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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Design and Implementation." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24770.
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41 C h a p t e r 5 Purpose of This Chapter Park-and-ride facilities need to be designed with consideration of safety, passenger conve- nience, and efficient transit operations. In some cases, the design needs to incorporate other site uses or avoid impacts to adjacent land uses. A park-and-ride may be new construction or shared use of an existing parking facility leased by the transit agency. This chapter discusses: • How to determine the appropriate location and how the facility will interact with adjacent land use. • How to decide whether to lease or build. • How to evaluate design considerations. • How to design for future expansion/conversion. Park-and-Ride Typology and Interaction with Adjacent Land Use Transit agency planners and officials evaluate many considerations during the park-and-ride planning process, including differences between transit modes, levels of transit service, and the tran- sit agency’s overall strategic system plan. This strategic planning process is discussed in Chapter 3. Design and Implementation P ho to gr ap hs c ou rt es y of S an F ra n ci sc o B ay A re a R ap id T ra n si t D is tr ic t.

42 Decision-Making toolbox to plan and Manage park-and-ride Facilities Once a general location has been identified for a park-and-ride facil- ity, an important consideration during the site-selection process is how the facility will interact with adjacent land uses and the surround- ing community. This interaction, in turn, will depend on the facility’s typology. As discussed in Chapter 2, park-and-ride facilities vary in terms of ownership (i.e., transit agency, another public agency, or pri- vate entity) and function (e.g., transit station, specific use, or special case). With all typologies, the park-and-ride facility interacts with the adjacent and surrounding land uses. A transit agency must consider what challenges may arise based on any incompatibilities with adjacent land uses. These considerations affect how the transit agency designs the facility. This section discusses strategies for determining appropriate park-and-ride locations. Facilities Owned by a Transit Agency Park-and-ride facilities owned by the transit agency can be operated fully in-house or by contract. These facilities can be transit station park-and-rides, specific-use park-and-rides, or special-case park-and-rides. Transit Station Park-and-Rides Transit station facilities are typically located at or near fixed-guideway stations or function as bus transfer centers. Transit stations may contain more parking spaces than other park-and-ride typologies and provide more passenger amenities. The park-and-ride facility may incorporate design features that integrate with community settings and land uses. Due to the size of these facilities, avoiding or mitigating traffic congestion and spillover parking will also be of interest to the community. The size of the facility dictates that special attention be paid to incorporating security considerations into the design and opera- tions (discussed in Chapter 6). Specific-Use Park-and-Rides Specific-use facilities may be designed to accommodate certain locations or to better corre- spond to the existing transit service. One example of this is Houston METRO’s park-and-ride system. Commuter service park- and-ride lots are accessible only though freeway access points. These lots are directly connected to high-occupancy vehicle lanes, which enhances the commuter bus trip because the bus routes travel through these lanes into the city’s core business center. Special-Case Park-and-Rides Special-case facilities provide peripheral parking access to a downtown circulator entertain- ment district route or serve a specific transit service such as a ferry. Shared-Use Facilities Owned by Another Public Agency Public agency partners for park-and-rides can include parking authorities, municipalities, and state departments of transportation. As discussed in Chapter 6, these lots require an agreement between the facility owner and the transit agency on allowed usage, operating cost responsibili- ties, and so forth. These park-and-ride lots can be located near freeway interchanges or may have been estab- lished for other purposes; examples are a parking garage near a CBD or an entertainment An important consideration during the site-selection process is how the park- and-ride facility will interact with the adjacent land uses and the surrounding community.

