/ MOBILITY & TECH
Five Straightforward Tips to Successful Curb Management By Carmen Donnell, CAPP
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S MUNICIPALITIES CONTINUE TO GROW AND CHANGE, so have their transporta-
tion needs, and perhaps nowhere is this more evident than with curb management. With the increase in pedestrians, bicycles, personal vehicles, traditional taxies and new ride-hailing companies, public transit, delivery drivers, and paratransit, it’s more difficult than ever to provide access to congested curbs while accommodating pass-through traffic. Recent years have seen a great deal of research about curb management, which has led to many new strategies and policies to improve mobility and functionality. The challenge is that no two scenarios are identical. Consequently, each municipality faces unique situations that need to be prioritized and addressed. To keep on track for creating and implementing functional, effective, and efficient curb management, here are five tips for managing the curb.
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Align Stakeholder Needs with Mobility Goals and Benchmarks
Focus on Stakeholder Buy-in Municipalities exist to serve the people who use them. So it is best to begin by considering the people who will be affected most by policy changes. Plans and policies should be designed to accomplish the needs of the community and the system as a whole. This will improve user adoption and compliance, and in turn, system success. To begin, get to know your stakeholder. Know their needs and patterns. Understand how the curb is currently being utilized, what is working, and what is not. Next, identify multiple ways for stakeholders to be compliant and multiple solutions for maximizing the usefulness of the curb. Then employ methods to encourage compliance that focus on changing behavior long-term vs. short -term. It’s often wise to institute a grace period regarding new codes and mandates to allow stakeholders time to adjust their behavior without penalty.
Once you know your stakeholders’ needs, how do you determine how to address them? Data. Search for and develop methods to acquire good, useful data that can be analyzed from multiple angles. When seeking technology partners, choose vendors that provide visual data as it is more easily understood by a wider range of people. If budget allows, employ a data analyst to observe historical trends and to predict future trends. Often, cost savings and revenue increases based on policy decisions can justify the cost of this position. Strong data analysis can provide insights into policy decisions by not just looking at the data, but also looking through it to discern the bigger picture and make the most of the information. Pro Tip: Develop a business plan to justify this investment in top-level data analysis.
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Pro Tip: Consider incentive programs that reward compliance vs. penalize for poor behavior. 14 PARKING & MOBILITY / SEPTEMBER 2020 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG
Seek Out New Revenue Streams With the multitude of stakeholders needing curb access, it is likely that single-space and private-vehicle parking inventories will be reduced or reassigned for other uses. When doing that, it is best to again look to stakeholders and plan to meet needs as best possible. Also, consider the replacement of lost revenues from metered parking with other streams of revenue. (i.e. short-term fees for passenger loading and unloading or delivery trucks, or altering pricing of parking on neighboring streets.) It’s essential to understand your stakeholders and their pricing tolerances and build programs tailored to what individual groups are willing