A parking search model

Parking plays an important role in urban transport systems. However, there is currently a lack of understanding of how motorists choose car parks. This paper presents a model that represents the parking search behaviour of motorists. A search process was defined within a behavioural modelling framework and subsequently represented using analytical procedures. Relationships for estimating the utility of a car park incorporating access, waiting, direct and egress cost components were developed. Parameters were specified to represent the uncertain attributes of car parks, including queue sizes and departure rates. The size and composition of the choice sets of individual motorists were determined endogenously by the model. Searchers' perceptions of car park attributes based on their observations from previous and current searching experiences were represented. Applications of the model showed that long term experience does not necessarily lead to better choices. The effects of reducing duration limits were also investigated.