An expert's take on parking woes

So you know that Mumbai is the seventh largest metropolitan agglomeration in the world as per a 2011 United Nationsrsquo report Keeping this and the economic status of the city in mind we wonder why whenever it comes to any kind of urban development issue the rollingtheeyesrsquo syndrome becomes a natural reaction If we churn out a sizeable amount of revenue why is it that an average Mumbaiite is stuck with mdash au00a0oncetitled Asiarsquos largest slum usage of flyovers buildings and hospitals that come with an asterisk saying collapse and pedestrians who gingerly pave way to Siddhivinayak Mandir to pray for a safe return home Roadside parking at the Crawford Market junction PicShadab Khanu00a0 Parking in the city When Dr Paul Barter a renowned expert on parking and transportation planning flew in to present global best practices on parking policies opportunities and challenges confronting Indian cities we decided it was time we were told that parking was all about space Having authored Parking Policies in Asian cities for Asian Development Bank and 18 years of experience in urban transportation under his belt we were all ears Dr Barterrsquos last eight years have been dedicated to parking concerns and he dispels the oftformulation of parking ldquoIn urban development councils parking is likened to toilets Just the way toilets are a necessity when it comes to construction of buildings so is parkingrdquo he shares Speaking of varied perceptions the Australian parking guru calls for an understanding that identifies parking as an infrastructure that needs to be shared Citing an example he speaks of how a restaurant in San Francisco is actually 13rd in size but the rest is all parking Justifying that fact Dr Barter claims ldquoWorldwide cities model parking efforts on the USArsquos conventional suburban approachrdquo The Asian conundrum Asia on the other hand is a different ball game Here ldquonobody had a clear perspective on how parking is managed around in the Asian regionrdquo says Dr Barter till he wrote on the scenario Sharing a diagram Dr Barter indexes Mumbairsquos standing To give an idea he speaks of Tokyo which ldquohas 250000 to 300000 cars per thousand people and is considered high by Asian standards but not Western Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok however have a very similar scenario as Mumbairdquo Nodding to that Pawan Mulukutla project manager mdash urban transport EMBARQ India who has coordinated Dr Barterrsquos visit to the city informs us ldquoDr Barter is helping EMBARQ India in addressing parking conditions in a business district like MIDC Marol and Transit Oriented Development TOD around Ghatkoparrdquo With intriguing details slated for urban transport the two will break down the cityrsquos parking problems for us Mulukutla has over 12 years of experience in transportation planning and traffic engineering Why Parking fails gtgt Parking is either onsite next to the location the motorist wants to enter or offsite away from the location to which the motorist needs to walk to gtgt Dr Barter feels that offsite parking plots especially when it comes to multilevel parking hardly works gtgt Talking about Harbin a key communications hub in China he says ldquowhile the parking plots are empty there is complete chaos on the streetsrdquo So in most cases offsite parking doesnrsquot work as they remain glaringly empty Whatrsquos the solution gtgt Management of street parking needs to be looked at emphasises Barter He feels that it can only be implemented through effective pricing gtgt ldquoEfficient pricing does increase perceived capacity of onstreet parkingrdquo he suggests where the people who park for longer durations such as employees will shift to offsite parking for they will not mind walking some distance twice in the day On the other hand a shopper who needs to spend two hours on the location will have onsite parking available This can have cleared spaces in busy regions of the city How do we start effective pricing gtgt Onstreet parking price should be charged for 85 of the occupancy gtgt Though the pricing should not be used to generate revenue treating it as a byproduct one can use it to be used by local stakeholders to make the transport better Where do we start gtgt As most parking spaces are used by a community parking should compulsively be shared or open to public gtgt Introduce private companies to manage parking as itrsquoll ensure competition and effectively manage parking requirements Mumbai Now According to Asian Development Bank ADB Mumbai has the lowest offstreet parking market prices and onstreet parking is largely not regulated free of cost gtgt In contrast to this reality the real estate prices in Central Business District areas in the city are above those in other global cities such as Shanghai Abu Dhabi Chicago Singapore Los Angeles Washington DC among others and is comparable to those in New York midtown and Milan ADB 2011 This situation reveals the hidden subsidies to car users who get free of cost space that is entitled to public revenue in the first place gtgt This really calls for introspection since 78 of the population of Mumbai travel using public transport gtgt With the annual addition of more than 50000 cars Transport Commissioner Office Government of Maharashtra excluding a larger number of two wheelers as well as substantial increases in commercial vehicles there will be a huge requirement of new parking spaces each year gtgt In Mumbai the proportion of free parking on roads is ample while the parking cost is low mdash between 5 and 20 per hour The city is at the lower end in terms of pricing for parking when compared to other cities around the globe like Hong Kong and New York monthly parking rates for a reserved parking space ranges from 10000 to 20000 How can we change it gtgt Plan and price onstreet parking in relation to convenience gtgt Incentivise shared parking as a way to make a more efficient use of offstreet parking gtgt Carry out transport impact assessment studies for each redevelopment project given that the traffic situation is in complete gridlock gtgt Utilise existing BEST depots for private bus parking gtgt Use technology to enable users to make informed decisions on where to park and other available modes of commuting gtgt Strict enforcement by a special unit mdash engage private contractors to manage parking for effective enforcement and compliance gtgt At the city level a Comprehensive Parking Unit CPU for Mumbai should be established that will look after all onstreet and vertical parking management personnel management for operation marking metering as well as use of smart cards other electronic devices for information and effective controls It can work towards a regime of close to market driven prices gradually and develop compliance mechanisms The CPU should be created as a special wing with necessary budget space and personnelu00a0