VEHICLE PARKING AVAILABILITY IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT OF IRBID CITY - JORDAN (A CASE STUDY)

Population growth is driving the need to increase the number of parking spaces in crowded cities especially in central business districts (CBDs). A case study was conducted involving different parking location types (Surface parking lots, multi-story building parking, or the on-street parking) to describe the behavior of parkers in the CBD of Irbid city. A parking location demand model was developed to interpret the behavior of parkers in choosing a parking spot. This study includes the development and application of a methodology to develop a demand Multinomial Logit model (MNL) to state the preferences of parkers. SPSS software (Statistical package for the social sciences) was used to analyse the results of a questionnaire-based survey. GIS model builder was utilized to develop a gravity model, so drivers could find the nearest parking location with highest attraction level, based on their preferences, with the shortest route. GIS is a vital tool to propose scenarios for the selection of optimum sites for the construction of an off-street multi-story parking, using the location-allocation algorithm. Results of the analysis revealed that demand is positively related to the walking distance between the parking lot and the parkers' destination and with the parking period in hours. In contrast, demand is negatively related to parking difficulty and purpose of trip.