parking studies + are designed to identify inadequacies in the supply of parking, or to determine existing demand in order to plan for future parking « the existing demand may be: - in terms of actual vehielés- parkéd at-e-specific site or vicinity - may be translated into a parking rate + study area varies-ftom an individual private lot to a city-wide study incorporating private and public lots as well as on-street parking jelineation of the study area step 2: inventory of current parking supply step 3: depends on the requirements of the particular studyinventory of parking supply + value of parking supply is important information in parking generation rate studies even though the supply value does not figure into the calculations for the rates « curb spaces are inventoried by observers who traverse all streets (and alleys) and mneasute or estimate all categories of parking: + unrestricted spaces * truck or passenger loading zones + prohibited parking zones * types of off-street facility: + public unrestricted + public with charges or other restrictions + private (e.g., employees only) * commercial + categories considered in large-site studies: + ex. hospital with parking for doctors, employees, visitors, volunteers, and outpatients + capacity of off-street parking facility (number of slots) + parking fees (if any) of off-street parking facilitycurrent parking characteristics + information is typically required when the purpose of the study is more than simply to determine the maximum demand « the time of day when maximum demand occurs is important at sites such as hospitals or mixed-use commercial developments because of: + different users may be able to share parking because peak parking demands occur at different times of day (e.g., outpatients vs. visitors or office workers vs theatergoers) + average duration an individual space is occupied is important in determining whether time-limited on-street parking is appropriate and what time limit should be current and future demands «current demand - useful in determining: parking generation rate adequacy and surplus parking of areas of a site or section of the central business district (CBD)