Design and Implementation 43 district. While transit agencies may not have a direct influence on how the location inter- acts with the surrounding land uses, coordination with area stakeholders, such as business groups, downtown associations, and municipal/state officials, can help to ensure adequate land use interactions. Because these lots may not have been originally developed with transit service as a primary consideration, these facilities may require more effort to determine overall parking demand (not just transit park-and-ride demand), address interactions between transit vehicles and parking customers, and mitigate potential negative impacts of transit vehicles (e.g., strength- ening pavement in areas that will be used by transit vehicles). These facilities can be state-owned park-and-rides, local jurisdiction park-and-rides, or special-district park-and-rides. State-Owned Park-and-Rides State-owned facilities are located along state highways, often near freeway interchanges, and may have been constructed for the primary purpose of forming carpools and vanpools. If transit vehicles will stop inside the facility, its design should minimize the interactions of transit vehicles with other facility users (for safety and service reliability reasons). If transit vehicles will stop outside the facility, its design should provide a safe pedestrian route across the highway to or from the inbound or outbound transit stop, as the case may be. Local Jurisdiction Park-and-Rides Local jurisdiction facilities are typically developed for multipurpose use; an example is down- town parking. They can be large structured parking garages. Special-District Park-and-Rides Special-district facilities are developed for other public entities, such as community colleges. Shared-Use Facilities Owned by a Private Entity Privately owned park-and-rides are usually smaller facilities or shared- use lots owned by churches, shopping malls, or businesses. These park-and-ride lots facilitate access to local bus routes or commuter bus routes. The integration of privately owned park-and-ride facili- ties should be based on the context of the area and the surrounding land uses. APTA’s Transit Sustainability Guidelines state that transit agencies should focus on facilitating smart land use and livable neighborhoods (APTA 2014). This advice includes partnering with planning agencies to encourage transit- supportive land uses, such as pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly environments with multifaceted attractions such as shops, dining, special attractions, and services. These facilities can be volunteer park-and-rides or commercial park-and-rides. Volunteer Park-and-Rides Volunteer facilities are typically small (at least in terms of the number of spaces made avail- able for park-and-ride use), shared-use parking lots with a primary use that is compatible with transit usage (e.g., church lots mainly used on Sundays, movie theater lots mainly used nights and weekends, or shopping center lots mainly used during the holiday season). These facilities permit park-and-ride usage at no or nominal cost to the transit agency. Privately owned park-and-rides are usually smaller facilities or shared-use lots owned by churches, shopping malls, or businesses.

44 Decision-Making toolbox to plan and Manage park-and-ride Facilities Commercial Park-and-Rides Commercial facilities are shared-use parking lots operated for profit by a private operator. In some cases, such as lots located near transit stations, transit customers may be the primary park- ing lot users, but the transit agency has no direct involvement with the lot. In other cases, such as within TODs, a transit agency may lease a certain number of spaces for use as park-and-ride. In either case, the transit customer pays a fee to park at the facility; the transit agency may also pay a fee or offer other compensation for leasing the spaces. These lease agreements may also detail maintenance and other operational costs. Short-Term and Long-Term Land Use Considerations The planning horizon for park-and-ride facilities varies by the type of facility, the transit modes it supports, and the future planning forecasts for the surrounding community. The future planning forecast usually depends on the jurisdictional or regional comprehensive plan (either from a city or a regional planning entity, such as a regional planning commission or an MPO). For example, a suburban community might feature low-density development and have inexpen- sive land values. If this area is forecasted to become a high-density area in 10 years, then the transit agency should plan to adapt the usability of the park-and-ride facility. This adaptation can include charging for parking or entering into a joint-development agreement to enhance the facility. APTA’s Transit Sustainability Guidelines list land use considerations for transit agencies. One of the strategies calls for optimizing parking and reducing long-term automobile dependence: 2.1.6 Optimize parking and reduce long-term automobile dependence 1. Use market analysis and education to encourage creative parking strategies, such as separating the purchase of parking spaces from residential units near transit, shared parking between residential and commercial development, and reducing the need for overall vehicle ownership through transit agency support of carsharing organizations. 2. Where necessary, plan station and transit node areas to give private vehicles lower on-street priority than pedestrians in order to optimize transit and pedestrian flow, scale, and quality of experience. 3. Where parking is required to ensure ridership numbers are met, develop strategies to replace parking over a mandated time period with high-density development, while ensuring original ridership numbers are maintained. 4. When parking is provided, consider building parking structures and developing remaining surplus land in higher-intensity uses. Ensure that station and transit node parking includes alternatives such as vanpool, carpool, and compact spaces. 5. Establish an eco-parking program to provide for priority parking for electric vehicles, high occupant vehicles, car share programs, and similar uses. 6. Understand and make use of best practices in transportation demand management and price parking fees to make bus, bicycle, and pedestrian access to stations and transit nodes more attractive. 7. Include bike parking as part of transit agency-wide parking programs to further the recognition that bicycling is a legitimate mode of access to transit systems. Make bike parking covered, safe, and secure. 8. Design parking areas and structures to minimize heat island effect (APTA 2014). TCRP Report 153: Guidelines for Providing Access to Public Transportation Stations offers additional guidelines specific to park-and-ride facilities and land use compatibility: Sites should be compatible with adjacent land uses and they should not adversely impact nearby areas. They should achieve a reasonable level of usage relative to development costs. Site selection should give priority (in order of importance) to: (1) land currently in parking use; (2) unused or undeveloped land

