Investigating the Impact of Urban Curbside Parking on Road Traffic Flow

Curbside parking provides a parking option for certain vehicle owners by utilizing road space reasonably without disrupting traffic order, thereby alleviating parking difficulties and mitigating traffic congestion. However, due to issues such as inadequate relevant laws and regulations, inconsistent management levels, and others, while addressing parking shortages and congestion, curbside parking also adversely impacts road traffic capacity and exacerbates obstruction within the traffic stream.Within this context, this paper analyzes the impact of curbside parking on road traffic flow, investigating the mechanisms and influencing factors through which it affects road capacity. Utilizing the VISSIM simulation software, a microscopic simulation model for road segments with curbside parking was established. Simulation experiments yielded the variation patterns of road capacity under different curbside parking influencing factors, using vehicle travel time and delay rate as evaluation metrics. These findings provide a reference for the scientific and standardized management of urban curbside parking.The study reveals that excessive or poorly managed curbside parking not only detrimentally affects traffic flow, leading to reduced segment efficiency, but also triggers vehicle crowding and blockage problems along the roadway.