Shared Transit Parking in Multifamily Developments: A Geospatial Analysis for King County Metro Transit

Abstract

Park and rides are an integral part of the Puget Sound region transportation system. During the 4th Quarter of 2014, 20,054 park and ride spaces were used on an average daily basis, resulting in nearly 80% of the system utilized on a given day. Due to rising transit ridership and increased demand for park and ride spaces, transit agencies are pressured to build new parking facilities, which is costly and can be controversial in some neighborhoods. A new solution to this parking problem is to use existing parking in multifamily developments near good transit service as an opportunity to share parking with transit riders. This thesis constitutes a geospatial analysis to support research funded by a federal grant awarded to King County Metro Transit. This thesis employs a proximity analysis of parcels based on King County Assessor data near an Ideal Transit Service Network, created by the researcher. Recommendations of where to locate potential pilot projects are presented in groups and clusters of parcels using two methods through a series of tables and maps, spanning many jurisdictions in King County, WA. Lastly, variables for further research are highlighted that will likely influence a successful potential pilot location.