Date: July 1, 2024
Author(s): Michael Manville, Hao Ding
Abstract
Drawing on the California Household Travel Survey, we demonstrate strong associations between choosing to drive and having free parking at work or home. We find that the median household vehicle in California spends 22 hours a day parked, and that households with parking included in the rent or purchase price of their homes are more likely to drive,and less likely to use transit. We further find that employees with free parking at work are more likely to drive for their commutes. We estimate regressions that analyze the decision to work from home. Largely for data reasons, these regressions are less conclusive.
About the Project
California has a strong interest in reducing the externalities of vehicle travel. Parking policy offers one possible lever. When parking is abundant and free, theory and evidence both suggest that driving will be more attractive, and transit use less so. Taking steps to make free parking less prevalent, therefore, could nudge travel behavior in a more desirable direction. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, moreover, there is interest in the future of telework. Here too, parking could play a role, although its influence is more ambiguous a priori. This project draws on the 2010-2012 California Household Travel Survey (CHTS) to revisit the potential of parking policy to influence travel behavior.