User rationality and optimal park-and-ride location under potential demand maximization

The paper develops analytical formulations to gain insight into the optimal location, i.e., the one that maximizes the potential market, and to estimate the potential catchment area of Park and Ride (P&R) facilities. The formulations are based on the assumption that a traveler would use a P&R facility if and only if the corresponding generalized cost is lower than the drive only alternative. The paper considers two different scenarios: a linear city (or a travel corridor), and a two-dimensional city with Euclidean travel. Analytical derivations were obtained for both cases using, as starting point, the necessary condition for P&R use.