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

Monday’s Headlines Are Driven Not to Drive

Only one in 10 Zoomers associate cars with freedom, which helps explain why so many of them don't drive.

July 14, 2025

These U.S. Communities’ So-Called ‘Complete Streets’ Policies Don’t Even Deserve the Name

Any city can call itself a "Complete Streets" champion. But not all of them are walking the walk — and if they don't, a top organization says they'll no longer give them a platform on its esteemed "best of" ranking.

July 14, 2025

Friday Video: The London Neighborhood Where Bikes Outnumber Cars

...and how they got to that impressive milestone.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Battle Galactus

Like the Marvel supervillain, U.S. interstate highway system seems to eat up everything in his path. A new book explores how to stop it.

July 11, 2025

New Report Shows Pedestrian Fatalities Drop — But Experts Say Not Enough

The Governors Highway Safety Association report showed a 4 percent drop in the number of pedestrian deaths last year, putting a slow on a dangerous trend — but advocates say the drop isn't nearly big enough.

July 11, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Localities Subsidize the State DOT

Adie Tomer of Brookings on how to improve regional coordination around infrastructure.

July 10, 2025
See all posts