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Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health (CARTEEH)

A USDOT University Transportation Center

Time Spent Searching For Parking

Time spent looking for parking spaces is a measurable indicator that shows how much time motorists spend exploring available parking spots. It’s been suggested that drivers look for parking places on streets, in lots, or garages for an average of 17 hours each year.1 This shows how crowded the road is with cars, thereby causing heavy traffic, longer travel times, and more time spent looking for parking spaces. It also shows how successful the strategy is in that a reduction in the amount of time spent looking for parking spaces suggests that most individuals have switched to using active modes in place of driving to work.2

This indicator helps determine the effectiveness of the following objectives

  • Less Contamination
  • Less Emissions
  • Less Traffic Noise
  • Connectivity and Inclusion
  • Healthy Destinations
  • Less Traffic Violence
  • Active Transportation
  • Green Space

Data Collection

INRIX, a global transportation intelligence company, has released its 2019 Global Parking Index. The study found that the total cost of wasted time and fuel from searching for parking amounts to $345 billion each year. Although Americans spend so much time looking for parking, the majority (60%) said they were not willing to pay for guaranteed parking. In addition, most people (70%) said they would be willing to walk up to 10 minutes to find cheaper parking. The study also found that people are more likely to search for parking on weekdays (65%) than on weekends (35%). This is likely because people are more likely to be going to work on weekdays, rather than just leisurely activities.3

Examples

How much urban traffic is searching for parking

Dowling et al. (2017) examined city-level parking and traffic data to ascertain the contribution of cruising for curbside parking to overall traffic congestion. He determined how much time drivers spent hunting for parking in his research. The study estimated the time spent looking for parking spaces by using data on curbside parking and arterial traffic volume. According to the research, although there is a percentage increase in travel time (depending on the time of day), it does not seem to rely on heavy traffic numbers.

https://www.arxiv-vanity.com/papers/1702.06156/

1. McCoy, K. Drivers spend an average of 17 hours a year searching for parking spots. USA today [Internet]. 2017 Jul 12 [cited 2022 Jul 27]; Available from: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/07/12/parking-pain-causes-financial-and-personal-strain/467637001/
2. Noyes, L. Stop wasting time searching for parking. Park smarter [Internet]. SpotHero Blog. SpotHero; 2017 [cited 2022 Jul 27]. Available from: https://blog.spothero.com/park-smarter-parking-search-time/
3. INRIX. INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard: Congestion cost UK economy £6.9 billion in 2019 [Internet]. Inrix. 2020 [cited 2022 Aug 17]. Available from: https://inrix.com/press-releases/2019-traffic-scorecard-uk/