Memorandum

Date     May 1, 2014

To          Congestion Management Process Committee
Boston Region MPO

From    Ryan Hicks and Hiral Gandhi
MPO Staff

Re          2012–13 Inventory of Park-and-Ride Lots at MBTA Facilities

1         Introducton

The primary purpose of this memorandum is to present the results from the 2012–13 inventory of park-and-ride lots serving Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) facilities. Comparisons to previous inventories are also included in this memorandum.

Between October 2012 and June 2013, Boston Region MPO staff inventoried MBTA, private, and town-operated parking facilities at 149 locations comprising 116 commuter rail stations, 28 rapid transit stations, three ferry terminals, and two express bus origin locations. Appendix A contains tables of parking utilization rates for all of the parking lots that were surveyed. Appendix E consists of detailed comparisons of the 2012–13 inventory with previous inventories by transit mode. Information about parking fees, and several maps that display inventoried data, are in Appendices B, C, D, and F.

This memorandum has five main sections and six appendices. The main sections are:

1. Introduction
2. Background
3. Inventory results: parking utilization
4. Major Regional Park-and-Ride Lots and Park-and-Ride Lots at Terminal Stations
5. Inventory Results: Amenities
6. Conclusion 

2         Background

The Congestion Management Process (CMP) is an ongoing Boston Region MPO program. One of the CMP’s objectives is to monitor congestion-related performance measures for the region’s transportation system. The monitored CMP facilities include arterial roadways, freeways, commuter rail, rapid transit, buses, park-and-ride, and bicycle/pedestrian facilities. As part of the CMP, data are collected, gathered, and analyzed on a periodic basis. Planners and decision makers can refer to these data to identify needs, and to prioritize transportation projects and program funds.

This memorandum uses primarily parking utilization rates to assess the surplus or deficiencies of parking capacity at park-and-ride lots that serve MBTA stations. Parking utilization is defined in this report as the percentage of nonaccessible spaces that do not require a permit that are used by the end of the MBTA-defined AM peak period, which ends after the last inbound peak-period train, bus, or ferry leaves its respective station, as indicated by the MBTA’s online schedule.1,2 Parking utilization rates can indicate how commuters are impacted by changes such as the addition of spaces, construction of a park-and ride lot, addition of a new station, or change in the cost of an MBTA transit pass. Data posted on the web can be used by the public to make decisions about travel plans, based on information about the capacity and utilization of a parking lot on a typical day.

Prior to the 2012–13 inventory, park-and-ride data for MBTA stations were last collected between January 2009 and August 2010.3 Previous inventories were done in 2000, 2002, and 2005–06. The 2002 inventory included only park-and-ride lots that were located in the Boston Region MPO area, and used data from the 2000 inventory for lots that were located outside of the Boston Region MPO area.

2.1      Data Collection

Park-and-ride lots were inventoried by performing a one-time observation during the morning peak period of a typical weekday between October 2012 and June 2013. A typical weekday is defined as a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday that is not a holiday. 4^,5

For the purpose of this survey, MPO staff developed a survey form (Appendix C). When completed, the form contains information about each parking lot, including the parking lot ownership, parking cost and restrictions, number of parking spaces, and number of parked vehicles. All of this information is summarized in Appendix A. The surveyors were instructed to survey each lot immediately after the last inbound peak-period trip. The time of the last inbound train, express bus, or ferry varies by station. After the last AM peak-period train, ferry, or express bus departed the station, the surveyor inventoried every parking lot that was used for a given station or express bus origin location. A separate survey form was filled out for each parking lot, as many stations have several nearby parking lots.

All park-and-ride lots that are known to serve MBTA commuters were surveyed. (Lots serving only commuters who use non-MBTA transportation were not surveyed.6) The lots surveyed included all MBTA-owned, privately owned, and town lots at all commuter rail, rapid transit, and commuter ferry stations, and at all express bus origin locations. The locations of these lots were ascertained from past inventories, information provided on the MBTA’s website (www.mbta.com), and field visits performed by MPO staff.

All of the parking spaces referred to in this memorandum, unless otherwise indicated, are nonaccessible, non-permit parking spaces, and the total capacity and utilization rates were calculated for each station. Section 5.2 gives data on the availability of accessible parking along each transit line. Many stations have permit-only lots in addition to public lots. Most permit-parking lots are either municipally or privately owned, and their use is restricted to permit owners. In many cases, a local residency is required in order to obtain a permit. Because the focus of this memorandum is on the availability of parking to the general public at MBTA park-and-ride lots, the permit-only and resident-only parking spaces are excluded from totals and utilization percentages for all modes of transit. However, permit-only and resident-only parking spaces were included in the survey, and this memorandum includes the discussion of the availability and utilization of these spaces in section 5.3.

2.2      Factors Impacting MBTA Parking Lot Utilization over Time

Since the earlier inventories were conducted, there have been many changes that could have affected parking lot utilization by MBTA customers: changes in the economy, MBTA fares, and the number of available parking spaces. Some of these changes are recent, while others are periodically recurring, regardless of the time period. Although it is not possible to estimate the degree of contribution of each of these factors to the utilization of parking spaces, the factors are summarized here so that the reader can take them into account while reviewing the 2012–13 inventory results.

