ON-STREET PARKING AND SUSTAINABLE TRAFFIC FLOW IN YENAGOA METROPOLIS

Aside street trading, On-street parking constitutes one of the major impediments to sustainable traffic flow in many Nigerian cities. The dearth of research of on-street parking in Bayelsa State makes it imperative to examine on-street parking and sustainable traffic flow in Yenagoa metropolis. A convenience survey research design was utilized. A volumetric count of vehicles at different road junctions and streets revealed the dominance of tricycles followed by cars and mini-buses. Results revealed that there was a significant variation in the occupation of respondents, access roads and parking spaces with F values of 5.540, 7.347 and 4.979 at 0.05 level. The binary logistic regression revealed that lack of access to residence and parking spaces are 1.8 times and 1.2 times more likely to influence on-street parking. This study recommends efficient of-street parking management, construction of well-designed and planned off-street parking facilities, sidewalks and road setbacks to improve street space for pedestrians, strengthening the planning and institutional framework for development control and enhance sustainable traffic flow within Yenagoa metropolis