage visitors to consider other options to town centre parking.

2. Developing a Transport StrategyThe provision and management of park and ride facilities should be designed in conjunction with a comprehensive parking policy, ideally as part of an integrated transport and land use strategy. A park and ride service needs to be attractive in its facilities and costs, providing fast, frequent and reliable inbound and outbound bus services. Sites should be conveniently located to encourage their use, normally supported by a dedicated and high quality bus service together with adequate attractive and secure car parks. Bus priority measures may also need to be considered on parts of the routes to increase reliability. The additional possibility of linking transport interchanges with rail services at appropriate stations should not be overlooked. A carefully balanced policy for parking charges and park and ride fares is also required to make park and ride become the preferred option for commuters and longer stay visitors in particular.

Whilst the capital cost of providing park and ride facilities is significant, this can be offset by the potential of improvement to the economic viability of a wider area, consequently a variety of funding sources become accessible and should be considered. Whilst many of the larger park and ride services can be revenue neutral, smaller sites will always need some form of financial support. Many local authorities consider using the income from on and off-street parking charges as a fair and equitable mechanism to assist in subsidising the cost of running the park and ride service. The charging policy for any privately run off-street parking facilities in the city centre needs to be controlled by appropriate

n Most of the park and ride schemes have been developed on the basis of an Integrated Transport Strategy including a Transportation Package for the City as part of their Local Transport Plans (A1)

n All the park and ride sites are located on or adjacent to the strategic road network or major radial routes (A2)

n All the park and ride sites are signed from the strategic road network (A3)

n Nearly all the park and ride schemes are linked with controlled parking zones (CPZs) in the city centres, both on-street parking charges and residents

parking zones, and this linkage is considered to be important by authorities. The extent of core periods was not covered by the survey but 10.00 until 16.00 could be typical. (A4)

n Those surveyed provide nearly 28,000 parking spaces at 37 locations with an average site size of 750 spaces. Cambridge is the largest provider with provision for 5351 spaces and has the largest site at 1458. The smallest site is in Durham with only 294 spaces. Average location is between 2 and 3 miles from the City Centre. Disabled provision was not covered by the survey but is likely to be provided at all park and ride sites. (A5)

Common practices identified by the survey: Transport Strategy

Park and ride located near important radial routes


Most local authorities appear to conclude that cyclists passing the park and ride site would continue by cycle to their destination rather than changing mode, hence the low ranking. However, secure storage at park and ride sites may be seen as an advantage by some cyclists where limited, if any, facilities are available in the town centre.

The importance of tourist information depends largely on the nature of the town centre and the groups of traveller being catered for. Such information can be provided at both park and ride sites and on the buses themselves. On-board display screens on buses are also an option for both tourist information and advertising and may be commercially viable.

3. Designing the ServicePark and ride facilities should be sited at convenient locations, intercepting the main radial routes of the conurbation it services, preferably with a dedicated high quality bus service. The sites need to have prominent advanced signage with good accessibility whilst providing attractive and secure parking facilities including adequate lighting incorporating CCTV coverage.

The sites should be welcoming and provide high quality waiting areas, toilets and information points (real time information and toilets were considered to be desirable but not essential). In addition, waiting times should be no more than 8 to 10 minutes (10-15 minutes maximum off peak) and the number of dedicated buses used should ideally be sufficient to ensure that one is waiting at each park and ride site. Route lengths need to be carefully co-ordinated and designed, incorporating a limited number of intermediate stops conveniently located at popular locations. Provision of discounts for regular users was also seen as important.

Comprehensive publicity material needs to be provided together with a substantial media programme including local radio coverage particularly during the introductory period.

A co-ordinated management of the park and ride service and parking, with availability of staff is desirable. Entry/exit barriers need to be easily accessible except when sites are closed.

The least important facilities were considered to be cycle storage, the availability of advanced ticket purchasing and provision of tourist information. Provision of attractive and secure parking facilities

Facility

Prominent SignageCCTVDiscounts for regular usersStaff available on-siteReal Time InformationToiletsTourist InformationAdvance ticket purchaseCycle Storage

Average Score

1.122.12.32.42.42.92.93.8

Priority

High

Low

Questionnaire summary of responses: Importance of Facilities


activity and demand in the town centre together with the associated on and off-street parking charge policy. Clearly, free or low parking charges in the town centre will reduce the demand for services and fewer services are provided on Sundays, except on special occasions.

4. Funding ArrangementsThere are various ways of structuring charging policies, but the preferred arrangement involves the provision of free parking at the park and ride sites together with a charge for the bus service. Advice should be sought regarding the tax and VAT implications of the preferred charging mechanisms.

Subsidising park and ride bus fares from on-street parking income is seen as an effective use of parking charges and can make the service more financially viable and politically attractive.

Park and ride car parks must be reserved principally for park and ride customers as their use as a facility for car parking by those car sharing can become a problem as the sites increase in popularity. This should be discouraged and specific traffic orders may need to be considered if the operation and capacity of the service is being affected. As a last resort, car parking charges may need to be considered, possibly being refunded when a park and ride ticket is purchased, and this is currently being considered by some authorities.

5. Bus Service ProvisionThe use of a dedicated bus service incorporating customised branding greatly increases the visibility of the service and emphasises that it is independent of the scheduled local bus services in the area. However, in some cases these are supplemented by local bus services. Services need to run to a scheduled timetable providing a 10 to 15 minute frequency to avoid long waiting times. The routes for the buses need to be carefully designed and signed together with well located, but not too frequent, bus stops providing convenient access to key town centre destinations.

