Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

Every year Streetsblog asks readers to judge the Parking Madness competition -- your votes winnow down 16 parking scars in a single-elimination tournament until we crown the "Golden Crater."

Yesterday, Federal Way, Washington, clinched the first Final Four spot. The second will go to either Rutland, Vermont, or Niagara Falls, New York.

Rutland

Submitter Andrew Fusco says the struggling-but-lovable town of Rutland, Vermont, suffers from the blight of this oddly-placed Walmart parking lot next to its Amtrak station.

At one time, the area was a rail yard. Before that, it was a bustling town center. This historic picture shows how the area looked in 1880.

unnamed-6

Fusco says there's still a small green "park" within the crater that hosts a farmers market on Saturdays, offering a glimpse of the urge to converge here.

Niagara Falls

original-2

This parking catastrophe can hardly be separated from Niagara Falls' overall decline. In the early part of the 20th century, Niagara Falls was known as the "Honeymoon Capital." Many people would hop right off the train onto Falls Street, according to this account from Don Glynn at Buffalo Spree:

For the honeymooner especially, downtown had it all: they could pose for a photograph taken against a canvas backdrop of the cataracts, browse in one of those stores stacked high with souvenir cushions, cheap jewelry, and dozens of gadgets, and stop by a sidewalk soft-drink concession.

A travel writer visiting the city shortly after World War II called the tawdry air “a mixture of Coney Island and a carnival, an atmosphere of impermanence, as though nobody was quite certain that the falls would continue to flow.”

But the city started to lose its status as a romantic destination, and passenger train travel declined. According to Glynn, once tourists started arriving in cars, they demanded more places to park.

Well, that problem has been solved.

parking_madness_2016

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

America’s Kids Deserve Better Than a Waymo Subscription

What do America's young people lose when they have to buy independence from a corporation that rents out driverless cars?

July 15, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Aren’t Falling Fast Enough

Pedestrian deaths dropped by 4 percent last year, but remain well above pre-pandemic figures.

July 15, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Are Dragging Their Feet

The Trump administration claims the Biden administration left them with a backlog — but they've actually been far slower at getting transportation money to states than their predecessors, a new analysis finds.

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

Communities Rally To Reclaim Streets From ICE Terror

"This is an attack on Los Angeles. This is an attack on California. On all of us."

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: The London Neighborhood Where Bikes Outnumber Cars

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

July 11, 2025
See all posts