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

The More People Live and Work in Central Philly, the Less Parking They Use

Here's a great example of a "virtuous cycle" in action: Center City Philadelphia has seen the number of parking spaces decline recently as population and jobs continue to rise at a healthy clip.

If everyone who worked in Central City Philadelphia drove to work, it would take 28 Comcast Towers full of parking to accommodate them all. Photo: Wikipedia
If everyone who worked in Central City Philadelphia drove to work, it would take 28 Comcast Towers full of parking to accommodate them all. Photo: Wikipedia
false

You might expect one result to be a downtown parking crunch, but that's not the case at all, reports Jim Saksa at Plan Philly:

If everyone drove to work in Center City, how much parking would we need?

According to a new report from the Center City District: 2.6 square miles of surface parking. The size of William Penn’s 1682 plan for the city? 2.2 miles.

Visualize that another way: If you were to build parking garages the size of the Comcast Center, you’d need 28 of them.

If everyone drove to work in Philly, parking spaces would crowd out the actual places of employment. In other words: Transit matters.

That’s the takeaway from Center City District’s latest report, which examined where the region works and how people commute.

Over the past few years, Philadelphia has been growing and Center City has led the way. Jobs in Center City grew 5 percent between 2010 and 2014, and residents increased 7.9 percent. At the same time, though, Center City lost parking: more than 3,000 spaces. Yet, at the same time, parking availability actually increased. The ineluctable conclusion: More Philadelphians are walking, biking and taking transit to work than ever before.

Elsewhere on the Network today: The Political Environment reports that after an unprecedented $6 billion road expansion binge, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker says he doesn't support raising taxes to bring existing roads into good condition. Seattle Transit Blog says the premium people pay for land near light rail stations in Seattle is a sign the city needs to expand transit. And the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia gives an overview of last week's Better Bike Share conference, which explored "what’s working, what isn’t, and how bike share can be a transportation tool for everyone."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Wednesday’s Headlines Got the Worried Blues

Transit agencies listen to that whistle blow. They're going where they never gone before.

July 17, 2024

Study: More Evidence That Safer Streets Help Loca Business

...and more insight into why that belief is so hard to quash.

July 17, 2024

Tuesday’s Headlines Turn Up the Heat

Triple-digit heat, fueled by climate change, is warping rail lines, interrupting construction work on transit lines and causing burns on sidewalks.

July 16, 2024

These Are the Most Dangerous Congressional Districts for Pedestrians

The deadliest congressional districts in America are dominated by BIPOC communities — and federal officials need to step up to save the most vulnerable road users.

July 16, 2024

Delivery Worker Minimum Wage Shows Promise … For Some, Data Shows

New data from New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection shows minimum wage is bringing order to a previously wild industry.

July 15, 2024
See all posts