After months of restrictions, fans have returned en masse to celebrate and enjoy the in-person special events they love. From concerts to Comicon and fun runs to football, 2022 saw people turn out in record numbers, and 2023 shows no signs of slowing down. But while most people are thinking of tickets, I am ready to talk about transit and why park and ride (P&R) lots are an excellent choice for people and the planet.

P&R Lots: Making Sense and Cents

Let’s consider a college football game. Imagine that it’s just you and 125,000 or so of your closest friends converging on the university campus of your choice.

If you choose to park and walk, you will likely search for available parking. Donald Shoup, the undisputed heavyweight champ of parking, has demonstrated in various studies that 30% of urban congestion results from cruising for parking. In addition to compounding traffic volume, searching for parking is time-consuming, increases vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and expends fuel or battery charge.

However, if you decide to park at a P&R lot, you arrive at an advertised location, and lot attendants will likely direct you to available spaces. In this case, both VMT and time to park subsequently decrease. Once parked, you can board your bus and head to the venue with plenty of time to spare to purchase a snack and a fancy new foam finger.

The transit buses typically used in these applications can hold 36 to 60 people and may have a dedicated route to the venue. In addition to being convenient and reducing vehicle count, modern transit vehicles are designed and manufactured to be kinder to the planet. Since 2010, the EPA has required selective catalytic reduction in diesel engines, significantly decreasing NOx and particulate matter produced by these vehicles. In addition, many transit agencies are gradually phasing out diesel-powered buses as part of their state or institutional “green” initiatives. As such, these organizations will replace retiring diesel vehicles with hybrid-electric or fully-electric units, reducing their carbon footprint even further.

P&R Lots: Indirect Benefits

Using P&R lots is a simple idea that generates positive expected results. However, there are some additional indirect benefits.

Consider the movement of people to and from a high-attendance event similar to our football game listed above. Before the event, attendees flow in gradually over a more extended period of time but tend to come out as a large group after the event concludes. When operated at appropriate headways, post-event transportation to the P&R lot has a throttling effect which can ease the flow of cars into arterial traffic, reducing congestion and gridlock and associated emissions.

Increased safety and security are an added benefit of utilizing a P&R lot. Attendees ride a bus from the venue to the parking lot and are not walking through potentially unknown areas to return to their cars. In addition, designated P&R lots are often monitored throughout an event and may provide more security than the alternatives. Bus operators also have direct communication with a dispatcher and, in some cases, law enforcement and can report suspicious activity in real-time.

Finally, P&R lots generally isolate litter to the primary venue, as the transit agency may prohibit open containers and food on board the bus. Trash receptacles placed at or near the loading zone assist with this issue.

Final Comments

It is great to see life returning to normal and people enjoying the activities they love. So, I hope that the next opportunity you get to see your favorite band or team in person, you consider using a P&R lot and transit. It’s safe, it’s easy, and the planet will thank you for it.

Data Resources

1. Shoup, D. (2019). High cost of Free Parking. ROUTLEDGE.
2. Fischer, B. (2022, November 14). https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2022/11/14/Upfront/Nfl-attendance.aspx. Sports Business Journal.
3. Dalugdug, M. (2022, September 7). Live concert interest in the US nearing pre-covid levels, new study shows. Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved January 17, 2023, from https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/live-concert-interest-in-the-us-nearing-pre-covid-levels-new-study-shows/