           Changes in Parking Capacity: 2009–10 and 2012–13 Inventories

There have been changes in parking capacity since the 2009–10 inventory was completed. One of the changes is a net increase of 1,846 public, non-permit parking spaces near MBTA stations since the 2009–10 inventory.7 This resulted from the removal of 2,848 spaces at certain stations and the addition of 2,832 spaces at other stations. In addition, a total of 1,668 spaces were added at the T. F. Green Airport and Wickford Junction stations, both of which opened since the previous inventory was conducted). There are 194 parking spaces at the Watertown Yard parking lot that are not included in this comparison because the station was not surveyed for in 2009–10 inventory.

The new T.F. Green Airport and Wickford Junction stations’ parking capacity and utilization are included in the 2012–13 inventory analysis. The additional parking spaces associated with the new stations contribute to the perception that the overall utilization of a portion of the MBTA system has decreased. There have also been locations within the MBTA system where parking lots near stations have closed; the result is that nearby parking lots have experienced increases in utilization. This could imply that nearby stations have added new commuters, whereas these new commuters had been displaced from the closed parking lots. An example of a parking lot that was closed is the parking facility near the Quincy Center MBTA station, which provided 863 parking spaces; it was closed after the 2009–10 inventory.8 Due in large part to parking facility closures, the total public non-permit parking spaces near MBTA stations that were surveyed in both 2009–10 and 2012–13 has decreased by 16 spaces between those two inventories.

Table 1 lists the stations where the total number of parking spaces (not including permit–only or accessible spaces) had changed by either 150 or more spaces, or by more than 50 percent, since the 2009–10 inventory.

           MBTA Parking Fare Changes

Since the 2009–10 inventory was conducted, daily parking fees have changed at 33 MBTA stations. At the time of the 2012–13 survey, most commuter rail stations charged $3.00 to $4.00 per day. At most of the rapid transit stations, parking fees ranged from $5.00 to $7.00. The stations that experienced changes in parking fees are listed in Table 2.

Previous parking rate increases took place on November 15, 2008, when the rates for most MBTA stations increased by $2.00, and on July 1, 2005, when the prices of rapid transit parking increased by 50 cents. There was also an increase on January 6, 2003, when prices increased by 50 cents at rapid transit stations and by $1.00 at commuter rail stations.

In January 2011, the MBTA announced the availability of monthly parking permits for selected MBTA stations. At the time of the 2012–13 inventory, there were 77 MBTA stations that had monthly parking available. The rate for most of the lots was $70.00, saving regular commuters approximately $10.00 a month compared to the cost of paying daily. Figure B‑2, in Appendix B, is a map showing the minimum parking fee at each station.

Table 1

Stations with Significant Changes in the Number of Parking Spaces between
the 2009–10 and 2012–13 Inventories

Table 2

Stations with Parking Fare Changes between the
2009–10 and 2012–13 Inventories

^a     New station

N/A = not applicable

           State Fiscal Year 2013 Changes in MBTA Boarding Fares

On July 1, 2012, the MBTA implemented changes in its service fare structure. These are shown in Appendix F. The notable fare changes are:

• Rapid transit fees increased from $1.70 to $2.00 per ride ($2.50 if paying by CharlieTicket or cash).
• The outer express buses that serve bus Route 354, which stops at the Montvale Avenue park-and-ride lot, in Woburn, increased from $4.00 to $5.00 per ride ($6.50 if paying by CharlieTicket or cash).
• Commuter rail monthly passes experienced increases of $11.00 to $64.00 per month, depending on the zone of travel. (Single rides increased by $.30 to $2.25, depending on the zone of travel.)
• Commuter ferry monthly passes increased from $198.00 to $262.00 per month. (Single rides experiences increases of $1.30 to $4.00 per trip, depending on the route).

           MBTA Service Changes 2010–13

In the period between the 2009–10 and 2012–13 inventories, there were several MBTA service changes. Although many of those changes seem minor, they may have had significant impacts on the park-and-ride utilization at certain MBTA stations. For example, if a feeder bus service is reduced, more commuters may instead drive to MBTA stations, causing parking utilization to increase at those stations.

           State Fiscal Year 2013 MBTA Service Changes9

In July 2012, the MBTA implemented significant service changes in an effort to balance its budget. The service changes that potentially affected the peak-period commute at the MBTA stations that were surveyed for the 2012–13 park-and-ride inventory are listed below:

• MBTA bus Routes 355 and 500 were eliminated.
• Bus Routes 52, 217, 351, 354, 439, 441, 442, 451, 455, and 555 all experienced schedule or route changes.

           Other MBTA Service Changes, 2010–1310

In addition to the FFY 2012 MBTA service changes, there were other notable alterations to the MBTA system that may have had an impact on the park-and-ride utilization at stations. The changes are listed below.