Design and Implementation 45 in public ownership; (3) undeveloped private land; and (4) developed private land. Every effort should be made to place facilities where they will be acceptable to neighboring areas; they should avoid environ- mentally sensitive areas. Large park-and-ride facilities generally should not be located in or near town centers or other major activ- ity nodes, or in densely developed areas. This guideline allows high-density, TOD clusters at selected transit stops; separates commuter and local parking demands; and reduces development costs and station impacts. Sites should be of suitable size and shape to permit efficient design of access, parking, and passenger transfer facilities. Irregular or triangular sites should be avoided. Sites should be flat and well-drained so that grading, paving, and drainage can be provided at minimum expense. Soil should be able to support parking lot (or garage) construction. Difficult topography should be avoided. Sites should also be large enough to provide the desired number of parking spaces (Coffel et al. 2012). The Decision to Lease or Build Transit agencies must decide whether to build or lease a park-and-ride facility when develop- ing a new park-and-ride location. The planning considerations for this decision are described in Chapter 3. This section addresses the design considerations and constraints for leasing versus building park-and-ride facilities. Lease Transit agencies decide to lease park-and-ride facilities for different reasons. Leasing a facility or parking lot is a quick and effective way to expand a park-and-ride system. Usually, no significant capital cost is involved with leasing spaces. Transit agencies may have to provide operational assistance and signage to designate park-and-ride spaces. Transit agencies may lease spaces from: • Public agencies, such as parking authorities, state departments of transportation, or munic - ipalities. • Private or nonprofit organizations, such as private parking operators, shopping malls, or churches, through shared-use agreements. One drawback of leasing spaces, particularly in a shared-use agreement, is that the lessor can terminate the lease at any time, causing customer inconvenience and a reduction in overall transit system performance. The case studies performed as part of the research that developed this guidebook did not reveal any sudden lease terminations with public parking authorities, but the Port Authority of Allegheny County did experience several terminations of shared-use leases from private property owners. NJ TRANSIT is another example of a transit agency that leases a large number of park-and- ride spaces. Table 5 categorizes the different types of leases and management arrangements used by NJ TRANSIT. Build Building a new park-and-ride facility involves many factors and considerations, such as the availability of land, capital costs, and maintenance and operations. From a design standpoint, the transit agency has full control, subject to local zoning considerations, over what is built at the park-and-ride facility. The next section discusses the strengths, challenges, and considerations of building park-and- ride lots. Leasing a facility or parking lot is a quick and effective way to expand a park-and- ride system.

