Glossary of parking and mobility

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Some definitions are taken from the methodological guide "Parking surveys" published by CEREMA (November 1997, republished in October 2000).
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Term Definition
Motorhome

These motorhomes, whose layout allows for a certain degree of self-sufficiency, are not subject to specific parking. However, local parking regulations may impose size or weight limits on vehicles. On the other hand, tourist towns are increasingly developing dedicated motorhome areas equipped with certain amenities. See also: Motorhome

Subscription or rental card
Card issued to holders of subscription or a rentalIt allows, if desired, for limiting the holder's access in time or space, for example:
  • to a certain part of the work,
  • between two dates,
  • at specified times,
  • for a vehicle .
Parking permit for disabled people

This card is registered to a specific individual. Whether the holder is a driver or a passenger, it entitles them to use parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities and allows free parking in on-street paid parking in several countries, including France. It is sometimes called a European parking card.

It replaced the GIC and GIG , the last of which lost their validity on January 1, 2011, and it is itself being progressively replaced by the CMI since mid-2017.

Mobility Inclusion Card (CMI)
The Disability Inclusion Card (CMI) bearing the mention "parking for disabled persons" grants access to reserved spaces and free on-street paid parking. From 2017, it gradually replaced the Disability Parking Card, except for individuals covered by the Military Disability Pension Code and war victims.
Mobility Center
A set of products and services made available to an individual during their travels, either at a single location or through a multimodal information system. The information provided includes, in principle, information relating to the parking of individual vehicles (cars, motorcycles, bicycles).
Smart charging
A control system for electric vehicle charging stations that distributes available power among connected vehicles. The power allocated to each vehicle can therefore vary depending on the number of vehicles whose batteries are not fully charged. The power delivered can also vary according to peak production and consumption experienced by the electricity grid operator.
Commission for Disputes Concerning Paid Parking (CCSP)
A national court established in 2018 to adjudicate disputes concerning paid parking, located in Limoges, hears appeals against either a fixed penalty notice (FPS) following an administrative appeal (RAPO) or an increased FPS. To file a claim, the original or increased FPS amount must have been paid beforehand. Its decisions can be appealed to the Council of State.
Concession
A contract by which a public entity (the grantor) entrusts the financing and construction of a project to a private or public entity (the concessionaire), which is remunerated in whole or in part by the right to operate the project at its own risk (performance of a public service) for a specified period.
The project reverts to the grantor at the end of the concession.
Bicycle storage or locker
A cabinet, sometimes with wire mesh, allowing a cyclist to securely lock up their bicycle, often for a fee.
Costation
A method of sharing a single private parking space among several users. For example, the owner of a residential parking space who does not use it during the day can make it available to someone who works nearby. See also: Standardization.
Carpooling
An organized or informal system for making available seats in a vehicle for a given journey, with or without sharing travel costs. This system was provided for in the Grenelle II environmental law and incorporated into Law No. 2014-58 of January 27, 2014, on the modernization of territorial public action and the strengthening of metropolitan areas.
Parallel parking (parking space) Synonyms - Longitudinal (parking ~)
Cycle
"A vehicle having at least two wheels and propelled exclusively by the muscular energy of the persons on board, in particular by means of pedals or cranks" (Highway Code, Art. R311-1, 6.10).
Note: In Belgium, a bicycle without a cyclist ceases to be a vehicle and becomes a simple object; its temporary parking is then permitted on sidewalks provided it does not obstruct traffic.
Pedal-assisted bicycle
A bicycle equipped with an auxiliary electric motor with a maximum continuous rated power of 0.25 kilowatts, the power supply of which is progressively reduced and finally cut off when the vehicle reaches a speed of 25 km/h, or earlier if the cyclist stops pedaling." (Highway Code, Art. R311-1, 6.11) Commonly called an "electrically assisted bicycle" or e-bike.