Optimizing urban mobility: a demand-based smart parking management strategy for Galle road corridor

Abstract

Parking congestion along the Galle Road Corridor in Sri Lanka is a significant urban mobility challenge, with high-demand areas frequently surpassing available parking supply. This study investigates the potential for optimizing parking space utilization by diverting vehicles from high-demand to lower-demand areas, leveraging variations in parking demand influenced by adjacent land use and time of day. Historical parking data from the Colombo Municipal Council and real-time vehicle speed data obtained via the Google Distance Matrix API were analyzed to identify patterns in vehicle distribution, parking durations, and demand fluctuations. A physical survey was conducted to validate the correlation between vehicle speed and parking demand. The findings suggest a viable strategy for a demand-based parking management system, with the help of the development of a mobile application. This application aims to dynamically manage parking availability, directing vehicles to less congested areas as needed. The study focuses on a single urban corridor, examining light and medium-duty vehicles, and proposes innovative methods implemented through mobile technology to address and alleviate urban parking challenges effectively.