Parking spaces alone do not determine how well a temporary car park performs

What matters is not the number of parking spaces alone, but above all the inflow and outflow capacity, the traffic routing and how vehicle movements are spread over time.

Why spaces alone are not enough

At events, temporary car parks are often planned by their number of spaces. A car park with 500 spaces can still be unsuitable in traffic terms if the entrance cannot handle the expected arrival traffic or if departure causes major queues.

Four parameters for sizing

Four parameters are particularly relevant for sizing:

• Arrival profile: How many vehicles arrive in the busiest period?
• Processing rate: How many vehicles can barriers, check points or entry lanes actually pass per hour?
• Queuing space: Where can waiting vehicles stand without blocking public roads, emergency routes or other accesses?
• Departure organisation: How do you prevent vehicle flows from obstructing each other when the event ends?

A worked example

If 500 vehicles arrive within one hour while the entrance can only process 300 vehicles per hour, the calculation gives a queue of 200 vehicles. This assumes that the stated values hold for the whole hour.

Technology helps, but does not replace the assessment

Automated licence plate recognition, digital payment and barrier control can support processing. Their actual performance, however, has to be assessed based on the technology used and the local traffic conditions.

Conclusion

A temporary car park is not adequately sized just because there are enough spaces. What matters is whether the whole traffic chain, from arrival to departure, can handle the expected vehicle flows safely and efficiently.

Read more: Planning parking for events.

Context: research as of 7 November 2026. Editorial, practice-oriented guidance without reference to a standard; no technical sources are cited. The 500 vehicles and 300 vehicles per hour are example values, not planning requirements. General guidance, not legal advice. No function or certification of MOVETOS OPS is promised.