Introduce a parking permit scheme or entry-barrier which gives priority to those who need (not just want) to use a car for work or for personal needs. For example, you might want to prioritise spaces for disabled staff and visitors, car sharers and those who have carers responsibility and need to be back home early.

Introduce a car parking charge and use the revenue to fund the travel plan measures. Reimburse charges to those that need their car for business purposes and consider lower charges for car sharers.

Remove or at least reallocate those spaces prioritised for senior management. Parking spaces should be allocated on the basis of need not seniority.

Reduce the overall number of spaces by giving some over to cycle racks/disabled or visitor spaces.

Some other typical issues the Travel Plan Coordinator might need to think about:

Where parking spaces are used by multiple businesses, the travel plan and parking policy should ideally be applied consistently across all occupiers. Although implementing a travel plan across different employers can be challenging, consistency in parking policy and travel plan application can help avoid unnecessary resentment that might otherwise occur.

 

Parking problems are exacerbated when shifts overlap, with arriving staff who can't park in spaces that have still to be vacated by other staff finishing their shift. The Travel Plan Coordinator should try working with management to see how this might be resolved, for example by staggering start/finish times.

 

Staff with set, regular hours such as administrative and clerical staff are less likely to be aware of parking constraints for other staff and visitors as they may arrive before parking pressure builds up. They are also likely to be the best candidates for making changes in their travel habits since most traditionally travel at peak times when public transport is most likely to be available. The reverse is likely to be true for shift workers.

 

A limited supply of on-site parking might lead to overspill into surrounding areas resulting in tensions with the local community. To demonstrate that the organisation is trying to address the problem, promotional materials indicating the travel planning measures could be shown to council officers and even the local community. Some Travel Plan Coordinators have worked with their local councils to introduce a 'Controlled Parking Zone' around their sites (eg. residents only parking or single yellow line restrictions at certain times of the day). This is good way to prevent overspill parking and encourage the use of alternatives by staff and others going to the workplace.