• Additional AM and PM peak-period trips were added to bus Route 62 in September 2010, and all express trips along this bus route were replaced with local trips.
• T. F. Green Airport and Wickford Junction MBTA stations opened along the Providence/Stoughton Line in December 2010 and April 2012, respectively.
• Some trains began operating as three-car trains along the Green Line Riverside Branch during the AM and PM peak period in October 2010. Before the service change, one- and two-car trains operated along the Riverside Branch. The use of three-car trains was implemented on the Heath Street branch from Brigham Circle to Lechmere during the AM   peak period in March 2011.
• A new station opened on the Fairmont Line, at Talbot Avenue, in November of 2012. New stations at Four Corners/Geneva Avenue and Newmarket opened in July of 2013. Six daily round-trips were added to the Fairmount Line in July 2013.
• The Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced the completion of the purchase of the trackage between Framingham and Worcester from CSX Railroad in October 2012.

           The Economy

Beginning in December 2007, the United States economy underwent a severe recession; its effects were still being felt at the time of the 2012–2013 inventory. Even though the Boston region was not one of the hardest hit US regions, the impact of the recession was evident. An economic recession generally results in an increase in the unemployment rate. Therefore, fewer people commute to work, resulting in a drop in utilization of all transportation facilities. Many MBTA commuters work either in the central business district in Boston or at various commercial activity centers located throughout the Boston region. When these centers experience increases in unemployment, there is a decrease in daily commuting to those centers.

Since the 2009–10 parking inventory was completed, the economy has continued to improve, which led to more people commuting to work.11, Commuting has increased since then, reflecting the economic turnaround.

           Increased Popularity of Public Transportation

Over the last few years, public transportation has been increasing in popularity nationwide despite service cuts and fare increases. Some of the contributing factors are:

• The increases in the cost, and decreasing convenience, of commuting by automobile
• Technical improvements such as smartphones are improving the ease of use of public transportation.
• Demographic shifts, as the millennial generation often values the convenience of public transportation and technology over automobile ownership. Baby boomers who are approaching retirement are also embracing the convenience of public transportation.
• The improving economy is enabling more commuters to return to work, which results in an increase in the usage of all transportation modes.
• Population increases nationwide and in the Boston region mean that there are more commuters, who will need to use some mode or modes of the transportation system, including public transportation.
• Gasoline prices increased 44 percent between the 2009–10 and 2012–13 inventories.12,13 When gasoline prices increase, commuters tend to take public transportation to cut commuting costs. This can indirectly result in an increase in systemwide parking utilization.

           Station Parking Lot Construction

Certain MBTA stations and nearby parking lots were under construction at the time of observation (see Appendix A for information about specific stations that were under construction at the time of the survey).

Several MBTA station platforms, elevators, ramps, and other access points were under construction at the time of observation. Construction at MBTA stations may prompt commuters to use other MBTA stations to complete their trip, which may have resulted in an increase in parking utilization at nearby stations. This is especially true if the construction temporarily causes a station to cease being ADA-accessible.

Construction in the parking lots near MBTA stations may temporarily reduce parking capacity, which can make it seem that parking utilization has increased. Another effect of parking lot construction is the resulting confusion of commuters about where parking is permitted and how much it costs.

           Conversion of Public Parking to Permit Parking

The permitted usage of municipally and privately owned parking lots near some MBTA stations has changed since the 2009–10 inventory for various reasons. Public lots allow any commuter to park in the lot, as long as the parking fee is paid. Permit-only parking lots only allow commuters who have a parking pass from a municipality or other entity to park at the specified location. Green Street Station, located on the Orange Line, and Winchester Station, located on the Lowell Line, are now exclusively served by permit-only spaces. Permit parking is generally not included in the analysis performed for this memorandum, as the memorandum focuses on parking availability for the general public. However, the locations of permit-only and resident-only parking near MBTA stations are discussed in section 5.3.

 3        Inventory results: parking utilization

An analysis of the inventory results indicated a total net increase of about 1,846parking spaces in the MBTA park-and-ride system between the 2009-10 inventory and the 2012–13 inventory. On a typical weekday morning, 61 percent of all parking spaces for all modes in the MBTA system were utilized. As shown in Figure 1, there was a 3 percent increase in utilization from the 2009–10 survey to the 2012–13 survey, but a 16 percent decrease in the utilization rate from  the 2005–06 inventory because there was a net increase in the number of parking spaces. Major changes that may have affected the utilization include the addition of the T. F. Green Airport and Wickford Junction MBTA stations, the removal of the Quincy Center Garage, the conversion of public parking spaces to permit-only spaces, and station construction. T. F. Green Airport and Wickford Junction stations experience low utilization because they are relatively new.

The breakdown of parking utilization rates is 55 percent utilization for the commuter rail system, 74 percent utilization for the rapid transit system, 84 percent utilization for express bus, and 49 percent utilization for commuter ferry.14 Figure 2 graphically shows the parking capacity and utilization for each individual station that was collected for the 2012–13 inventory. For a graphical comparison of the parking utilization difference between the 2009–10 and 2012–13 inventories by individual station, refer to Figure B-1, in Appendix B.

3.1      Commuter Rail

Table 3 shows the commuter rail park-and-ride utilization by line.

Table 3

Commuter Rail Parking Inventory and Percent of
Parking Utilization at Park-and-Ride Lots
near MBTA Stations, 2012–13

a    The parking lots near the North Leominster, Littleton, Wedgemere, Beverly Depot, Needham Center, Needham Heights, Attleboro, and South Attleboro stations were under construction at the time of the survey 2012–13. The parking utilization and capacity may have been temporarily affected as a result.

