Public Roads: A Journal of Highway Research, Vol. 26, No. 2

Barber, E. S.; Benham, Sanford W.; Bielak, S. F; Burrage, R. H.; Carpenter, C. A.; Cashell, Harry D.; Chaiken, Bernard; Cope, E.M.; Dimmick, Thomas B.; Goode, J.F.; Gronberg, Gordon D.; Halstead, W.J.; Hansen, Harold W.; Hitchcock, S.T.; Jackson, F.H.; Leisch, J.E.; Liston, L.L.; Meadows, R.W.; Moore, R. Woodward; Pauls, J.T.; Peck, R.A.; Revelise, Thomas P.; Rex, H.M.; Sawyer, C.L.; Smith, Preston C.; Timms, A.G.; Trueblood, Darel L.; Woolf, D.O. · 1950 · ROSA P / United States. Government Printing Office

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Summary

This paper, published in *Public Roads* in 1950, addresses the critical urban parking problem in central business districts (CBDs), which had intensified due to postwar increases in motor-vehicle usage. The authors argue that adequate terminal facilities for parking are essential for realizing the economic benefits of urban arterial and expressway developments. To resolve this issue, the Bureau of Public Roads conducted comprehensive parking studies in 46 cities ranging from under 6,000 to over 1 million in population, with full data analysis available for 29 of these cities. The study employed a "direct-interview" method, considered superior to previous "cruising" or questionnaire methods because it captured trip purpose, destination, and duration. Interviewers spoke with drivers of every parked vehicle within the CBD during business hours (typically 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.), while cordon counts tracked inbound and outbound traffic. This approach allowed for precise mapping of parking supply, usage, and demand, as well as the identification of specific "core" areas where demand exceeded supply. The findings revealed distinct trends based on city size. While total parking volumes increased with city population, the per-capita availability of parking spaces and the number of vehicles parked per 1,000 residents decreased significantly as cities grew. Small cities had seven times as many available spaces and thirteen times as many parked vehicles per capita compared to large cities. Consequently, CBDs in small cities generated ten times more traffic per capita during peak hours than those in large cities. In the core areas of CBDs, the ratio of parking demand to supply ranged from 1.34 in small cities to 4.67 in large cities. Additionally, parking habits differed by city size: in small cities, 56% of vehicles parked for less than 30 minutes, compared to only 28% in large cities, where longer parking durations were more common. The study also noted that parking meters effectively reduced overtime parking violations. The significance of this research lies in its provision of standardized, empirical data to guide urban planning. By establishing clear relationships between population size, traffic volume, and parking demand, the study offers a framework for cities without comprehensive data to estimate their parking needs. The findings support the planning of off-street parking facilities, the revision of curb usage restrictions, and the strategic placement of parking meters. The authors conclude that the uniformity of the data across different cities validates the direct-interview methodology as a sound approach for solving complex urban transportation problems.

Key finding

Small cities have seven times as many parking spaces and thirteen times as many parked vehicles per 1,000 population as large cities, while the demand-to-supply ratio for parking space hours in the core areas of large cities is 4.67 compared to 1.34 in small cities.

Methodology

field_study

Sample size: 46

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

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