46 Decision-Making toolbox to plan and Manage park-and-ride Facilities Design Considerations Transit agencies must evaluate many design considerations when constructing a new park-and- ride facility, expanding or renovating existing facilities, or evaluating the design of leased facilities. Transit agencies such as Denver RTD and Sound Transit (Seattle) have developed design guide- lines specifically addressing park-and-ride facilities. This section outlines the most common design considerations that transit agencies consider during the planning of a park-and-ride facility. These include: • Types of parking required. • Characteristics of parking facilities. • Urban and landscape design elements. • Passenger amenities. • Parking amenities. • Electrical systems and utilities. • Safety and security systems. • Wayfinding signage and markers. • Vehicle and access variables. Types of Parking Required Americans with Disabilities Act Parking The ADA requires that parking accommodations be made for individuals with disabilities. ADA parking and drop-off areas should be located near the shortest direct routes to the transit entry. ADA parking availability should follow all local, state, and federal laws. Table 6 shows the minimum ADA standards as of 2016. High-Occupancy Vehicles Some transit agencies reserve parking spots for carpools and vanpools. Typically, transit cus- tomers apply for a carpool/vanpool permit, which guarantees a space in the reserved spots. How- ever, some transit agencies, such as TriMet in Portland, have a first-come, first-served policy regarding the number of carpool parking spots available. Passenger Pick-Up and Drop-Off Designated passenger pick-up and drop-off areas are common for many park-and-ride facili- ties. Access to these areas should not be routed through parking lots because of the frequent use for short-term parking. Adequate space for pick-up and drop-off areas for kiss-and-ride, taxis, and ridesourcing companies should be a consideration, especially for pick-ups when the wait Table 5. NJ TRANSIT’s different types of shared-use agreements. Facility Owner Facility Operator Parking Sale Municipality Municipality Municipality sells directly to customer NJ TRANSIT Municipality Municipality sells directly to customer NJ TRANSIT Private operator Private operator sells directly to customer NJ TRANSIT NJ TRANSIT Mostly free lots Private entity (e.g., business, church, or government authority) Private entity NJ TRANSIT leases spaces and then sells parking to commuters Private entity Private entity Private entity sells directly to customer Source: NJ TRANSIT staff.

Design and Implementation 47 times could be longer. Passenger loading zones should apply ADA standards to provide enough space for loading and unloading persons with disabilities. Bicycles Bicycle access and parking should be incorporated into the types of parking needs for park- and-ride facilities. Bicycle racks and lockers can help to encourage multimodal transport to and from the park-and-ride facility. Carsharing Services Several transit agencies, such as CTA and WMATA, reserve spots for carsharing services. These services provide another option for transit customers to complete the first-mile/last-mile portions of their trips. Single-Occupancy Vehicles The most common type of parking provided at park-and-ride facilities is for single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs). However, transit agencies may prioritize other access modes on the basis of factors such as limited land availability or context (urban versus suburban). Characteristics of Parking Facilities Transit agencies must determine whether a surface lot or parking structure is more appropriate. This decision is based on many planning factors, such as cost, land availability, and expected customer demand. The facility should be designed to accommodate potential opportunities for expansion or other adaptive reuses. Surface Lot Surface lots are usually found in less-dense areas, typically suburban or peripheral areas. These park-and-ride lots involve lower capital expenses than parking structures. They also reserve land for constructing a parking garage in the future if expanded parking capacity is needed. Accord- ing to case study transit agencies, surface parking design and construction costs (i.e., excluding the cost of the land) are approximately $8,000 to $11,700 per parking space. Total Number of Parking Spaces Provided in Lot Required Minimum Number of Accessible Spaces (Column A) Required Number of Van- Accessible Spaces 1 to 25 1 1 26 to 50 2 1 51 to 75 3 1 76 to 100 4 1 101 to 150 5 1 151 to 200 6 1 201 to 300 7 1 301 to 400 8 1 401 to 500 9 2 501 to 1,000 2% of total 1/8 of Column A 1,001 and over 20 plus 1 for each 100 over 1,000 1/8 of Column A Source: U.S. Department of Justice 2016. Table 6. ADA minimum parking requirements.

