19-08-2011, 10:16 AM
[attachment=15380]
1.0 Introduction
1.1 General
A multi-storey car park (also called a parking garage, parking structure, parking ramp, or parking deck) is a structure designed specifically to be for automobile parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place. It is essentially a stacked car park.
One of the problems created by the road traffic is parking. Vehicles do require street space to park the vehicles and the occupants can be loaded and unloaded .It is roughly estimated that out of 8760 hours in a year, the car runs on an average for only 400 hours, leaving 8360 hours when it is parked. Every car owner would wish to park the car as closely as possible to his destination so as to minimize his walking. This results in a great demand for parking space in the Central Business District (CBD) and the other areas where the activities are concentrated.
A systematic study of the parking characteristics and demand regulatory measures that are possible for controlling parking is of great help to a traffic Engineer or a town planner.
1.2 Parking Studies:
Studies must be conducted to collect the required information about the capacity and use of existing parking facilities. In addition, information about the demand for parking is needed. Parking studies may be restricted to a particular traffic producer or attractor, such as a store, or they may encompass an entire region, such as a central business district. Before parking studies can be initiated, the study area must be defined.
Parking demand is particularly high in industrial, commercial and residential places with multistoried building, Parking studies are useful to evaluate the facilities available.
Various aspects to be studied during parking studies are:
1. Parking Demand:
The parking demand may be evaluated by different methods. One of the methods is by making cordon counts of selected area and recording accumulation of vehicles during peak hours by subtracting the outgoing traffic from the traffic volume entering the cordoned area. Another method is to count the number of vehicles parked in the area under the study during different periods of the day. This method is useful when the parking demand is less than the space available for parking. By noting the registration number of each parked vehicle at any desired time interval (such as 30 minute, one hour, etc) it is possible to estimate the duration of parking of each vehicle at the parking area.
Another useful method of field study is by interviewing the drivers of parked vehicles, shop owner and vehicle owner of the locality. This method is very useful when the parking demand in the study area is higher than the parking space available.
2. Parking Characteristics:
The study is directed to note the present parking practices prevalent in the area under consideration and the general problems under parking. In case of kerb parking it is also necessary to study the parking pattern, interference to smooth flow of traffic and the accidents involved during parking and un-parking operations.
3. Parking space inventory:
The area under study is fully surveyed and a map is prepared showing all places where kerb parking and off-street parking facilities can be provided to meet the parking demands. The traffic Engineer has to strike a balance between capacity and parking demands and to design proper facilities for parking.
1.3 Types of Parking:
In cities the problem of parking vehicles is becoming more and more acute day by day. When vehicles are parked on the roadside, even for a short while there is restriction to other vehicles passing by, resulting in congestion and accidents. In shopping centers, public places of parking facilities are essential in cities and towns.
Parking facilities may be divided into two types:
1. On-Street or Kerb Parking
In this type of parking vehicles are parked on the kerb, which may be designed for parking. Kerb parking is quite convenient for those who find a suitable place near the place where they wish to stop, not for others who cannot find a parking space it is a problem and often they have to park their vehicles at a far off place and walk down to the destination. The main draw back of this type of parking is that it causes the congestion to the moving vehicles.
On-street parking is a key factor in promoting businesses in cities, particularly within central business districts. As a type of shared parking, on-street parking is an efficient means for allowing multiple users to reach multiple destinations. On-street parking utilizes less land per space than off-street parking and provides easy access to businesses located on city streets. For pedestrians, on-street parking creates a buffer between moving traffic and individuals walking on the sidewalks, providing a measure of safety and reducing the level of perceived noise. Pay and display machine can be used at busy commercial areas, golf courses, private road tolls, boat clubs and cinema halls.
2. Off street parking:
It is a type of Parking where parking facilities are provided away from the kerb in a separate area.
