Effects of Parking Provision on Automobile Use in Cities: Inferring Causality

Chris McCahill, Norman Garrick, Carol Atkinson-Palombo, and Adam Polinski. Effects of Parking Provision on Automobile Use in Cities: Inferring Causality. Vol. 2543, no. 1, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2015, pp. 159-65.

This study, led by SSTI Deputy Director Chris McCahill with colleagues from University of Connecticut, examines the effects of increased parking on travel behavior in U.S. cities.

Automobile use has been on the rise in cities for nearly a century and so has the supply of parking. Because driving often seems unavoidable, policymakers, developers and the public push endlessly for more parking to meet demand. That push, however, might only be making matters worse. This research suggests that abundant parking in cities causes people to drive more, adding to traffic and the perceived need to meet growing demand.

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