Park & Ride Revisited. A commuter perspective on Park & Ride today and tomorrow.

Övrigt konferensbidrag, 2024

Commuter parking or Park&Ride has been studied for several decades. However, former studies have mainly focused on the effects of P&R, and although design guidelines for P&R exists they take a managerial perspective; less focus has been given to the attributes influence commuters' willingness to use and satisfaction with P&R. With a focus on P&R in the Gothenburg area, the present study investigated commuters' perceptions of today's P&R, factors that influence their perceptions, and how future P&R could be improved in order to attract more commuters. The study encompassed a web survey and two workshops.  In the survey as well as in the workshops, different themes emerged–as problems and/or preconditions for using P&R; e.g., location, capacity, safety and security, comfort and convenience.  For the future, it was suggested to design P&R as service hubs with, e.g. temporary services in terms of, e.g., tyre changes in autumn and spring. Another suggestion was to receive a push notification indicating that it is a "good day" to use the park-and-ride facility based on one's calendar and the traffic situation. It became evident during the workshops that P&R is a sensitive system and modifications, such as introducing charges, moving a bus stop, or changing charging zones, can easily convert a commuter from a 'park-and-rider' to a '100% car commuter'. It is crucial to not consider P&R in isolation but part of the larger transport system and thus, of strategic mobility plans. To achieve the desired future, cooperation between relevant stakeholders is fundamental, with a focus on finding ways to mutually benefit and share responsibility.