           Fitchburg/South Acton Line15

On the Fitchburg/South Acton Line, 61 percent of all parking spaces were utilized during the AM peak period. At the 15 stations on this line that routinely provide parking, Kendall Green and South Acton filled during the AM peak period. Waltham Station had a 98 percent parking utilization rate during the AM peak period. In addition to the parking spaces that do not require a permit, there are 452 parking spaces that are resident-only or permit-only; 80 percent of those parking spaces were in use. There are 44 accessible spaces available along the line, 14 percent of which were utilized.

           Haverhill Line

During the AM peak period, 57 percent of the 2,061 parking spaces available for public use were filled. At the 12 stations on the Haverhill Line that have parking lots, only North Wilmington Station filled to capacity during the AM peak period. There are additional 60 additional parking spaces, at Reading Station, but they are restricted to residents of Reading. Of those parking spaces, 88 percent were in use by the end of the morning peak period. There are also 13 permit-only spaces at Bradford Station, 9 of which were occupied. There are also 49 accessible parking spaces near stations along the Haverhill Line. Four percent of those spaces were utilized.

           Lowell Line16,17

The parking utilization rate decreased by 17 percent on the Lowell Line between the 2009–10 inventory and the 2012–13 inventory. Of the seven stations on the Lowell Line that have parking, both the Wedgemere and West Medford lots filled up during the AM peak period. The Winchester town lot that is located west of the station also filled up during the morning peak period. The Wilmington Station lot had 184 spaces in use out of the 191 spaces available. The Lowell Line had 59 accessible parking spaces near its stations and 24 percent were utilized.

           Newburyport/Rockport Line

There are 3,539 parking spaces available for public use on the Newburyport/Rockport Line; 46 percent of those parking spaces were in use during the AM peak period. Of the 16 stations on the line that have parking lots, Beverly Depot was the only station that filled to capacity during the AM peak period.18 There are 18 parking spaces at Swampscott Station. There are 125 public parking spaces and 18 resident-only spaces. All of the resident-only parking spaces were utilized during the AM peak period. The Newburyport/Rockport Line has 106 accessible parking spaces. Of these accessible spaces, 10 percent were utilized.

           Fairmount Line

Readville and Fairmount are the only two stations on the Fairmount Line that have public parking.19 Of the 387 public parking spaces, 35 percent were filled during the AM peak period. There are no permit-only parking spaces on this line. The Fairmont Line has 21 accessible parking spaces, 19 percent of which were utilized.

           Framingham/Worcester Line

Of the 14 stations on the Framingham/Worcester Line that have parking, only the Wellesley Hills lot filled entirely during the AM peak period. The West Natick parking lot was observed to be 99 percent utilized during the AM peak period. Of the 3,558 parking spaces on this line, 63 percent filled during the AM peak period. There are permit-only lots at Framingham and Natick stations that have 119 and 139 spaces, respectively. The Framingham lot had 57 percent utilization and the Natick lot had 80 percent utilization. The West Newton station declined in utilization to 26 percent from 72 percent since the previous inventory. This utilization decline is a result of the implementation of a $4.00 parking fee on nearby lots since the previous inventory. There are 89 accessible parking spaces along the Framingham/Worcester Line, 11 percent of which were utilized.

           Franklin Line

There are a total of 3,663 parking spaces available along the Franklin Line, 56 percent of which were filled. There are two new parking lots along the line. One new parking lot was added as part of the Liberty Lane development project near Norfolk Station; it provides 258 spaces. A private lot that provides 25 spaces was constructed near Norwood Central Station. Of the 11 stations on the Franklin Line, Plimptonville was the only station whose parking lot filled completely during the AM peak period.20 In addition to the public spaces, there are 60 permit-only spaces at Franklin Station, 59 of which were filled during the AM peak period. The Franklin Line has 66 accessible spaces, with a utilization rate of 9 percent.

           Greenbush Line

At the seven stations on the Greenbush Line that have parking, no lots filled during the AM peak period. There are 2,931 parking spaces available for public use, 44 percent of which filled during the AM peak period. The parking lots along the Greenbush Line provide 76 accessible parking spaces. The utilization rate for the accessible spaces along the line is 1 percent.

           Kingston/Plymouth Line

At the seven stations on the Kingston/Plymouth Line that have parking, no lot filled during the AM peak period. There are 3,120 parking spaces available for public use on this line, 44 percent of which were filled during the AM peak period. There are an additional 175 permit-parking spaces available at Kingston Station, and an additional 208 permit-parking spaces at Abington Station, which were at 85 percent and 45 percent utilization, respectively. There is no AM-peak-period train service at Plymouth, and 8 of the 92 available spaces at that station were utilized. There are 72 accessible parking spaces along the Kingston/Plymouth Line, of which 17 percent were utilized.

           Middleborough/Lakeville Line

At the six stations on the Middleborough/Lakeville Line that have parking, no lot filled during the AM peak period. There are 2,833 parking spaces available for public use, and 44 percent filled during the AM peak period. There are no permit-only or resident-only parking spaces on the Middleborough/Lakeville Line. The parking lots along the Middleborough/Lakeville Line provide 65 accessible parking spaces. The utilization for the accessible parking spaces was 12 percent.

