ParkCap

Motorists are keenly aware that the capacity of parking spaces is limited in town and that in the event of saturation they have to wait for a free or inexpensive space to become available, or pay for a more expensive space, or find one that is further away.

ParkCap is an integrated vehicle traffic and parking model that was developed at the École des Ponts ParisTech, under the direction of Fabien Leurent, in order to deal with the morning rush hour on a working day. This model makes it possible to anticipate traffic due to the search for a parking space and its impacts in terms of road congestion, delays for users, energy consumption and pollutant emissions.

The formulation of the cost of finding a parking space is an essential component of the model, the key to innovation. In fact, ParkCap takes into account the costs of searching for and accessing the destination which guide users’ choices.

The model is intended for operational applications to inform decision-makers in the design of a neighbourhood- or city-wide parking plan. To demonstrate its feasibility, a case study was carried out by Houda Boujnah for the Cité Descartes neighbourhood (Marne-la-Vallée).