Renata Smit

"Formal Park and Share Facilities"

Would the provision of formal park and share facilities be useful / relevant in New Zealand? If yes, then what are the key criteria one should look for to best ensure a successful facility? This paper and presentation describes two projects that Renata was involved in whilst working in the UK that looked at providing formal park and share facilities. Experiences learnt from these projects may be of interest to New Zealanders thinking about this ‘other’ tool of the TDM toolbox.

The first study was undertaken for the Highways Agency and aimed to assess the feasibility of providing for and improving car sharing opportunities within the South West motorway network. Informal car sharing was already occurring along the corridor and it was felt that providing more formal facilities would encourage greater levels of car sharing – and ultimately help make better use of the existing motorway network. The study looked at examples where formal park and share facilities are already in operation (e.g. in The Netherlands and Northern Ireland); identified potential sites along the corridor suitable for formal park and share facility provision; and recommend sites suitable for a pilot test.

The second study was for South Gloucestershire Council. Car sharing was a key component of the council’s sustainable transport strategy and the council wished to pilot a formal park and share facility within their area. The council already had a site in mind and Renata was responsible for developing the scheme proposal further, acquiring private landowner support, developing the scheme detailed design and assisting the council in developing the marketing strategy to promote use of the facility.

The facility was opened in March 2004 and was England’s first formal park and share facility. Unfortunately, the facility has since been closed due to low levels of use. However, the trial provided some useful “lessons to be learnt” which may be of interest to transport practitioners thinking about the relevance of formal park and share facilities in the New Zealand context.

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