PARK Smarter: Lessons in Curb Pricing for New York City

Curb parking is notoriously difficult to find in certain parts of New York City (NYC). NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering implementing demand-responsive pricing for its passenger metered spaces to manage parking demand. This is a pricing mechanism whereby the price of curb parking fluctuates spatially and temporally in accordance with expected or actual demand. This report assesses successful permanent citywide implementations of demand-responsive curb pricing in San Francisco and Seattle to determine the most effective strategies for NYC DOT: these include using meter transaction data and historical occupancy data to estimate current parking occupancy and exploring possibilities of vehicle-mounted license plate recognition technology. To help make demand-responsive pricing more efficient and politically acceptable, the city can implement additional policies such a two-tier system for disability placards to target placard abuse or parking benefit districts to direct meter revenue toward public services on metered blocks. A data-driven demand-responsive curb pricing program that follows a set model for rate adjustments, in conjunction with technology and legislation changes to increase support for the program and reduce parking violations, as described in this report, can effectively increase parking availability in New York City and guide other city transportation agencies in their efforts to do the same.