Parking and competition for space in urban neighborhoods: Residents’ perceptions of traffic and parking-related conflicts

Abstract

The infrastructure for parking and parked cars themselves (e.g., parked cars blocking bike lanes and sidewalks or the visibility range) can lead to conflicts for pedestrians and cyclists. The perception of conflicts could discourage walking and cycling in neighborhoods and undermine municipalities’ efforts to provide more sustainable urban mobility. The aim of this study was therefore to analyze the effect of on-street car parking in urban neighborhoods on perceived parking and traffic-related conflicts. In addition, it examines in what way the intention to reduce one’s car use influences the perception of the conflicts (Stage Model of Self-Regulated Behavior Change (SSBC)). A household survey was conducted in the inner-city neighborhood of Frankfurt-Bornheim, Germany (N=1027). The residents most often observed the conflicts in which parked cars impeded walking and cycling as well as situations in which pedestrians felt threatened by cyclists biking on the sidewalk. Results from multiple linear regression models revealed that the influencing factors for the perception of conflicts were the use of different means of transportation and the intention to change one’s behavior (SSBC model) to reduce car use rather than car ownership. In addition, a resident’s age and household structure seemed to affect awareness of conflicts in which pedestrians and cyclists were involved. The results suggest a group-serving bias, meaning that the residents mostly observed those conflicts that they did not cause. A separate infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists could help prevent most of the conflicts described in this study.

Do citizens support the transformation of urban transport? Evidence for the acceptability of parking management, car lane conversion and road closures from a German case study

“…Similar to previous findings (Andor et al 2020 ; Kirschner 2021 ), daily travel practices have an influence on the acceptability of transport policies as well. Unsurprisingly, the acceptability of parking measures is particularly high among regular cyclists, as the survey data indicates that they are more aware of the danger posed by parked cars to pedestrians and cyclists 1 .…”

Evaluation of On-Street Car Parking on El-Wasea Street in Sebha – Libya

“…Most travel is carried out by cars. This has resulted in traffic congestion that compromises the efficiency of the transportation system and the quality of life [4]. With the increasing use of cars, demand for parking has increased, and the search for parking spaces become a serious [5], and the overall performance of roads [6].…”