Curb Space Allocation
Optimal on-street parking space allocation for freight, service, and passenger vehicles
Ma, X., He, X., and Holguin-Veras, J., 2025. Transportmetrica A: Transport Science [Paper]
The growing conflict between parking demand and limited curbside space highlights the need for efficient on-street parking management. Freight and service vehicles, in particular, pose high societal costs when parking is unavailable, often leading to double parking, congestion, and safety risks. Given their essential services, prioritizing these vehicles in parking allocation is critical. However, research in this area remains limited. This research proposes an optimization model that allocates on-street parking among passenger cars, freight, and service vehicles, considering their distinct impacts. Using a queuing theory framework, the model ensures parking availability for prioritized vehicles and optimizes car parking time limits. The objective is to minimize negative societal externalities caused by insufficient parking. A case study shows that the model effectively prioritizes freight and service vehicles and adjusts car parking limits to meet the goal, along with rich managerial insights. The model offers planners a flexible tool to balance parking utilization and traffic efficiency.