From Micro-Manuevers to Macro-Impacts: Assessing On-Street Parking Effects on Traffic Flow Efficiency

The rapid growth of the global vehicle fleet has intensified demand for on-street parking, which, while convenient, often disrupts traffic flow and reduces road capacity. This study investigates how on-street parking maneuvers disrupt traffic by quantifying the Parking Impact Duration (PID). Findings show PID varies by maneuver type (e.g., 31.80s for curb-side parking) and correlates with vehicle length. Simulations confirm parking significantly reduces road speed and Level of Service (LOS), especially on single-lane roads, due to macro supply-demand imbalance and micro-level delays from larger vehicles. A two-tier management framework is proposed: macro dynamic control using LOS thresholds, and micro guidance like dedicated zones for long vehicles and directing drivers to spaces with shorter PIDs. Simulations show these measures can improve speeds by over 150% in high-demand scenarios, offering strategies to balance parking needs with traffic flow.