Off Street Parking is parking of vehicles in a convenient and protected area controlled by automated entry and exit gate. Parking can be done either in vacant space outside or building basement. User comes to the entry gate and collects the ticket from the ticket dispenser, once the ticket is taken; the barrier gate opens automatically for the entry into parking lot. At the exit the ticket is validated by computerized manual pay station. Once the payment is made the exit barrier opens for exit.
Off street parking projects are implemented at Hospitals, Housing complex, Office Complex, Shopping Malls, Cineplex’s and all public utilities like Airports, Railway stations, Auditoriums and Trade fair.
Off street parking gives the following benefits to the customer:
• Quick and effortless parking for pick up and drop off
• Pay only for the time duration
• Safety and security for vehicles and passengers
• More parking bays for the genuine parkers
1.4 Common Methods of ON-Street Parking.
1. Parallel parking
2. 30 degree angle parking
3. 45 degree angle parking
4. 60 degree angle parking.
5. Right angled parking.
Fig 1(a) 45 degree angle parking
Standard dimensions for 45 degree angle parking are
Description Dimension
Parking space width 2.75 mts
Parking space length 6.00 mts
Driving aisle width (1-way) 4.5 mts
Two rows plus aisle width 14 mts
Vehicles per 100 linear meter double row 52.5
Fig 1(b) Lay out of 30 degree angle Parking
Fig 1© Layout of various angles of Parking
Parallel parking consumes the maximum curb length which decreases as the angle of parking increases. The minimum curb length is consumed by the right angle parking, which accommodates nearly 2 times the number of vehicles as parallel parking.
On the other hand parallel parking makes less use of the width of the street and this is an important consideration in the narrow streets. As the parking angle increases the width of the street used also increases.
From the point of view of maneuverability, angle parking seems to be better than parallel parking which usually involves a backing motion. Delay to traffic is minimum with angle parking. As regards safety, it has been noticed that angle parking is more hazardous than parallel parking.
Considering the above, it is recommended that in general parallel parking should be favored on streets. On exceptionally wide (wider than 20m) and low volume streets, consideration might be given for angle parking.
1.0 Introduction
1.1 General
A multi-storey car park (also called a parking garage, parking structure, parking ramp, or parking deck) is a structure designed specifically to be for automobile parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place. It is essentially a stacked car park.
One of the problems created by the road traffic is parking. Vehicles do require street space to park the vehicles and the occupants can be loaded and unloaded .It is roughly estimated that out of 8760 hours in a year, the car runs on an average for only 400 hours, leaving 8360 hours when it is parked. Every car owner would wish to park the car as closely as possible to his destination so as to minimize his walking. This results in a great demand for parking space in the Central Business District (CBD) and the other areas where the activities are concentrated.
A systematic study of the parking characteristics and demand regulatory measures that are possible for controlling parking is of great help to a traffic Engineer or a town planner.
1.2 Parking Studies:
Studies must be conducted to collect the required information about the capacity and use of existing parking facilities. In addition, information about the demand for parking is needed. Parking studies may be restricted to a particular traffic producer or attractor, such as a store, or they may encompass an entire region, such as a central business district. Before parking studies can be initiated, the study area must be defined.
Parking demand is particularly high in industrial, commercial and residential places with multistoried building, Parking studies are useful to evaluate the facilities available.
Various aspects to be studied during parking studies are:
1. Parking Demand:
The parking demand may be evaluated by different methods. One of the methods is by making cordon counts of selected area and recording accumulation of vehicles during peak hours by subtracting the outgoing traffic from the traffic volume entering the cordoned area. Another method is to count the number of vehicles parked in the area under the study during different periods of the day. This method is useful when the parking demand is less than the space available for parking. By noting the registration number of each parked vehicle at any desired time interval (such as 30 minute, one hour, etc) it is possible to estimate the duration of parking of each vehicle at the parking area.
Another useful method of field study is by interviewing the drivers of parked vehicles, shop owner and vehicle owner of the locality. This method is very useful when the parking demand in the study area is higher than the parking space available.
