Parking Review

To address this challenge, we are reviewing technologies and systems that may deliver benefits for on and off-street parking throughout Argyll and Bute.

A public consultation was carried out in 2022 to find out your views on parking issues and priorities in your area.

The feedback will be used to help us identify options that would work for Argyll and Bute, and that we could progress as funding becomes available.

We have commissioned Aecom, an engineering consultancy who have experts in establishing car parking policy, relevant technology and future management of car parking. AECOM have completed recent studies throughout England and Northern Ireland and have a local knowledge of Argyll and Bute.

You can find information about the car parking review, and technologies available in managing car parking effectively, here:

Information about the car parking review  

We have assessed existing parking sites, for occupancy levels, capacity and other essential features.

There have been significant advancements in recent years in the use of parking technologies so we are also assessing how these technologies could for example support effective bay monitoring, payment systems, back-office management systems, and information sharing.

Smart Parking Applications

Increasingly the public are expecting to access parking information on mobile devices, rather than depending on roadside signs. We are therefore reviewing different approaches for delivering a Smart Parking Application.

Enforcement

The review also includes a study on future strategies and operational arrangements, including the use of new technologies for responsible parking enforcement.

Management and Control

Parking data which explains parking demand for each parking area at each point of the day can improve the management and control of parking sites. This data could be used to refine future parking policy and strategies, and to manage parking sites effectively in real-time.

Smart Payment Systems

Increasingly members of the public are expecting various methods of convenient payment for parking over and above cash transactions. We are reviewing how technologies could deliver this, for example through integrating payment methods with smartphone applications.

If you require further clarity please contact meg.scott@aecom.com

Typical users

Within towns, user groups have different needs and worries about their parking.

Shoppers:

• need their parking to be: Short Stay, Close to Shops and Easy to access.
• Worry about: finding a parking space, being unfamiliar with locations, payment, restrictions etc. and getting back to the car in time

Business Owners:

• Need their parking to be: Constantly available for customers and regular servicing / loading
• Worry about: There being no spaces left and parking restrictions affecting custom

Workers:

• Need their parking to be: Long stay, cost-effective and a short journey time from the office
• Worry about: Finding a suitable parking space and paying a lot of his wages for parking 

Visitors:

• Need their parking to be: Easy to find and use, close to key attractions and areas of interest
• Worry about: Getting lost and being unable to park

Further information and examples of different types of parking users can be found in our Typical Users document

Where are people parking now?

Current parking patterns have office workers and shop owners parking in the centre of town, whereas tourists and families coming into the area park on the outskirts of the city centre.

Where do we want users to park?

Workers and shop owners could be parking to the edge of the town centre and then travelling to their desired destinations by walking, wheeling, cycling or public transport, preventing all day parking within the town centre.

Visitors to the Town Centre would benefit more by being able to park near their desired destinations as they are more likely to be parked for a short period of time.

This change can be achieved through:

• Managing and regulating parking in central areas
• Park & Ride, public transport and walking, wheeling and cycling links from outer areas

Encouraging space turnover

If we have limited central parking, or our car parks are small, we need really good space turnover.

If we have a car park with 12 parking spaces, available 12 hours per day then, 18 parking acts could be achieved if the spaces were used for 8 hours each however, 144 parking acts could be achieved if only used for an hour each. This is a 700% capacity increase without the need for additional spaces. 

Good turnover only occurs if parking is managed.