Differential parking pricing for shared vehicles. One identified venue to encourage car sharing among faculty/staff and students is via differential pricing of campus parking permits. The basic idea is to sell parking permits at different prices for different lots, different vehicle types, and different users. The spots in the popular lots shall be sold at higher prices, while those sharing cars (i.e., two or more persons purchasing one permit for one vehicle) or using low-emission vehicles shall receive discounts and/or priority for getting into a popular lot. It is proposed that a study could be performed in two phases, as follows:

Phase I: Feasibility study that

1. Conducts a series of surveys to (i) understand the attitude of the parking department, current users, and the general public toward the proposed differential pricing scheme; and (ii) collect information on the campus commute patterns (single vehicle vs. carpool vs. CUMTD transit, origin/destinations, and vehicle types).
2. Collects data on campus parking capacity, utilization pattern, and demand profile.
3. Develops statistical/econometric models based on the collected data to inform us about the likelihood for users to adapt their vehicle usage and parking preferences in the context of parking price change.

Phase II: Pilot implementation study that

1. Evaluates the effectiveness of differential pricing on enhancing parking capacity utilization and reducing single-occupancy vehicle usage, with possible field implementation on a small scale.