PLANNING OF PARK-AND-RIDE FACILITIES AS FIRSTMILE CONNECTIVITY TO METRO STATIONS

Abstract

The primary aim of this study is to develop an understanding of the planning of park-andride as first-mile connectivity to metro stations in the Indian context. To achieve this aim, the present study investigates user perception toward attributes influencing the existing access modes to metro stations in the Indian context, estimates perceived benefit to drivealone users due to improvement in the attributes influencing the choice of park-and-ride, identifies potential park-and-ride facility locations around metro stations, and estimates the modal shift of drive-alone users to park-and-ride. The drive-alone users are considered potential users of park-and-ride. The research work is illustrated using data from users in Delhi, capital city of India. The present research is divided into four major sections. In the first section, an access modespecific user perception survey was conducted in Delhi where the user-stated importance and satisfaction ratings toward the service quality attributes influencing the three existing access modes and the overall satisfaction with the access mode were recorded on a sixpoint Likert-type ordinal rating scale. Firstly, three multi-attribute decision making methods namely, Relative to an Identified Distribution Integral Transformation (RIDIT), Grey Relation Analysis (GRA) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) were used to obtain the importance and satisfaction-based prioritization of the service quality attributes corresponding to each of the existing access modes. Secondly, heterogeneity in users’ perceptions was investigated toward the access modespecific attributes was investigated using Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon W tests. Then, Revised Importance-Performance Analysis (Revised IPA) was employed to evaluate users’ importance and satisfaction ratings toward the attributes and determine the priority intervention areas for the existing access modes. Further, a priority order for resource allocation was proposed to improve the access modes. Finally, the ranking results of GRA and priority intervention areas derived from Revised IPA were combined to obtain the priority attributes. The top priority attributes identified for private vehicle access mode namely, in-vehicle travel time, designated parking facilities, presence of variable message signs, parking guidance information and parking cost were further included in travel behavior analysis for valuation of attributes and estimation of perceived benefit to drivealone users on shifting to park-and-ride in the Indian context.