Demand analysis of parking at Machap Northbound Rest and service area

Transportation planners need background information of parking generation in order to propose new developments and to predict changes in the parking generation. Most common factors on which the parking generation depends are gross floor area, number of staff employed at a facility, number of beds, etc. Unfortunately, in western as well as Asian countries including Malaysia, there is very little information on the parking generation for roadside rest areas. The parking generation of expressway rest area in Malaysia is believed to vary with time of the day, day of the week and depends on at least one or a few significant parameters. One of the factors influencing the parking demand is the prevailing vehicular volume on the major road, (North-South expressway). Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of vehicular volume on major road on parking demand at Rest Area. The trend of parking demand was conducted at Machap Northbound Rest Area located at North-South Expressway for 4 different days to allow significant variations of traffic volumes. The guidelines of the parking generation by ITE were followed while collecting the parking demand data. The main parameter used in this study was the vehicular volume on the major road, North-South (expressway). The study was conducted on different days to allow significant variation of traffic volumes. It was found that the traffic volume on the major road can be used as a predictor to the parking demand at rest areas. The linear regression between vehicle volume on major road and parking demand showed significant relationship with R2=0.9522. The finding obtained in this study was based on a constrained duration of study at one site, Machap Northbound Rest Area. Further investigation will be conducted at a few locations of rest areas for a better insight on the effect of the parameter to the parking demand