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Motoring towards 2050:

Shopping, Parkering og Transport

Sentrums Konferansen OSLO

Wednesday 26th September

Edmund King – Executive Director RAC Foundation

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RAC Foundation Reports

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Parking Report Background

Parking should be an integral part of transport policy.

It is a source of stress for motorists.

The situation will get worse as car ownership grows and local authorities become more reluctant to match it with increased parking.

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Attitudes to Parking (1)

Importance of parking Over 30% of people would move home

if their car parking spaces were threatened.

25% would consider changing jobs rather than giving up their parking space at work.

Parking is essential at both ends of a car journey.

If people can’t park the journey is frustrated.

Parking, or lack of, largely determines where we live, work, shop and play.

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Attitudes to Parking (2)

29% have given up on a journey and returned home due to lack of parking.

28% waited more than 20mins to get a space.

41% only use their garages for parking. 56% would convert their garden for

parking if residential parking were unavailable.

37% have used a disabled bay if none other available.

45% feel unsafe walking through car parks at night.

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Parking Report Key Findings (1)

Unless more parking spaces are provided, both on and off street, demand will not be met.

Only £29m spent on parking last year whilst £48m and £75m spent on cycling and pedestrian facilities respectively.

Parking enforcement strategies focus on revenue raising rather than free traffic flow.

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Parking Report Key Findings (2)

Planning policies are restricting parking spaces whilst demand grows.

Motorists are willing to pay for good quality car parking and new solutions, e.g. underground silos, to increase availability.

Park and Ride, Park and Car Share provision could be increased.

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Parking Enforcement

Car parking revenue charges and fines amount to almost £1bn (Source: DfT, 2005).

Regulations are confusing. Signing is unclear. Over-zealous parking

attendants can scare off shoppers. 1 in 10 motorists have argued

with a parking attendant. Drivers can always shop in other towns.

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Key Recommendations (1)

Cars should park off street where possible. 1.5 spaces per household should be a min, not a max standard for new developments.

On existing developments, other means should be found to create off street spaces.

Unnecessary yellow lines should be removed after regular reviews.

Urban car parks should be retained/replaced.

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Key Recommendations (2)

Parking enforcement should be used to keep traffic moving rather than to raise revenue.

Regulations and signage should be simple and intelligible.

Parking attendants should be allowed some discretion.

Parking at transport interchanges should be increased.

IT can provide drivers with real time information about available car parking.

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Parking Policy

Policies on parking are too often:

Badly thought out Inconsistent Unable to meet current and future needs.

Parking is essential. If a trip cannot be completed or motorists are not clear about the regulations, many will give up and go home.

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Shopping Report and Congestion Charges

Follow up report, ‘Motoring towards 2050: Shopping and Transport Policy’;

31% of shoppers would drive to a different town if a £5 charge were introduced.

27% would choose a different mode. 21% would travel less often.

The RAC Foundation recommends lower or zero off-peak charges plus better parking to encourage motorists to shop locally.

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Shopping Travel

70% of shoppers arrive by car. Non-car owning shoppers also

travel by car for one third of their trips.

54% have experienced congested roads when on a shopping trip.

The average number of shopping trips has fallen by 13% over past decade.

But length of trips has increased by over 10%.

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The Car: Shopping Trolley of Choice

People prefer to shop by car because it offers:

Convenience – 63% Carryability – 56% A means to make long trips – 47% A means to make chained trips

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Future Trends in Shopping

The Internet is the fastest growing market in the retail sector.

60% UK households have computers (80% connected by broadband).

Almost 50% of men and women have shopped on line for goods and services (other than tickets).

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Internet Shopping

Reasons for Internet shopping: Ease of price comparison

(75%). No need to use the car on

congested roads (75%). Money saved by not

making the trip to the shops.

Delivery is trouble free (91%).

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But…are fewer trips made overall?

More leisure trips? More delivery vans? Trips to view goods later

bought on line? (80%) Overall impact on parking? Increased use of public

transport since no goods to carry?

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Key Recommendations of Shopping Report

Long term vision is essential. Cars can’t be wished away.

60% shopping trips and 80% shopping mileage done by car.

Parking is a service not a source of revenue.

Planning needs to reflect reality of how we live.

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Contact Details

Edmund KingExecutive DirectorRAC Foundation for Motoring Ltd.89-91 Pall Mall,LONDON. SW1Y 5HSTel no: 020 7747 3445