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Dreading Holiday Shopping Because It's Impossible To Find Parking Space?

6 December 1999

Dreading Holiday Shopping Because It's Impossible To Find Parking Space?

  Walker Parking Consultants Reveals The Busiest 'Twelve Days Of Christmas'
                   And Tips For Avoiding Parking Nightmares

    CHICAGO, Dec. 6 -- If you thought it was difficult to find a
parking space at the Mall the day after Thanksgiving, brace yourself - the
worst is yet to come.  A new study conducted by Walker Parking Consultants, in
conjunction with Urban Land Institute and International Council of Shopping
Centers, reveals that eleven of the twelve busiest parking and vehicular
traffic days at shopping malls throughout the country fall during the December
holiday shopping season.

    According to the study, the year's twelve busiest shopping center parking
days in order are as follows:

    1.  December 23
    2.  The last Saturday before Christmas (December 18, 1999)
    3.  The second to last Saturday before Christmas (December 11, 1999)
    4.  December 22
    5.  December 26
    6.  The first Saturday of December (December 4, 1999)
    7.  The last Sunday before Christmas (December 19, 1999)
    8.  The Friday following Thanksgiving (November 26, 1999)
    9.  The second to last Sunday before Christmas (December 12, 1999)
    10. December 21
    11. December 27
    12. December 24

    The study also offered other findings of benefit to shoppers who park,
including:

    -- Shop at night.  According to the data, the absolute worst time to find
       a shopping center parking space is between noon and four o'clock p.m.
       Parking demand eases significantly after five o'clock p.m., when many
       shoppers leave to eat dinner.

    -- Avoid Saturdays.  Three of the top six busiest parking days are
       Saturdays.

    -- Be patient ... a space will soon become available!  Parking spaces are
       more available than ever before.  Due to an increase in Internet and
       catalog shopping, shopping center customers now park for average of
       only one hour, cut in half from an average of two hours 20 years ago.

    According to John Dorsett, Principal and Director for Study Services at
Walker, the findings can help shoppers avoid many of the parking nightmares
associated with the holidays. "By recognizing the busiest dates and planning
accordingly, shoppers can go a long way toward eliminating many of the
season's typical parking challenges and frustrations and have a much more
enjoyable holiday season," he said.
    The findings were based on a two-year study of parking and
pedestrian/vehicular count data obtained from 32 shopping centers throughout
the country. Complete results are included within Urban Land Institute's
Parking Requirements for Shopping Centers, a comprehensive study of parking
standards for today's shopping centers.
    Walker Parking Consultants is a multi-disciplined parking consulting firm
with full design capabilities.  Nationally recognized as a leading parking
consultant, Walker specializes in the planning, design and restoration of
multi-level parking structures, parking feasibility and operational studies.
Founded in 1965 and now headquartered in Chicago, IL, Walker Parking
Consultants maintains a professional staff of over 275 engineers, architects,
consultants, technicians and support personnel in fifteen offices throughout
the United States and in Europe.