48 Decision-Making toolbox to plan and Manage park-and-ride Facilities Parking Structure Parking structures (parking garages) involve more capital costs and have a longer construc- tion time frame. These facilities are typically found where reduced land availability, high land values, or both make it economically sound to construct structured parking. Figure 3 shows a structured park-and-ride facility in Pittsburgh. Pedestrian movement inside the parking garage is an important design consideration because elevators and accessible walkways become essential for ADA accessibility. Typical parking structure construction costs vary by region. Table 7 shows median construc- tion costs for selected cities, with a range of $16,000 to $25,000 per parking space. As of 2016, the national median cost of a structured parking garage was about $19,000 per parking space, or $57 per square foot, excluding land costs. Underground Parking Where land costs exceed about $100 per square foot, underground parking may be more eco- nomical than a surface lot (see Figure 2 in Chapter 3). An underground parking garage may be part of a larger development (e.g., DART Cityplace/Uptown Station in Dallas). On-Street Parking BART has created a partnership with the City of Hayward and a private developer to convert a surface park-and-ride facility to a TOD. Rather than create additional new parking, the City of Hayward striped and numbered on-street parking for the purpose of park-and-ride via BART. The transit rider parks on-street in a numbered space, then enters the BART platform area and pays for the space at an add fare/parking payment station. Urban and Landscape Design Elements Depending on the park-and-ride facility, urban and landscape design elements should inte- grate well with the surrounding environment. Pedestrian walkways, bicycle paths, and shelters are common features that can integrate with surrounding land uses. Community input can be valuable in determining what design features to focus on. Chapter 8 discusses ways that transit agencies can incorporate community input and design into the park-and-ride planning process. Passenger Amenities Passenger amenities vary by park-and-ride facility type. Shared-use lots, for example, typi- cally do not incorporate many amenities. The park-and-ride facility typology will also affect the Figure 3. South Hills Village Garage, Port Authority of Allegheny County. Source: Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission 2014.

Design and Implementation 49 number of passenger amenities available. Typically, the most common passenger amenities include the following. Enclosed Covered Waiting Areas or Shelters Covered waiting areas or bus shelters are common at most park-and- ride facilities due to the high volume of passengers served. Some transit agencies may have specific branding for park-and-ride areas. Trash Receptacles Trash receptacles are common at most park-and-ride facilities. A stationary trash receptacle can help reduce litter around passenger waiting areas. See-through trash receptacle designs can reduce concerns about security risks. City National Index Cost/Space Cost/ Square Foot Atlanta 88.6 $16,866 $50.50 Baltimore 93.2 $17,742 $53.12 Boston 117.5 $22,368 $66.97 Charlotte 83.6 $15,915 $47.65 Chicago 117.8 $22,425 $67.14 Cleveland 99.3 $18,903 $56.59 Denver 92.3 $17,571 $52.60 Dallas 85.4 $16,257 $48.67 Detroit 102.6 $19,532 $58.47 Houston 87.1 $16,581 $49.64 Indianapolis 93 $17,704 $53.00 Kansas City, MO 102.2 $19,455 $58.25 Los Angeles 107.7 $20,502 $61.38 Miami 87.2 $16,600 $49.70 Minneapolis 109.1 $20,769 $62.18 Nashville 87.6 $16,676 $49.93 New York 131.1 $24,957 $74.72 Philadelphia 115 $21,892 $65.54 Phoenix 88.4 $16,828 $50.38 Pittsburgh 102.1 $19,436 $58.19 Portland, OR 100.3 $19,094 $57.16 Richmond 86.1 $16,391 $49.07 St. Louis 102 $19,417 $58.13 San Diego 105.1 $20,007 $59.90 San Francisco 122.5 $23,320 $69.82 Seattle 103 $19,608 $58.70 Washington, D.C. 98.5 $18,751 $56.14 National average 100 $19,037 $56.99 Source: Carl Walker, Inc., 2016. Table 7. 2016 median parking structure construction costs. Covered waiting areas or bus shelters are common at most park-and-ride facilities due to the high volume of passengers served.

