Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

We're two weeks into our Parking Madness competition, and only a few parking craters are still standing.

Today's Elite Eight matchup pairs a Bay Area suburb with America's third largest city: It's El Cerrito, California vs. Chicago.

First up is El Cerrito, which was singled out for shame by one of our readers because of this crater's proximity to a BART station providing quick access to San Francisco.

bart1

The submitter pointed out that almost every BART station looks something like this, so in a sense the El Cerrito parking crater is standing in for the failure of an entire region to produce walkable development near transit.

Meanwhile, the Chicago crater suffers from sports venue syndrome:

chicago

We've seen this pretty consistently throughout the competition: In St. Louis, Grand Rapids, and Chicago, the spaces around public arenas are ghost towns inhabited only by cars.

This area, readers tell us, is especially disappointing because it has good transit access and is less than two miles away from the Loop. What a far cry from the walkability of Wrigleyville.

Tell us which crater you think deserves to reach the Final Four of Parking Madness.

parking_madness_2014_10

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Talking Headways Podcast: The Future of Transit

Yonah Freemark talks with Jeff Wood about the state of the trains across the world.

February 26, 2026

Are Roundabouts Just For Rich People?

And if not, how do we get more of them in the low-income neighborhoods that need life-saving infrastructure the most?

February 26, 2026

Thursday’s Headlines Need Alternatives

Economics 101: Competition brings down costs.

February 26, 2026

How Recreational Cycling Can Lead to Safe Streets For All

These cities are leveraging joy to fight for connected communities.

February 26, 2026

Kansas City is Again Expanding Its Once-Mocked Streetcar

The Midwestern city is showing the country that investing in transit really can work wonders. 

February 25, 2026

Wednesday’s Headlines Will See You in Court

The lawsuits are already starting over the Trump administration's decision to stop regulating greenhouse gas emissions.

February 25, 2026
See all posts