           Needham Line21

There are 959 parking spaces available for public use, 65 percent of which filled during the AM peak period. Of the 8 stations on the Needham Line, Needham Junction Station was the closest to being full during the AM peak period, at 99 percent utilization. There are 34 accessible parking spaces along the Needham Line, 12 percent of which were utilized.

           Providence/Stoughton Line22

There are a total of 8,366 parking spaces available for public use on the Providence/Stoughton Line, 61 percent of which filled during the AM peak period. An additional 1,192 parking spaces on the line are designated for resident-only parking; 81 percent of those were in use during the AM peak period.

Since the last inventory, two stations were added to the Providence/Stoughton Line: T. F. Green Airport and Wickford Junction, in Rhode Island. These two stations have public garages that have 591 spaces and 1,077 spaces, respectively. T. F. Green Airport was 12 percent utilized and Wickford Junction was 6 percent utilized during the AM peak period. Of the 12 stations on the Providence/Stoughton Line that have parking, no lot filled completely during the AM peak period. However, the Mansfield, South Attleboro, and Providence stations were 99 percent, 90 percent, and 86 percent utilized during the AM peak period, respectively. There are 151 accessible parking spaces along the line, 30 percent of which were utilized.

3.2      Rapid Transit

Table 4 shows the percent of parking utilization by rapid transit line.

           Blue Line

The Blue Line has six stations that provide parking. No lots filled during the AM peak period; only 65 percent of the 3,395 public parking spaces were in use by the end of the peak period. There is no permit-only parking on this line.

           Green Line

The Green Line has 2,043 parking spaces, 56 percent of which were in use during the AM peak period. Six Green Line stations have parking, but only Eliot was observed to be filled during the AM peak period. There are 45 accessible parking spaces near Green Line stations; the utilization rate for those spaces was 11 percent.

           Orange Line

Five stations on the Orange Line have public parking lots, none of which was filled to capacity during the AM peak period. However, public parking at Forest Hills and Oak Grove stations was 99 percent filled. Oak Grove also has 107 permit-only parking spaces, of which 70 spaces were in use. There are 81 permit-only spaces near Green Street Station, of which 48 spaces were in use. There are 85 accessible parking spaces along the Orange Line; 35 percent of those spaces were utilized.

           Red Line and Mattapan High-Speed Line

The Red Line and Mattapan High-Speed Line together have nine stations with parking lots. Of the 8,397 parking spaces available for public use, 83 percent were filled during the AM peak period. Savin Hill Station was the only station on the Red Line that filled to capacity during the AM peak period. The parking lots near the Red Line and Mattapan High-Speed Line provide 130 accessible parking spaces. The utilization of these spaces was 52 percent.

Table 4

Rapid Transit Parking Inventory and Percent Utilization
at Park-and-Ride Lots near MBTA Stations, 2012–13

^a    The parking lots near Wonderland Station were under construction at the time of the survey. Parking utilization and capacity may have been temporarily changed as a result.

3.3      Commuter Ferry

Quincy/Fore River, Hingham, and Hull are the three commuter ferry terminals with parking lots. Quincy/Fore River has 370 parking spaces, 21 percent of which were in use during the AM peak period. This parking lot is also available for overnight parking for Logan International Airport and Harbor Island users, and there are different parking rates for day and overnight users. Of the 1,979 parking spaces at the Hingham ferry terminal, 52 percent were in use during the morning peak period. There are 236 parking spaces at the Hull ferry terminal, 69 percent of which were in use during the peak period. The three commuter ferry terminals provide 49 accessible parking spaces, 20 percent were utilized during the AM peak period.

3.4      Express Bus

The express bus parking lots in Woburn, at Montvale Avenue, and at Watertown Yard were surveyed. The Montvale Avenue lot has 65 spaces, 100 percent of which filled during the AM peak period. The Watertown Yard parking lot has 194 spaces, 78 percent of which were utilized by the end of the AM peak period. There are a total of 9 accessible spaces at the Woburn and Watertown park-and-ride lots, 11 percent of which were utilized by the end of the AM peak period.

4         Major Regional Park-and-ride lots and Park-and-Ride Lots at terminal Stations

4.1      Major Regional Park-and-Ride Lots

There are several parking garages and lots serving the MBTA system that are located strategically throughout the MBTA service area in order to attract a large number of users from many  origin communities. For the purposes of this analysis, all major regional park-and-ride lots each contain at least 500 parking spaces. These facilities are typically located at the end of a commuter rail or transit line or near state or interstate highways or at major roadway interchanges, and generally have greater capacity than most other stations. Some examples are the facilities at Alewife and Quincy Adams stations, which have ramps from Route 2 and Route 3, respectively. Other stations with such facilities are Riverside and Route 128 stations, which are located directly off of Route 128/Interstate 95, and the Anderson Regional Transportation Center (RTC), which is located directly off of I-93.

