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Parking Management.,Strategies, Evaluation and Planning <br /> Victoria Transport Policy Institute <br /> Parking Pricing <br /> Parking Pricing means that motorists pay directly for using parking facilities C Parking <br /> Pricing,"VTPI,2005; Shoup,2005). This may be implemented as a parking management <br /> strategy(to reduce parking problems),as a mobility management strategy(to reduce <br /> transport problems),to recover parking facility costs, or to raise revenue for any purpose <br /> (such as funding local transport programs or downtown improvements). It is often <br /> intended to achieve a combination of objectives. <br /> Currently,most parking is inefficiently priced; it is provided free, significantly <br /> subsidized, or bundled(automatically included)with building purchases and rents, <br /> forcing consumers to pay for parking facilities regardless of whether or not they want it. <br /> When motorists do pay directly for parking,it is often a flat annual or monthly fee, <br /> providing little incentive to use an alternative mode occasionally. Rates should be set to <br /> optimize parking facility use, called performance-based pricing,which means that about <br /> 15%of parking spaces are vacant and available at any time (Shoup,2006). <br /> Improve Parking Pricing Methods <br /> Much of the resistance to parking pricing results from inconvenient pricing methods: <br /> • Many require payment in specific denominations(coins or bills). <br /> • Many require motorists to predict how long they will be parked,with no refund available if <br /> motorists leave earlier than predicted. <br /> • Some payment systems cannot easily handle multiple price structures or discounts. <br /> • Some are confusing or slow to use. <br /> • Some have high equipment or enforcement costs. <br /> • Enforcement often seems arbitrary or excessive. <br /> Better payment methods are available.Newer electronic systems are more convenient, <br /> accurate,flexible,and increasingly cost effective. They can accommodate various <br /> payment methods(coins,bills, credit and debit cards, and by cellular telephone or the <br /> Internet), charge only for the amount of time parked, incorporate multiple rates and <br /> discounts, automatically vary rates by day and time, and are convenient to use. Some can <br /> be integrated with payment systems for other public services such as transit,roads tolls, <br /> and telephone use. Some employ contactless technology which automatically deducts <br /> payment.Newer systems also produce printed receipts and record data for auditing, <br /> which prevents fraud and increases convenience for customers, operators and local <br /> governments. They can also automatically record data on utilization and turnover,which <br /> improves planning and administration. <br /> 1 <br /> 19 <br />