What is Parking Demand Management?

Employers must find ways to both accommodate and shape employee commute habits. With a growing number of cars on the road comes an increasing demand for parking at worksites.

Parking demand management employs policies and strategies to:

• Help reduce parking demand,
• Reserve parking for specific trips and users, and
• Promote use of alternatives to driving alone.

Common strategies may include offering fee-based permits for parking or preferential or preferred parking. This type of employer perk offers employees access to special parking spaces, normally located closest to building entrances, if employees meet certain criteria. Examples include reserving spots for employees who commute in a carpool or vanpool or those who drive a low-emission vehicle.

The Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program, which was signed into law in 2012, requires employers in the Bay Area counties with 50 or more full-time employees to encourage employees to use some form of public transport instead of single-occupancy vehicle driving. Supplying preferred parking is one way for employers to meet the alternative commuter benefit criteria.