As travel patterns continue to evolve across the region, understanding how commuter parking facilities are being used remains an important part of transportation demand management planning. While many commuter lots have not yet returned to pre-pandemic usage levels, recent data shows that occupancy trends continue to shift, with some facilities experiencing significant growth while others remain underutilized.
Through the RM3P Commuter Parking Information Services (CPIS) program element, partner agencies are working to better understand these changing patterns and provide travelers with more reliable parking information.
Parking Demand Continues to Evolve
One of the key lessons emerging from CPIS is that there is still no single “new normal” for commuter parking demand. Occupancy levels vary significantly by location, reflecting differences in travel behavior, transit service availability, employment patterns, and regional growth.
Recent winter and spring occupancy surveys conducted at seven Proof-of-Concept (POC-3) commuter lots demonstrated this variation. While some facilities remained below capacity, others reached or exceeded occupancy thresholds during peak periods. At locations such as Gambrill Road and Horner Road, peak occupancy levels approached or exceeded full capacity, while other lots maintained available or limited parking throughout the day.
Minute-by-minute occupancy summary profile for the Gambrill Road Commuter Lot. The profile highlights recurring parking demand patterns and periods when the lot transitions between available, limited, and full occupancy conditions.
Peak occupancy trends at participating CPIS commuter lots. Several facilities experienced substantial increases in utilization between 2024 and 2026, while others continued to exhibit lower levels of demand.
The data also revealed a positive occupancy trend: occupancy at several commuter lots has increased substantially since earlier phases of the project. Peak occupancy at facilities such as Stringfellow Road, Dumfries Road, and Backlick North has risen significantly over the past two years, suggesting that commuter lot usage continues to rebound and evolve. For transportation agencies, these changing patterns reinforce the need for reliable parking information that can help both travelers and system operators understand how facilities are being used.
The data collected through CPIS is also being made available through the RM3P DEP parking inventory output Application Programming Interface (API), creating new opportunities for agencies, researchers, and application developers to incorporate parking information into future transportation tools and analyses.
Building Reliable Occupancy Insights Through ParkZen
A key component of POC-3 is validating whether crowdsourced parking data, collected through the ParkZen app, can provide reliable occupancy information for commuter lots. Because the quality of crowdsourced data improves as participation increases, a targeted marketing campaign is being conducted to encourage app downloads and sustained use at seven participating POC-3 commuter lots.
Current outreach efforts include social media campaigns, push notifications, in-lot advertisements, signage placement, pop-up events, raffle incentives, website enhancements, and distribution of printed materials through regional partners. These activities are designed to increase awareness of ParkZen while helping commuters understand how the app can support their daily travel decisions.
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The campaign also incorporates lessons learned from earlier phases of the project, including a greater emphasis on hyper-local outreach, enhanced website content, targeted messaging, and in-person engagement with commuters at participating lots.
As CPIS continues to evaluate occupancy trends and validate crowdsourced parking data, commuter participation remains essential to the effort. Travelers interested in learning more about ParkZen and participating in the pilot can Parkzenapp.com/va
Looking Ahead
As POC-3 continues, the CPIS management team will further evaluate the effectiveness of ParkZen’s crowdsourced parking data and continue refining parking occupancy profiles across participating lots. By improving access to parking information and better understanding how commuter lots are used, the combination of field validation, traveler participation, and regional collaboration is helping build a stronger foundation for future parking information services while RM3P’s broader goal of helping travelers make informed and efficient transportation decisions.