What Lies Behind Fare Evasion in Curb Parking Behavior? Evidence from Nanjing, China

Frequent incidents of parking fare evasion pose ongoing challenges, placing parking management departments under pressure as a result of reduced parking revenues. The causal mechanisms behind parking fare evasion, as identified in existing studies, remain incompletely explained. To address this gap, our study utilized empirical data from Nanjing, China, employing a random forest methodology to elucidate the intricate and non-linear relationships among parking site attributes, weather conditions, and the built environment concerning curb parking fare evasion behavior. Additionally, we used the Shapley Additive Explanations method to clarify the pertinent variables. Our empirical findings emphasize the significant impact of parking site attributes, including departure time, parking space availability, and occupancy, on evasion behavior. Notably, our results underscore the necessity of strategically managing parking near scenic spots and points of interest (POIs) associated with accommodation during weekends. Conversely, on workdays, there is a need for strategic oversight of parking fees in the vicinity of government institutions, scenic spots, and workplace-related POIs. These research outcomes make valuable contributions to the existing literature on curb parking and provide actionable insights for improving urban parking management.