Linear Program for System Optimal Parking Reservation Assignment

Most studies on traffic assignment ignore the substantial effects of searching for parking on travel times and congestion. Recent work on parking reservation systems provides an alternative to searching for parking by allocating parking spaces while travelers are en route, or before they depart. The necessary technologies are well established and generally available, but the network effects of parking reservation are not yet well understood. By using parking reservation systems, system optimal traffic assignment can be combined with parking space allocation to minimize the combination of in-vehicle travel time and time spent walking from parking to the destination. This paper modifies the linear program for system optimal dynamic traffic assignment of round-trip travel to include parking assignment. The parking location and time spent at the destination affect the departure time and source node for the return trip. The model is further extended to trip chains for travelers visiting multiple zones before returning to their residence. Numerical results quantify increases in walking time and in-vehicle travel time when primary parking is unavailable.