50 Decision-Making toolbox to plan and Manage park-and-ride Facilities Bicycle Racks/Lockers Bicycle racks are common at many park-and-ride locations. In addition, bicycle lockers or enclosed bicycle parking can provide more protection and security for bikes. Examples of transit agencies that rent bike lockers to park-and-ride customers are Calgary Transit, Denver RTD, and Houston METRO. Amenities at Larger Transit Centers Larger transit centers may provide additional amenities, such as the following. On-Site Station Personnel. Larger transit centers may have on-site personnel available to accommodate customer service needs. Personnel may also be part of the transit agency police department. Providing on-site staff offers more security, which can also allow for amenities such as restrooms and vending machines, but adds to the facility’s operating costs as well. Vending Machines and Concessions. Vending machines are available at some park-and- ride transit centers. Some transit centers may even have concessions or food vendors available. However, providing food options can potentially cause conflict if transit agency policies do not allow food on transit vehicles. Restrooms. Public restrooms are usually only considered if on-site personnel or security is provided. Restroom facilities specifically for transit agency employees may also be considered. Several transit agency representatives interviewed in the case studies cited security concerns as a reason for not providing public restrooms. Restrooms also require additional and continual main- tenance and upkeep. Indoor Waiting Areas. Some park-and-ride transit centers may provide enclosed air- conditioned or heated waiting areas, depending on the climate. Public Artwork. Public art can help to create a sense of identity for the park-and-ride facil- ity and incorporate it into the surrounding community. Parking Amenities Specific amenities for parking may include the following. Covered Parking This amenity is provided by structured parking facilities. Surface-level parking lots are not likely to incorporate covered parking spots, although some transit agencies in hot climates have provided covered parking canopies. Reserved Parking for Carpools Providing reserved carpool parking can help reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles traveling to the park-and-ride facility. Reserved carpool parking spaces provide an incentive to carpool by: • Locating the spaces in convenient locations relative to the transit stop or station entrance. • Potentially guaranteeing the availability of a parking space at the sta- tion (although not all transit agencies with carpool parking do so). Parking for Commuters to Transfer Carpools/Vanpools Additionally, transit agencies may sponsor and coordinate commuter options such as car- pooling and vanpooling. Transit agencies can offer parking spaces for commuters transferring to carpools and vanpools. Reserved parking spaces for carpools can provide an incentive to share rides for travel to the park-and-ride facility.

Design and Implementation 51 Transit agencies may not permit parking for commuters who transfer to carpools and van- pools when parking capacity for daily transit riders is a higher priority. Electric-Vehicle Charging Stations Electric charging stations are available at some park-and-ride facilities to service electric auto- mobiles. These spots should only apply to vehicles that are purchasing electricity and not act as reserved spots for electric vehicles. Carsharing Services Carsharing services can provide an option for park-and-ride customers who either do not own a car or do not want to park their vehicle at the park-and-ride facility. Such services also help facilitate first-mile and last-mile connections, helping to create a better, integrated transit system. Electrical Systems and Utilities Electrical and lighting panels should not be publicly accessible. Light fixtures should be accessible for maintenance throughout all parts of the day. For exam- ple, a structured light fixture would be best placed in the middle aisle of a parking garage ramp rather than over a parking space, where an automobile might block access. Storm water and utility considerations are necessary with all park-and-ride facilities. Tran- sit agencies should make sure that drainage designs are in accordance with local jurisdictional permitting. Mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection systems need to comply with local juris- dictional regulations. Safety and Security Safety and security are important design considerations for park-and-ride facilities. Safety Passengers need to be able to safely access the transit station from the parking area and safely return. A number of design features, such as walkways, barriers, and pavement markings, can delin- eate pedestrian paths. These paths should avoid crossing vehicular traffic paths to the extent possible. Security Some transit agencies, such as DART, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), and Houston METRO, have police officers that are certified in evaluat- ing crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). CPTED design elements include proper lighting, natural surveillance, and visible walkways. For example, DART completes a CPTED assessment for each of the transit agency’s park-and-ride facilities every 3 years. The assessment details any improvements that need to be made to the facility to address CPTED considerations. APTA published a recommended practice, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) for Transit Facilities (2010), as part of the APTA Standards Development Program. According to the APTA guidance, accepted CPTED industry strategies that apply to park-and- ride facilities include the following: • Natural surveillance. This strategy involves reducing crime by decreasing target opportunities in a park-and-ride by placing physical features, activities, and people to maximize visibility. • Natural access control. Judicial placement of entrances, exits, fencing, landscaping, and light- ing will help to channel people into, alongside, or out of the park-and-ride and deter entry elsewhere along the boundary. This strategy denies access to crime targets and creates a per- ception of risk for adversaries.

