It pays to pick a spot quickly
| • | Crowds test expanded parking at shopping malls |
Advertiser Staff
Some drivers take the first available space. Others ride around forever, looking for the perfect spot. Believe it or not, there's actually a science to finding out who's right.
Researchers at the Institute of Operations Research and the Management Sciences recently went to a shopping mall to scope out the best parking strategy. Their results are reported in the institute's most recent quarterly magazine.
Two strategies were tested.
• The first was called "Pick a Row, Closest Space." Upon entering a parking lot from any entrance, the driver selects a row flowing in the correct direction and takes the first available space, no matter how far it is from the storefronts.
• The second strategy, designed for the more aggressive driver, is called "Cycling." The driver enters the row nearest the entrance and parks if any of the 20 spaces closest to the door is available. If not, the driver cycles to the next adjacent row and parks if any of the 40 closest parking spaces are available. If not, he returns to the first row and parks in the first available spot.
A comparison showed the average time spent by a driver using the first approach was 61 seconds. The driver using the second approach averaged 71 seconds.
In other words, it was usually faster to park quickly and walk more.