These parking facilities are significant because, due to their convenient location and size, they serve many users, and they supply more than 65 percent of all of the parking spaces available at MBTA transportation facilities, including express bus lots and commuter ferry terminals. Table 5 lists the regional park-and-ride lots serving the MBTA system. Of these lots, the Forge Park and Anderson RTC lots experienced the biggest declines in utilization between the 2009–10 and 2012–13 inventories. South Attleboro, Canton Junction, Wollaston, and North Quincy stations all experienced parking lot utilization increases of more than 20 percent.

Table 5 does not include accessible parking. The totals also omit 282 permit-only parking spaces: 107 at Oak Grove and 175 at Kingston. Overall, 78 percent of these permit-only spaces were used during the morning peak period.

4.2      Park-and-Ride Lots at Terminal Stations

There are several terminal stations located throughout the MBTA system. For the purpose of this memorandum, the definition of a terminal station is an MBTA station, ferry terminal, or bus stop that has nearby public or private parking for MBTA commuters and is located on a transit line that terminates on-site. Terminal stations are often the locations where commuters switch their mode of travel from use of an automobile to public transportation; therefore, these stations offer vast amounts of parking. The commuter rail terminal stations are typically located in suburban locations or in medium-sized cities. Rapid transit terminal stations are all located in Boston, Cambridge, or inner-ring suburbs. The three ferry terminals are all located along the South Shore of Massachusetts. The bus terminal station is located in Watertown, which is just west of Boston. Table 6 displays the size and utilization of the terminal station parking lots.

The utilization rate of terminal stations tends to vary by transit mode. Commuter rail terminal stations have a 41 percent overall utilization; however, the utilization is typically higher at terminal stations that are located in larger municipalities than at those in suburban areas. This may be due to the fact that the terminal stations that are located in larger municipalities usually have smaller parking lots.

The total utilization rate for terminal stations along rapid transit lines is 77 percent. However, the terminal stations along light rail lines (Mattapan Station and Riverside Station) have a significantly lower utilization rate than terminal stations along heavy rail lines, probably due to the lower ridership on light rail lines.

The total utilization rate for the ferry terminal stations is 49 percent. The ferry terminal stations consist of one location that has a large park-and-ride lot and two stations that have medium-sized park-and-ride lots. The Watertown yard bus terminal has a 78 percent utilization rate.

Some stations are designated as both a terminal station and a major regional park-and-ride lots, depending on the location along the transit line and the number of parking spaces located near the station.

Table 5

Major Regional Parking Garages and Lots near MBTA Stations:
2012–13 Capacity and Utilization

^a The station was under construction at the time of the survey.

Table 6

Terminal Station Garage and Parking Lots:
2012–13 Capacity and Utilization

^a The station was under construction at the time of the survey.

5         Inventory Results: Amenities

The tables in Appendix D summarize the amenities at MBTA stations that have parking lots. Information pertaining to accessible platforms and ramps, along with the absence or presence of benches, bicycle racks, and shelters, was collected as part of this inventory.

5.1      Accessible Platforms

Of the 116 commuter rail stations inventoried, 87 have fully raised or “mini-high,” accessible platforms. All of the stations included in this inventory on the Middleborough/Lakeville, Plymouth/Kingston, Fairmount, Greenbush, and Needham lines now have accessible platforms.

Of the 28 rapid transit stations inventoried, 25 have accessible platforms, including all of the stations on the Red, Orange, and Blue lines. Three of the inventoried Green Line stations still lack accessible platforms. All three ferry terminals have accessible platforms. All of the express bus lots have accessible sidewalk ramps, and all of the buses are low-level, kneeling buses. Table 7 lists the stations that lack accessible platforms.

Table 7

Stations without Accessible Platforms:
2012–13 Inventory

5.2      Accessible Parking

Accessible parking spaces are defined in this memorandum as parking spaces that are specifically designated to provide persons with disabilities better access to MBTA facilities by automobile. These parking spaces can be identified by surveyors from signs, which include the international symbol of accessibility. A special permit needs to be obtained before a commuter can park in an accessible parking space. Of the MBTA stations that were surveyed for the 2012–13 inventory, 88 percent provided at least one public accessible parking space. At the time of the 2012–13 survey, 1,214 accessible parking spaces were located near MBTA stations, with 21 percent of those spaces utilized. The utilization rate for accessible parking spaces has increased 1 percent since the 2009–10 inventory, despite a 6 percent increase in accessible parking capacity. Rapid transit has nearly double the utilization rate of all other modes, at 39 percent in the 2012–13 inventory. Table 8 shows the utilization rates of accessible parking spaces, by transit line.

Table 8

Accessible Parking near MBTA Stations by Transit Line:
2012–13 Capacity and Utilization

^a Parking lots near the North Leominster, Littleton, Wedgemere, Beverly Depot, Needham Center, Needham Heights, Attleboro, South Attleboro and Wonderland stations were under construction at the time of the survey. The parking utilization and parking capacity may have been temporarily affected as a result.

5.3      Permit-Only and Resident-Only Parking

Some commuter rail and rapid transit stations have permit-only or resident-only parking located nearby. Permit-only and resident-only parking are generally restricted to commuters who either purchase a permit for a certain period of time (for example, yearly or monthly) or commuters who are a residents of the local municipality in which the MBTA station is located. Since the purpose of this memorandum is to show the parking utilization rates for the general public, permit-only and resident-only parking are not included in the analysis, with the exception of this section.

