Enhancing rail transit accessibility: a data-centric approach to Park and Ride

Park and Ride (P&R) systems function as intermodal connectors, bridging private car use and rail transport. They help reduce Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT), potentially lowering emissions, and support the development of transit-oriented urban communities. However, European research indicates that P&R systems might inadvertently encourage increased car usage, creating a complex challenge for public transport planners. This study introduces new quantitative results using IoT-generated data from Austrian P&R facilities, analysing daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly usage patterns. Key findings reveal positive usage of commuters during the week and misuse of P&R facilities, such as overnight parking and inappropriate use of electric vehicle charging spots. The study proposes a data-centric P&R policy framework focusing on parking occupancy and open data integration, results show also a Pareto distribution of train departures and Austrian P&R occupancy during morning weekday peaks. This framework aims to provide tools for effective parking resource management and suggests further investigation into the multipurpose use of P&R facilities during off-peak times.