Can parking problems be dealt with efficiently? They can, but a broad view is required. And we have to dare to question what seems obvious. How can the best results be obtained? They can be achieved through various measures and by consultation between all parties concerned. And in this way win-win solutions are guaranteed to result. Our parking specialists always look for a good balance between all the parameters of a parking issue. This means that entrepreneurs, the authorities and users are all stakeholders in the parking policy opted for.
Parking Survey
Sweco has a long experience of carrying out parking surveys. We also map parking capacity and occupation rates using Mobile Mapping, the results of which are delivered in GIS files which you can easily supplement and edit according to your requirements.
Parking Policy and Balance
Starting with sustainability as an objective, Sweco has developed an analytical model which allows demand for parking space to be calculated. Here, double use is important – how and to what extent do different target groups use parking spaces? Double use allows up to thirty percent fewer parking spaces to be planned. And that results in cost- and space-saving, while at the same time increasing the revenue per parking space. We compared various scenarios for a new parking policy on behalf of the town of Vilvoorde. In some of these we proposed an underground parking garage. As well as the impact on mobility, we assessed technical and economic feasibility.
Parking Norms
Many large and small towns apply their own parking norms in the case of new projects. Sweco provides calculated validation.
Parking Garage Design
Sweco stands for the total design of parking plazas, underground garages or integrated parking lots in buildings. We always look for the ideal mix between efficient use of space and convenience. We apply the checklist used by the European Standard Parking Award (ESPA) to assess parking lots. An example? Sweco is developing a parking garage for four hundred cars beneath the Operaplein (Opera Square) in Antwerp. In this case we are supervising procurement of the concept design. We are studying organisation, stability, architectural engineering and special technologies such as ventilation and smoke and heat extractors.
Finance, Management and Operation
Do you manage or operate a parking facility? Right from the start it is important to have a good understanding of the financial feasibility, operational possibilities and the various ways a parking area can be organised. We provide advice regarding tasks best outsourced and those that are best carried out internally. On request from the Traffic and Transport Knowledge Platform in the Netherlands, we proposed a discussion paper on the outsourcing of parking tasks. On their behalf, we assessed the development, ownership, operation and management of parking garages. Various Belgian and Dutch local authorities became involved.
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Parking Facilities
Using a calculation model, Sweco assesses the value of a parking garage taking into account building, personnel and general costs as well as parking revenues. In this way we calculate the profitability and check whether the investment will pay for itself. We also demonstrate the consequences of changing any parameters in the model.
Temporary Parking Garages
Sweco always looks for sustainable and innovative solutions. Together with Ballast Nedam, we have developed a dismountable parking garage: 96% of the materials used are reusable! This is ideal as a temporary parking solution. Everything can be dismounted after use, then sold or rented out and reassembled in a new location.
Parking for Trucks and Bicycles
What about those trucks parked on the public highway at night or at the weekend, precisely when parking areas in industry zones are mostly empty. Coordinating the two situations is a logical solution. The town of Bruges asked Sweco to study the provision of attractive and thief-proof bicycle parking areas for its citizens, near their homes. In the narrow streets, with their small houses, it is not always possible to park a bicycle. We mapped the issue and possibilities for additional parking facilities.