Table 9 displays the locations of the permit-only and resident-only parking lots near MBTA stations. In the 2012–13 inventory, there were 3,121 permitted or resident-only parking spaces near MBTA stations; 2,933 parking spaces near commuter rail stations, and 188 parking spaces near rapid transit stations. Permit parking along the Franklin, Haverhill, Lowell, and Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail lines has the highest rates of permit-parking utilization.

TABLE 9

Permit-Only and Resident-Only Parking Spaces near MBTA Stations:
2012–13 Capacity and Utilization

^a Parking lots near the Wedgemere station were under construction at the time of the survey. The parking utilization and parking capacity may have been temporarily affected as a result.

5.4      Bicycle Racks and Cages

This discussion of bicycle parking is based on the data collected on the bicycle parking facilities' capacity and utilization that were recorded for all MBTA stations in the period July through October 2012, and an earlier inventory, which was conducted in 2009–11.23 The inventory included 134 rapid transit stations, 122 commuter rail stations, six commuter ferry terminals, and three major bus stops. Of the 265 stations included in the bicycle survey inventory, 86 percent have bicycle racks. This includes 105 of the 134 commuter rail stations, 117 of the 122 rapid transit stations, four of the six ferry terminals, and two of the three major bus stops. Using federal stimulus funds, the MBTA installed 50 bicycle ports near MBTA stations, and by the end of 2014, the MBTA is expected to have installed 15 bicycle cages near MBTA stations. The MBTA stations that either currently have, or will have, bike ports or bicycle cages are listed in Appendix D.

The station with the highest bike parking capacity is Alewife, with 387 spaces. Between the previous bicycle parking inventory, which was conducted in 2009–11, and the 2012 bicycle parking inventory, there was a 48 percent increase in the number of parked bicycles and a 30 percent increase in the number of bicycle parking spaces. Table 10 shows the percentages of bicycle rack utilization by mode and line throughout the system. Figures B-3 and B-4, in Appendix B, are maps of the bicycle parking capacity and utilization by station.

Table 10
Bicycle Parking Capacity and Utilization at Park-and-Ride Stations
near MBTA Stations, 2012

Note: Bicycles and racks are counted more than once at stations that serve more than one transit line. In those cases, each bicycle and each rack is counted once for each line. However, in each of the totals for that station, these spaces are counted only once.

5.5      Shelters

Most of the stations with park-and-ride lots have shelters. In this inventory, a shelter is defined as any structure that provides some protection from the weather. The structure could be just a roof over the platform, a completely enclosed station, or a stand-alone structure with a roof and walls. Lincoln, Hastings, and Plimptonville are the stations on commuter rail lines that do not have a shelter. All rapid transit stations, parking lots for MBTA bus service, and ferry terminals that were surveyed have shelters on the inbound side, and some of them have shelters on the outbound side.

6         Conclusion                                                                         

In summary, the analysis of the park-and-ride inventory suggests the following conclusions.

6.1      General Conclusions

Overall, the park-and-ride system capacity has increased by 1,846 spaces since the previous inventory. The breakdown by transit mode is: commuter rail park-and-ride lots increased by 1,860 spaces, rapid transit park-and-ride lots decreased by 207 spaces, and commuter ferry park-and-ride lots increased by 9 spaces.

Although more spaces were added since the 2009–10 inventory, more park-and-ride lots at MBTA stations were filled in the 2012–13 inventory than in the 2009–10 inventory. This is consistent with a nationwide trend of more commuters traveling by public transportation.

In the 2012–13 inventory, 22 percent of the stations surveyed had parking lots that filled to 85 percent or more of their capacity. Park-and-ride lots at 30 percent of the stations surveyed were less than half utilized at the end of the AM peak period. Of the 33 lots that filled to 85 percent or more of their capacity, 25 were smaller lots (with 250 spaces or fewer); by contrast, larger lots (with 1,000 spaces or more) were 61 percent utilized, on average.

6.2           Commuter Rail

Overall, commuter rail utilization remained essentially stable despite the construction of spaces at two new stations. However, the data also showed that utilization declined at certain stations, notably Anderson/Woburn and Forge Park/495.

Generally, commuter rail parking utilization was the greatest at MBTA stations inside of I-95/Route 128 and along major expressway corridors.

There is at least one station on every MBTA commuter rail line where 45 percent or more of the parking is available on a typical weekday morning.

Major commuter garages and facilities, which are located near major highways, provide more than 65 percent of the MBTA system’s parking capacity. There are several major regional park-and-ride lots at commuter rail stations that experienced significant increases or decreases in parking utilization between the two most recent inventories.

6.3      Rapid Transit

Rapid transit park-and-ride utilization has increased significantly since the 2009–10 inventory, largely due to the removal of parking spaces since then. The Red Line currently has the highest parking utilization rate of all of the rapid transit lines, at 83 percent, which is an increase of 19 percent since the    2009–10 inventory. The high utilization of park-and-ride lots along the southern portion of the Red Line was due in part, to the closing of the Quincy Center parking garage.

