Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

Today we're kicking off the action the round of eight in Parking Madness, Streetsblog's annual tournament seeking out the worst excesses of America's urban parking fixation.

The parking craters that have secured spots in the Elite Eight hail from HoustonLansingProvidenceGreenvilleFremont, Philadelphia, and Hicksville, with voting still open in the San Diego vs. Nashville contest.

Two impressive downtown craters face off below for a spot in the Final Four, as Lansing, Michigan, takes on  Greenville, North Carolina.

Lansing

lansing_crater

Seats of government are an interesting parking crater genre. Something about the government's ability to hand out free car storage perks seems to generate an abnormal volume of surface parking. Two parking near the U.S. Capitol have competed in Parking Madness, and so has Hartford, Connecticut.

The parking crater in downtown Lansing might top them all. Here is reader Rick Brown's guide to the area around the Michigan Statehouse:

Yes. Most of these lots are for State of Michigan employees or visitors, particularly those between Kalamazoo and Ottawa Streets, west of Pine Street. The series of buildings between Allegan and Ottawa west of the capitol itself are all state offices and the one north of the circle on Washtenaw is the State Historical Museum and Archives.

Greenville

greenville crater

Downtown Greenville, North Carolina, is a restaurant and entertainment destination. But as you can see, except for a few blocks, it's mostly set up for people to drive everywhere instead of walking. East Carolina University, with 29,000 students, is just out of frame to the southeast.

Our anonymous submitter writes:

Look carefully and you'll notice that half of Greenville, NC's downtown is parking and/or vehicular right-of-way. With a campus of 30,000 immediately adjacent (you can see buildings in the lower right portion of the picture), there's almost a complete lack of bike racks. Amazing, the four city-block surface parking lot is reserved for university students, while the garage and two city-block surface lot immediately across the street is for city government staff. Eight city blocks, six parking lots and a parking garage. Crater status confirmed.

Which belongs in the Final Four?

parking_madness_2018

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

How To End Your City’s Fight Over Scooter Parking Once and For All

Micromobility riders need a good place to end their ride just like everyone else — and cities can accomplish several goals at once by giving them one.

May 14, 2025

Blue State AGs Sue Trump Over ‘Strong-Arm’ Tactic of Tying DOT Funds to Immigration Crackdown

The U.S. Department of Transportation is illegally threatening to withhold billions in transportation funding to states that don't "cooperate" with the administration's immigration crackdown, a new suit argues.

May 14, 2025

Let Wednesday’s Headlines Clear Our Throat

Congestion pricing is doing what its supporters promised it would do.

May 14, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Are Blocked In

Cities and regional governments could do a better job of spending federal transportation money than states, argues the Brookings Institute.

May 13, 2025

Check out Seattle’s New Subway!*

*...but only for stormwater runoff, not people. And considering that cars, trucks, roads and parking lots for cars are responsible for half of stormwater volumes — and contribute most to toxic runoff — why are households that don't even drive paying to keep other's waste from polluting sensitive waterways?

May 13, 2025
See all posts