CIVILis Researchers Develop Tool to Plan Sustainable Park-and-Ride Networks

A research team from CIVILis-UPM, led by Prof. Belén Muñoz, has created an innovative tool to help cities design sustainable park-and-ride systems that promote cleaner and more efficient urban mobility. In response to growing low-emission zones and traffic restrictions in European city centers, the tool offers a structured approach to selecting the most effective parking locations to encourage commuters to switch to public transport.

Developed by researchers at UPM’s School of Civil Engineering (ETSICCP), the method is based on a multi-criteria decision analysis that weighs economic, functional, environmental, and social factors. Economic considerations include construction costs, land value, and operation expenses. Environmental criteria measure energy savings, emission reductions, and the recovery of public space in city centers. Functional factors take into account traffic congestion along main access corridors, nearby residential populations, and proximity to cycling infrastructure. Social criteria reflect accident-related costs and improvements in users’ quality of life, including time savings. The team applied the methodology to Madrid’s Park-and-Ride Program, launched in 2017, which includes 12 sites, some already in operation (e.g., Estadio Metropolitano and Pitis). The analysis revealed Canillejas and Villaverde Bajo as the optimal sites, while Valdebebas and Paco de Lucía were found to be the least sustainable.

Lead researcher Belén Muñoz highlights that the tool “provides a valuable instrument to support decision-making and select solutions that best improve citizens’ quality of life.” The results have been published in Journal of Civil Engineering and Management (Vol. 30, Issue 2, 2025). This work offers city authorities a powerful, evidence-based resource to prioritize public investment in infrastructure that aligns with climate goals and fosters a shift toward sustainable, low-emission mobility.

Read the journal article:

María Belén Muñoz Medina, Javier Ordoñez, Manuel G. Romana, Vicente Alcaraz Carrillo De Albornoz. Achieving sustainable urban mobility with a modified VIKOR method to improve the selection of a park and ride system. Journal of Civil Engineering and Management. Volume 30, Issue 2, Pages 153 –170. 2025. https://doi.org/10.3846/jcem.2025.23300

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