6.4      Commuter Ferry

Commuter ferry park-and-ride utilization decreased significantly between the 2009–10 inventory and the 2012–13 inventory. This decrease was likely caused by a number of factors, including the 2012 fare increase and the fact that the Greenbush Line, which was implemented in 2007, is a viable alternative for commuting to downtown Boston; it continues to attract riders from the South Shore region.

6.5      Express Bus

The park-and-ride lot at Montvale Avenue, in Woburn, was found to have 100 percent utilization in the 2012–13 inventory. This is an increase from the 93 percent utilization rate that was recorded in the 2009–10 inventory.

6.6      Major Regional Park-and-Ride Lots

The Forge Park and Anderson/Woburn parking lots experienced the biggest declines in utilization from the 2009–10 inventory to the 2012–13 inventory, with decreases of 32 percent and 33 percent, respectively.

The South Attleboro and Canton Junction commuter rail stations experienced parking lot utilization increases of more than 20 percent. South Attleboro experienced a large increase in the number of parked vehicles despite a temporary reduction in parking spaces due to construction.

The Wollaston and North Quincy rapid transit stations experienced parking lot utilization increases of more than 20 percent. The increase in utilization at these stations may have been caused by the closing of the parking garage at Quincy Center Station.

6.7      Terminal Stations

The total utilization rate for the commuter rail terminal stations that are located in municipalities that have a population of more than 40,000 people is 52 percent. The total utilization rate for the commuter rail terminal stations that are located in municipalities that have a population of less than 40,000 people is 37 percent. One of the causes of the differences in utilization rates is that the terminal stations in larger municipalities typically have fewer parking spaces.

The total utilization rate for terminal stations located along heavy rail lines is 82 percent. The total utilization rate for terminal stations located along light rail lines is 50 percent, even though those terminal stations generally have smaller parking lots than heavy rail lines. They probably have lower utilization rates because they have a significantly lower number of daily boardings than do the heavy rail terminal stations.

6.8      Amenities Conclusions

The overall utilization of accessible parking spaces has increased since the 2009–10 inventory. The Red Line has the highest utilization rate for accessible parking spaces, at 52 percent.

Permit-only and resident-only parking that is located along the Franklin, Haverhill, Lowell, and Newburyport/Rockport lines have the highest parking utilization. All four of these lines have a permit-only and resident-only parking utilization of 85 percent or higher.

The number of bicycles parked, parking capacity, and utilization rates at MBTA stations increased between the 2009–11 bicycle parking inventory and the 2012 bicycle parking inventory. Since the 2005–06 inventory, 62 MBTA stations that previously did not provide bicycle parking had bicycle racks installed.

            RH/rh

AppendiX sections

Appendix A

Parking Utilization: Comprehensive Results of 2012–13 Inventory

TABLE A.1

North Side Commuter Rail: Inventory of MBTA Park-and-Ride Lots,
Nonaccessible Spaces, 2012–13

^a Littleton was under construction at the time of the survey. This parking lot is estimated to have 200 spaces upon completion                                                                                     

^b North Leominster was under construction at the time of survey. Upon completion, this station will have a 350 space parking facility nearby.

MART = Montachusett Regional Transit Authority

MVRTA = Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority

LRTA = Lowell Regional Transit Authority

TABLE A.1 (Cont.)

North-Side Commuter Rail: Inventory of MBTA Park-and-Ride Lots,
Nonaccessible Spaces, 2012–13

^c Parking Lot near Wedgemere was under construction at the time of survey. The lot has since fully reopened.                                                                             

TABLE A.1 (Cont.)

North Side Commuter Rail: Inventory of MBTA Park-and-Ride Lots,
Nonaccessible Spaces, 2012–13

^d It is estimated that approximately 500 parking spaces will be located near Beverly Depot when construction is complete.                                                       

TABLE A.1 (Cont.)

North Side Commuter Rail: Inventory of MBTA Park-and-Ride Lots,
Nonaccessible Spaces, 2012–13

TABLE A.2

South Side Commuter Rail: Inventory of MBTA Park-and-Ride Lots,
Nonaccessible Spaces, 2012–13

BAT = Brockton Area Transit Authority                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

GATRA = Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority

TABLE A.2 (Cont.)

South Side Commuter Rail: Inventory of MBTA Park-and-Ride Lots,
Nonaccessible Spaces, 2012–13

TABLE A.2 (Cont.)

South Side Commuter Rail: Inventory of MBTA Park-and-Ride Lots,
Nonaccessible Spaces, 2012–13

                                                                                           TABLE A.2 (Cont.)                                                                 

South Side Commuter Rail: Inventory of MBTA Park-and-Ride Lots,
Nonaccessible Spaces, 2012–13

^a  The parking lots near Needham Center were under construction at the time of survey.                                                                                                

^b The parking lots near Needham Heights were under construction at the time of survey

^c   The MBTA parking lot near Attleboro Station was under construction at the time of survey. The MBTA lot on South Main Street will be restriped in the near future.

TABLE A.2 (Cont.)

South Side Commuter Rail: Inventory of MBTA Park-and-Ride Lots,
Nonaccessible Spaces, 2012–13