Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

Visualizing the Enormous Squandered Potential in a Parking Lot

Network blogger Cap'n Transit has been on a roll recently with a string of posts about how walkable development near transit can produce more riders than park-and-rides. It's amazing how much room parking can take up and how little return it provides compared to compact development.

false

Here's a pretty striking illustration tool courtesy of the Cap'n: The car-free town of Jakriborg, located around a commuter rail line in Sweden, is home to more than 500 families on 12.5 acres. Compare that with your average park-and-ride lot:

The Small Streets crew imagined replacing part of a park-and-ride with a dense, walkable village like Jakriborg or the Czech town of Tel?. They astutely observe that if you build at Jakriborg densities, you get more riders than if you used the land for a park-and-ride, and these riders all live within walking distance of the station.

Whenever I see a large parking lot near a train station, I think to myself, "How many Jakriborgs is that?" The Metro-North parking lot at Croton-Harmon is 1.3 Jakriborgs, I believe. The parking lot planned for the North Tenafly station on the Northern Branch is 0.68 Jakriborgs.

How many Jakriborgs could fit on the closest paved eyesore in your community?

Elsewhere on the Network today: Systemic Failure announces that another embarrassing video of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has surfaced; this time he's been caught reading while driving. And BTA Blog shares the news that the Portland Bureau of Transportation is changing the way it tracks spending to more accurately capture the benefits for different road users.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: Are We All Living in a ‘Carspiracy’?

How does "car-brain" shape the way we think about the world — even in relatively bike-friendly countries like the U.K.?

July 26, 2024

Friday’s Headlines Share and Share Alike

Bikeshares, and e-bikes and scooters generally, are becoming more popular. That's led to more injuries, highlighting the need for better infrastructure.

July 26, 2024

What the Heck is Going on With the California E-Bike Incentive Program?

The program's launch has been delayed for two years, and currently "there is no specific timeline" for it. Plus the administrator, Pedal Ahead, is getting dragged, but details are vague.

July 26, 2024

Talking Headways Podcast: Have Cities Run Out of Land?

Chris Redfearn of USC and Anthony Orlando of Cal Poly Pomona on why "pro-business" Texas housing markets are catching up to "pro-regulation" California and what it might mean for future city growth.

July 25, 2024

The Paris Plan for Olympic Traffic? Build More Bike Lanes

A push to make Paris fully bikable for the Olympics is already paying dividends long before the opening ceremonies.

July 25, 2024
See all posts