Why Getting Parking Right Matters For Our Cities

A recent article in Local Transport Today highlights the resurgence of Park & Ride (P&R) across the UK this summer, with local authorities offering renewed investment, upgrades, and expansion of existing P&R services across the UK.

Case Studies:

• Warwickshire: Extended P&R to seven days a week for greater accessibility.
• York: £4m of BSIP funding allocated to upgrading five P&R sites.
• Brighton & Hove: Launched a summer P&R scheme to reduce congestion.
• Portsmouth: Rebranded and modernised its P&R with targeted marketing, improved customer service, and digital ticketing — achieving passenger growth of 16% in a year.

Getting P&R Right

While this this summer’s resurgence in P&R may prove to be the holy grail for sustainable, affordable travel, the article cannot stress enough how it will only work if the details are right. Bus operations expert Andrew Gibbons of Leicester City Council sees two right and wrong models emerging.

• Well-managed LTA partnerships that treat P&R as a complete package (site, bus, priority, fares, customer experience). These thrive and are well used.
• Underfunded/fragmented LTA sites with rudimentary management and fares managed by a local operator decline in usage because services are unreliable, poorly marketed, and inconvenient.

When done right, P&R is a cost-effective alternative to city centre parking. It boosts ridership, reduces congestion, and produces fewer emissions compared to individual cars.

How Cities Like York And Leeds Are Leading The Way

At Cammax, we couldn’t agree more with the article’s central point: Park & Ride only succeeds when the details are right.

From investment in reliable, frequent bus services to user-friendly ticketing and clear information at every stage of the journey, the difference between thriving P&R schemes and struggling ones often comes down to execution and successful partnerships with local authorities, operators and technology providers.

We have seen this first-hand through our work supporting flourishing Park & Ride sites, including York and Elland Road in Leeds. Both have demonstrated how well-designed infrastructure, user-friendly ticketing kiosks that cater for flexible payment methods & smart card schemes make P&R the preferred option for thousands of daily commuters and visitors.

Improving The Passenger Experience

With lighting, heating and toilet facilities, Park & Ride hubs provide a safe, secure waiting room for passengers.  The Portsmouth case study underlines what many in the sector already know: P&R is more than just a parking facility with a bus link. It’s a strategic tool for easing passenger frustration, tackling congestion, promoting travel sustainability, and creating more liveable cities. When local authorities, operators, and technology providers work together to prioritise clarity, convenience, and customer care, P&R can truly flourish.

The resurgence of interest in P&R is encouraging. The challenge now is to ensure more authorities follow the path of Portsmouth, York, and others who are setting the benchmark for what “done right” looks like.

Read the full news article here.