Attachment F - Carparking Evaluation -Noosa Carparking Study - McGagney report

                                                                                                            Noosa Council
                                                                                       Noosa Car Parking Study 2017 - 2032
                                                                                                              Final Report



Appendix C: Demand Management Interventions
The following parking demand management interventions are discussed in this section:
   Priced parking;
   Time-limited car parking and other priority controls;
   Car share schemes;
   Green travel plans;
   Overflow parking plans;
   Park and ride services; and
   Directional signs.



C.1: Priced Parking
Priced parking has been shown to be an extremely effective parking demand management tool (Booz Allen
Hamilton, 2001; Shoup, 2005). The advantage of pricing is that it provides for high priority customers while
discouraging the inefficient use of convenient parking resources by long stay users such as commuters. Priced
parking is most appropriately implemented in areas experiencing more than 85% maximum occupancy, in that
pricing is first and foremost about managing demand, rather than a mechanism for gathering revenue (Litman,
2006). The price level set will thus aim to keep occupancy levels high, but not saturated, resulting in a situation
where a few car-parks are almost always available for those who are willing to pay for them.

While pricing is considered to be an effective and equitable parking strategy, there are some risks that will
require careful management. The major risk is that people will be discouraged from visiting locations with priced
parking and instead elect to travel to another location. This can be mitigated by appropriate pricing schemes,
which support prioritised activities (i.e. pricing can apply after a set ‘free’ period to encourage retail users). While
this may occur, the analysis above indicates that this response is only one of many available to individual visitors.
Should pricing be applied consistently across the greater Noosa Shire area and indeed the Sunshine Coast, then
the risks of people being discouraged from visiting reduce significantly. It should be noted that this is not
currently the case.

Shoup (2005) provides the following guidelines for efficient parking pricing:
   Price parking for full cost recovery: at a minimum, all costs of building and operating parking facilities should
    be recovered from users. Prices may be higher to reflect the opportunity cost of land and to provide profits.
   Price the most convenient parking, such as on-street spaces, so occupancy averages 85-90%. This increases
    the ability of people to find a park (about one available space each city block) and reduces circulating traffic.
    Use variable fees, with higher rates during peak periods and lower rates during off-peak periods.
   Dedicate some or all of the revenue from on-street parking to benefit local businesses and residents. Allow
    business associations and other community groups to participate in the decision-making about what
    revenue is spent on.
   Unbundle parking from building rents, so occupants only pay for the number of parking spaces they want.
   Allow private developers and building managers to decide how much parking to provide at each destination,
    rather than implementing rigid minimum parking requirements.