Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

Adding parking spaces might seem like the answer to traffic problems, but it ends up making them much worse.

That's the message in this video produced by the Mexico branch of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, which Paul Barter shared at his blog, Reinventing Parking.

Mexico City has been adding parking at a feverish pace -- faster than housing, offices, or retail -- thanks in part to poorly conceived minimum parking requirements. The city is expected to add 175,000 parking spaces in the next three years. For half the cost of building all that parking, the city could create busways capable of transporting 1.5 million people to their destinations daily.

Barter reports that ITDP has been working hard to reform parking mandates in Mexico, and that the country and many of its localities are now revising their policies.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Urban Review STL reports that downtown St. Louis is getting one of those new "neighborhood Walmarts" near its subsidized ballpark. Pedestrian Observations ranks metro systems around the world by ridership per kilometer. And City Observatory shares some major findings about delays faced by American commuters.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

New Camera Tech Hopes to Stop Drivers From Close-Passing Cyclists

If only policymakers could fully experience the pervasive problem of drivers passing too closely to cyclists perhaps they'd find a way to stop the deadly practice and get victims justice.

December 11, 2024

Wednesday’s Headlines Are Staying Put

Cities like Atlanta, Denver and Minneapolis provide blueprints for how transit can improve neighborhoods without pushing people out.

December 11, 2024

Do Tuesday’s Headlines Live in a 15-Minute City?

Find out how long it takes to walk to stores, restaurants and transit stops in your neighborhood with this Washington Post widget.

December 10, 2024

‘Trojan Horse’: NYC’s E-Bike Licensing Bill Would Fuel Anti-Immigrant Policing

Council members fail to address the e-bike registration bill's potential harmful outcomes.

December 10, 2024

Even at Slower Speeds, SUVs and Pickups are a ‘Big’ Problem for Pedestrians

Pedestrians hit by median-height cars have a 60 percent chance of suffering moderate injuries, but that figure rises to 83 percent when they are struck by a median-height pickup truck at that same speed.

December 10, 2024
See all posts