52 Decision-Making toolbox to plan and Manage park-and-ride Facilities • Territoriality. Territoriality notifies users and non-users of the boundaries of the park-and- ride. Posted notices create a psychological deterrent to crime by notifying users of the park- and-ride facility that they are being watched. • Activity support. By encouraging authorized activities in public spaces, the community and transit agency ridership understand the facility’s intended use. Criminal acts are discouraged. • Maintenance. Care and upkeep demonstrate expression of ownership for the intended pur- pose of the area. A lack of care indicates loss of control of the park-and-ride and can be a sign of tolerance for disorder. Establishing care and maintenance standards preserves the intended use of the park-and-ride facility (APTA 2010). Security measures for park-and-ride facilities are discussed further in Chapter 6. Wayfinding Signage and Markers Wayfinding signage and markers are an important element of park-and-ride facilities. Signage and markers should be consistent with transit agency marketing strategies and may include spe- cialized signage based on community or jurisdictional guidelines. In addition to transit-agency–based signage, wayfinding symbology should follow the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) published by the FHWA (2012). Figure 4 shows an example of parking signage in the MUTCD. Vehicle and Access Variables Access Points into and out of Park-and-Rides Access points into and out of the park-and-ride facility are critical to consider, especially regarding incoming and outgoing traffic. Depending on state and local jurisdictions, traffic Figure 4. Example parking signage in the MUTCD. Source: FHWA 2012.

Design and Implementation 53 impact studies may be required for new park-and-ride facilities. Mitigation efforts may include traffic signals at entrances to large park-and-ride facilities. Access Within Park-and-Rides Access within the park-and-ride should be organized so that transit buses and cars can safely maneuver in the facility without interference. Marked pedestrian and bike paths are important to keep traffic flows together and interfere minimally with automobile traffic. TCRP Report 153: Guidelines for Providing Access to Public Transportation Stations (Coffel et al. 2012) includes the following suggestions and strategies for creating appropriate access points for vehicles and pedestrians: • Circulation patterns should be clear and consistent. Drivers should be confronted with only one decision at any given time. • The capacity of ingress and egress points should be adequate. • Sufficient queue storage space should be provided on parking access roads. • Transit vehicles should have physically separated roadways and should not be required to use parking lanes. • Turning radii are typically governed by bus turning geometry. • Parking aisles should be oriented so pedestrians can use them to reach the transit station. • Design should include convenient access to collect parking fees. • Important access design elements include security measures for proper lighting, natural sur- veillance, and visible walkways. In colder climates, facility design may need to incorporate snow removal. Avoiding obstacles (such as wheel stops) for snow plows and having sufficient space available on-site to store snow can alleviate some maintenance concerns. First-Mile/Last-Mile Access to Park-and-Rides Park-and-ride facilities can provide opportunities to connect the community to transit through first- and last-mile amenities. Transit agencies can design priority access for local bus feeder services to the park-and-ride. Other amenities might include bicycle lockers for private bicycles, bikeshare or carshare spaces, and designated spaces for taxicabs and ridesourcing companies. Transit services with park-and-ride can provide an emission reduction benefit as compared to commuters driving single-occupant vehicles to their destinations. First- and last-mile access to park-and-ride (e.g., local bus feeder service or bicycling) can further reduce overall emissions. As presented in Figure 5, LA Metro and Southern California Association of Governments’ (2014) First Last Mile Strategic Plan and Planning Guidelines presents data from Chester et al. (2013) to illustrate the reduction of carbon dioxide vehicle emissions associated with alternative first- and last-mile modes of access to transit. Adequate landscape and urban design outside of the park-and-ride facility will ultimately affect the customer’s first- and last-mile experi- ence. Transit agencies can work with local jurisdictions to create designs such as pedestrian and bike paths leading to and from park-and-ride facilities that connect to other places of interest. Travel Time Information Signage increasingly includes real-time travel time information along the commute corridor. A sign reporting travel time may be posted at the entrance to a park-and-ride facility. Park-and-ride facilities can provide opportunities to connect the community to transit through first- and last-mile amenities.