Park and ride services are generally being provided from 07.00 until 19.00 with varying arrangements at weekends. Weekend provision depends largely on the

n Only the largest operators are able to run the service without some form of subsidy. Most services need to be subsidised, usually from on-street parking income as part of a town centre transportation strategy. (E3)

n Virtually all the park and ride schemes are linked with controlled parking zones (CPZ) in the city centres, both on-street parking charges and residents parking zones, and this linkage is considered to be important by authorities. The extent of core periods was not covered by the survey but 10.00 until 16.00 could be typical. (A4)

n Free parking dominates although some mechanism may be required to prevent the site being used as a free and secure car park for car sharing. Several authorities are considering a small parking charge (£1/car) or fines to discourage inappropriate use. (C2)

n Dedicated bus services running to scheduled timetables dominate the delivery, however, this is sometimes supplemented by complementary scheduled bus services. (D1)

n Bus services are generally provided by private bus companies under contract arrangements. (D2)

n Across the providers the average opening times are from 07.00 to 19.15 with the provision at the weekend much more mixed, less than half provide a service on a Sunday. Needs to relate to town centre parking charge policy. (D3)

n Service frequency tends to be very consistent providing a 10 to 15 minute service, with 10 minutes being the most popular. Some slight reductions are introduced during off-peak periods although the difference is not significant. (D4)

Common practices identified by the survey: Transport Strategy

Questionnaire summary of responses: Bus Service Provision

A frequent and reliable bus service is essential


regional public transport and other local services as multi-functional card technology is developed.

Hours of operation need to be designed to suit local requirements, typically from 07.00 until 19.00. The provision of a consistent and frequent bus service needs to be maintained throughout the day, with route lengths and bus fleets designed accordingly.

Park and ride may encourage users to drive part of the way instead of using public transport for the whole journey, however, the location of the destinations and frequency of services may be over-riding considerations.

6. Charging PoliciesCharging policies are primarily designed to encourage longer stay visitors to use park and ride, such as commuters and shoppers together with tourists where appropriate. However, park and ride fares will normally also compare favourably with shorter stay parking charges making the service attractive for shorter visits. Using park and ride removes the need to search for parking places and direct access is provided to the town centre which is particularly attractive for infrequent visitors who are unfamiliar with the local geography.

Although credit/debit card payments can be made at some ticket machines, cash is the predominant and simplest form of payment. Payment for tickets at machines is preferred to paying on the bus as it involves simpler operational and financial management procedures.

Multi-trip smart cards/season tickets are provided on most services together with discounted or free travel for children. Concessionary travel is also generally available where a scheduled service is provided. It is anticipated that smart cards and contactless ticketing will become increasingly popular in the future for

n Generally most park and ride services are underpinned by commuters and shoppers. Commuters average around 50%, however, this reduces to 25% in Shrewsbury whilst Edinburgh is dominated by commuter trips. Shoppers average 40% and tourist can be up to 20% where appropriate. (B1)

n Almost all services charge for the bus element of park and ride combined with free parking. The average return fare for an adult is £2.25 with most charging between £2 and £3. Several discounts are offered for children (mostly free with adults), off-peak travel, groups sharing a car and concessions. Some permit unlimited trips per day for one ticket. (B2)

n The average equivalent all day parking charge across those sampled would be over £12, ranging from £4 to £24, making park and ride attractive for commuters in particular. (B3)

n The average equivalent charge for 3 hours town centre parking is £4, ranging from £2 to £7.50. (B4)

n Generally children travel free with adults, there are discounts for season tickets and concessions are either free or 50p. Some discounts are dependent on the time of day. (B5)

n The pricing of the majority of town centre car parks are not controlled by any planning conditions and tends to be commercially priced to reflect demand. However, charging policies tend to discourage longer stay and all day parking. (B6)

n Centres which are major tourist destinations tend to be the most expensive.

n A mixture of flexible payment methods are offered, however, cash remains by far the most popular, either at ticket machines or on the bus. Credit/debit cards can also be used at ticket machines. (C1)

n Free parking dominates although some mechanism may be required to prevent the site being used as a free and secure car park for car sharing. Several authorities are considering a small parking charge (say £1/car) or fines to discourage inappropriate use. (C2)

Questionnaire summary of responses: Charging Policies

A variety of payment methods are offered before boarding


7. Managing the ServicePark and ride and parking management need to be closely co-ordinated with charges carefully integrated to achieve the required objectives. Town centre long stay parking charges need to be high, and park and ride bus fares attractively priced to encourage its use whilst ideally covering revenue costs.

Most park and ride services are managed by an in-house team with separate contracts outsourced for the park and ride operation and site management, and for the dedicated bus services. It can be beneficial to combine the operational management of park and ride with the control of on and off-street parking.

The service needs to be welcoming with high quality and secure facilities

n A very mixed response to the arrangements for managing services with no clear preference. The overall operation is generally managed in-house with separate contracts outsourced for the park and ride site management and bus services. (E1)

n Civil parking enforcement is generally managed and undertaken by the Highway Authority. (E2)

n Only the very largest operators are able to run the service without some form of subsidy. Most services need to be subsidised, usually from on-street parking income as part of a town centre transportation strategy. (E3)

n Generally most providers anticipate that the service will expand in coming years although not many currently have firm plans. (E4)

n Not surprisingly, web based promotion is favoured by the majority of providers. However, local information leaflets are also popular, particularly for tourist destinations, and awareness is also increased by branded buses and signage. (E5)

n A very mixed picture for increase in patronage, however, sites which do not have any external influences appear to be recovering from the previous fall in demand due to the economic downturn for both commuters and shoppers

(3 to 11% increases during 2013/14). Park and ride facilities tend to sustain town centres and limit the influence of out-of-town developments. (E6)

Questionnaire summary of responses: Park and Ride Management

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