Understanding Dynamic Pricing for Parking in Los Angeles: Survey and Ethnographic Results

The field of parking is going through a period of extreme innovation. Cities in the United States are now exploring new technology to improve on-street parking. One such innovation is dynamic pricing based on sensors and smart meters. This paper presents the results of two surveys and an ethnographic study in the context of LA Express ParkTM to understand users’ behaviors, knowledge and perceptions around parking. Survey results demonstrated that a high number of users misunderstood one of three tested stickers that convey time of day pricing. Furthermore, after discovering the availability of cheaper parking spots nearby, people expressed willingness to change their future behavior to park in those places. Ethnographic field studies found that it is common for many parkers to use handicapped placards for over eight hours in one parking session. A percentage of these parkers may be using placards illegally. We propose that increasing some parking restrictions during the day may curb placard use by making it more difficult to park for long periods.