A peak demand parking facility serves a venue whose demand arrives in surges, such as a stadium, arena, convention center or theater, where most parkers arrive within an hour or two and leave within minutes of each other.
The design problem is throughput, not storage. A garage that holds its cars well but empties slowly fails the moment the event ends. Entry and exit lanes, ramp and aisle capacity, pedestrian routes and the payment method all have to be sized for the surge. See event parking and design hour.
Design priorities
- Enough exit lanes and street connections to clear the facility in an acceptable time.
- Circulation that lets drivers leave without passing every space. See express ramp.
- Separate, protected pedestrian routes for the crowd leaving the venue.
- Staging for buses, ride-hail and shuttles away from the parking traffic. See mobility court.
Operating priorities
- Collect payment before or on arrival, or use pre-booked and gateless systems, so exits are not slowed by payment.
- Attendants and traffic control at peak times.
- Where an event garage also serves other users, such as a hotel, the PARCS must apply the right rate to each group.
The Parkonomics view
An event garage is judged by one number: how long it takes the last car to leave. Every design and operating decision should be tested against that clock.
Related terms: Event Parking, Design Day and Design Hour, Express Ramp, Gateless Parking, Pre-Booked Parking, PARCS