Parking permits and spaces
Reviewing the allocation of permits, priority parking provision and the overall availability of parking spaces can have a major impact on decisions whether to drive to your site or not.
Parking Permits
Allocate permits using criteria e.g. disability, car sharers, essential users, no alternatives, distance from site, hybrid and low emission vehicles. Develop a pro-forma for allocating permits.
Criteria for permit allocation should be transparent and equitable. It must not be done on a hierarchical basis (i.e. senior managers should not be given first priority for allocation).
The relationship between the holding of a parking permit and car use also suggests that one way of achieving reductions is to limit car parking permits to certain days of the week.
This will encourage the use of alternative travel methods on non-permit days - such as car-sharing, walking and cycling - and reduce parking congestion.
Restricting parking-space availability
Workplace car parking is one of the most important factors influencing whether or not staff drive to work.
Reducing the number of spaces available to staff has the potential to act as a disincentive to car use.
Priority Parking
Practicality benefits to the user are powerful incentives for maintaining or changing behaviour.
Special parking facilities could be introduced, providing better usability (e.g. better availability, or a location closer to the entrance) for those who car share.
At the same time, you could remove priority parking spaces for senior management to avoid giving the impression that your organisation favours some car users over others.