54 Decision-Making toolbox to plan and Manage park-and-ride Facilities Designing for Future Expansion/Conversion Shared Use and Innovation Transportation is rapidly changing and developing. After the turn of the 21st century, mobil- ity options such as carsharing, bikesharing, and ridesourcing began to create a change in the way people travel. Transit agencies have made accommodations for these types of mobility options by entering into partnerships with carsharing and bikesharing companies. For example, CTA has been in a partnership with a private company since 2004 to provide carsharing options. The City of Chicago also provides bikesharing options located near transit stops and park-and-ride facilities. Aside from these mobility options, emerging technologies such as autonomous and connected vehicles will also undoubtedly have a large effect on transportation. The type of effect and to what degree are still uncertain. However, transit agencies can prepare to plan for future park-and-ride expansion and conversion opportunities. Case Study—Sound Transit in Seattle Sound Transit incorporates plans for future expansion along its light-rail transit stops. In 2013, the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) issued a strategic plan for transit communities titled The Growing Transit Communities (GTC) Strategy: A Transit Corridor Action Agenda for the Central Puget Sound Region (PSRC 2013). This action agenda called for 80 percent of surplus public lands to be made available for affordable housing. Sound Transit decided that a creative approach would be to temporarily create park-and-ride facilities that would later be converted to affordable housing units. Sound Transit is completing its latest bus and rail extension plan, ST2, in construction phases, with a new station opening after each completed phase. In the interim, these stations are the terminus for the line. Sound Transit noticed that during the construction phases, high demand for parking at the temporary terminus increased. Sound Transit decided to pursue joint-development opportunities to con- struct these sites as temporary park-and-ride facilities with the intention of becoming affordable housing units or other mixed-use developments once the station was no longer the terminus. Figure 5. Greenhouse gas emissions per person per trip in Los Angeles, California. Source: LA Metro and Southern California Association of Governments 2014 (graphic); Chester et al. 2013 (data). Illustration courtesy of LA Metro © 2017.

Design and Implementation 55 This is a unique but helpful example of planning for future expansion. If an area’s regional plan calls for certain requirements or features, transit agencies should make an effort to coordi- nate development with park-and-ride facilities and anticipate any additional changes that might occur according to the regional or local land use and transportation plan. Summary Park-and-ride facilities should appropriately fit in with the surrounding land uses and com- munity. Park-and-ride typologies vary based on transit modes, customer demand, and location. Each has its own context and circumstances that take into account the interaction the park-and- ride has on the surrounding community. The typologies include: • Transit agency owned: – Transit station park-and-rides. – Specific-use park-and-rides. – Special-case park-and-rides. • Public agency owned: – State-owned park-and-rides. – Local jurisdiction park-and-rides. – Special-district park-and-rides. • Privately owned: – Volunteer park-and-rides. – Commercial park-and-rides. Design considerations are important for new-build park-and-ride facilities. Many transit agencies have guidelines based on common practices and transit agency goals. Common design considerations include the following: • Leasing or building a parking structure. • Types of parking required. • Characteristics of parking facilities. • Urban and landscaping design elements. • Passenger amenities. • Parking amenities. • Electrical systems and utilities. • Safety and security systems. • Wayfinding signage and markers. • Vehicle and access variables. The state of transportation is rapidly changing. Transit agencies have adapted by providing more first-mile/last-mile amenities such as carshare and bikeshare. Transit agencies should plan on integrating possible future land use plans into park-and-ride design.

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Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride Get This Book
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TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Research Report 192: Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Guidebook on Planning and Managing Park-and-Ride provides approaches to managing park-and-ride facilities, from developing the park-and-ride concept for a community to day-to-day management. Key themes include design, implementation, operations, and maintenance of these facilities. Supplementing the report is TCRP Web-Only Document 69: Decision-Making Toolbox to Plan and Manage Park-and-Ride Facilities for Public Transportation: Research Report and Transit Agency Case Studies.

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