Investigating effectiveness of on-street parking pricing schemes in urban areas. An empirical study in Rome

Management of on-street parking is a long-standing issue, impacting on livability of urban environments, and against which there is not a common solving approach. According to an extensive literature review, the price elasticity of parking demand widely ranges from −0.14 to −1.02. Besides, the existing gap between the theoretical background and parking practices implemented by cities does not allow framing local experiences into a systemic view. The above confirms the multifaceted and complex nature of such topic. This paper summarizes the findings of a study aimed at investigating whether and to what extent specific parkers' behaviors can affect the success of a parking pricing strategy. Starting from the analysis of possible attitudes of parking users (systematic and occasional) in four high-attractive potential districts of the city of Rome, the key variables affecting their decision making process were identified. According to a framing of desired parkers' behaviors as well as possible side effects deriving from unwanted habits, the statistical relationship between the key variables and such users' attitudes was also examined. The effectiveness of selected parking pricing schemes was finally assessed, also drawing up a sort of parking user's taxonomy. In doing so, it is intended to provide a further contribution fueling the debate of on-street parking management and a support for local Authorities coping with pricing issues.