2. Parking Characteristics:
The study is directed to note the present parking practices prevalent in the area under consideration and the general problems under parking. In case of kerb parking it is also necessary to study the parking pattern, interference to smooth flow of traffic and the accidents involved during parking and un-parking operations.
3. Parking space inventory:
The area under study is fully surveyed and a map is prepared showing all places where kerb parking and off-street parking facilities can be provided to meet the parking demands. The traffic Engineer has to strike a balance between capacity and parking demands and to design proper facilities for parking.
1.3 Types of Parking:
In cities the problem of parking vehicles is becoming more and more acute day by day. When vehicles are parked on the roadside, even for a short while there is restriction to other vehicles passing by, resulting in congestion and accidents. In shopping centers, public places of parking facilities are essential in cities and towns.
Parking facilities may be divided into two types:
1. On-Street or Kerb Parking
In this type of parking vehicles are parked on the kerb, which may be designed for parking. Kerb parking is quite convenient for those who find a suitable place near the place where they wish to stop, not for others who cannot find a parking space it is a problem and often they have to park their vehicles at a far off place and walk down to the destination. The main draw back of this type of parking is that it causes the congestion to the moving vehicles.
On-street parking is a key factor in promoting businesses in cities, particularly within central business districts. As a type of shared parking, on-street parking is an efficient means for allowing multiple users to reach multiple destinations. On-street parking utilizes less land per space than off-street parking and provides easy access to businesses located on city streets. For pedestrians, on-street parking creates a buffer between moving traffic and individuals walking on the sidewalks, providing a measure of safety and reducing the level of perceived noise. Pay and display machine can be used at busy commercial areas, golf courses, private road tolls, boat clubs and cinema halls.
2. Off street parking:
It is a type of Parking where parking facilities are provided away from the kerb in a separate area.
Off Street Parking is parking of vehicles in a convenient and protected area controlled by automated entry and exit gate. Parking can be done either in vacant space outside or building basement. User comes to the entry gate and collects the ticket from the ticket dispenser, once the ticket is taken; the barrier gate opens automatically for the entry into parking lot. At the exit the ticket is validated by computerized manual pay station. Once the payment is made the exit barrier opens for exit.
Off street parking projects are implemented at Hospitals, Housing complex, Office Complex, Shopping Malls, Cineplex’s and all public utilities like Airports, Railway stations, Auditoriums and Trade fair.
Off street parking gives the following benefits to the customer:
• Quick and effortless parking for pick up and drop off
• Pay only for the time duration
• Safety and security for vehicles and passengers
• More parking bays for the genuine parkers
1.4 Common Methods of ON-Street Parking.
1. Parallel parking
2. 30 degree angle parking
3. 45 degree angle parking
4. 60 degree angle parking.
5. Right angled parking.
Fig 1(a) 45 degree angle parking
Standard dimensions for 45 degree angle parking are
Description Dimension
Parking space width 2.75 mts
Parking space length 6.00 mts
Driving aisle width (1-way) 4.5 mts
Two rows plus aisle width 14 mts
Vehicles per 100 linear meter double row 52.5
Fig 1(b) Lay out of 30 degree angle Parking
Fig 1© Layout of various angles of Parking
Parallel parking consumes the maximum curb length which decreases as the angle of parking increases. The minimum curb length is consumed by the right angle parking, which accommodates nearly 2 times the number of vehicles as parallel parking.
On the other hand parallel parking makes less use of the width of the street and this is an important consideration in the narrow streets. As the parking angle increases the width of the street used also increases.
From the point of view of maneuverability, angle parking seems to be better than parallel parking which usually involves a backing motion. Delay to traffic is minimum with angle parking. As regards safety, it has been noticed that angle parking is more hazardous than parallel parking.
Considering the above, it is recommended that in general parallel parking should be favored on streets. On exceptionally wide (wider than 20m) and low volume streets, consideration might be given for angle parking.
