Parking
Basics
How Seattle Children’s Hospital Took the Lead on Healthy Transportation
It's more than a little ironic that in many places, hospitals are some of the worst offenders when it comes to perpetrating unhealthy transportation patterns. Often surrounded by enormous parking decks, hospitals have earned a reputation as isolated institutions hermetically sealed off from surrounding neighborhoods.
May 8, 2015
Gabe Klein on How DC Built a Smarter Parking System
Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson is working on a piece about parking policy and was recently in Washington to discuss some of that city's innovations with former District DOT chief Gabe Klein. The full Streetfilm is still a work-in-progress, but Clarence put together these clips where Klein explains the city's pay-by-phone parking meter tech, which goes great with dynamic pricing, and its system for selling curb space for one-time uses like moving trucks, which cut down on fraud and looks like a smart way to prevent double-parking. Enjoy.
April 1, 2015
Donald Shoup, an Appreciation
On Tuesday, the news came that after 41 years of teaching at UCLA, Donald Shoup, distinguished professor of urban planning, will retire. For all of us who have had our paths in life profoundly influenced by his research, writing, and teaching on parking and transportation, it's a good time to reflect. I never got to take a class from professor Shoup, but he has had more influence on my life and career than any of the professors whose classes I did attend.
March 30, 2015
Parking Madness 2015: Can Your Parking Crater Compete?
March is a special month on Streetsblog. It's the time when the nation's worst downtown parking scars face off head-to-head for the shame of winning the "golden crater" -- and the local publicity bonanza that comes with it. For the third year running, we're asking you to help seed the bracket in our Parking Madness tournament by sending in photos of the sorriest wastes of urban space you can find.
March 3, 2015
The Spectacular Waste of Half-Empty Black Friday Parking Lots
If there's one thing American planners fear, it's that someone, sometime, somewhere, won't be able to immediately find a parking space. Gigantic manuals have been devoted to avoiding this "problem," and laws have been passed in nearly every community in the nation to ensure that no one ever lacks for parking.
December 1, 2014
Get Your Cameras Ready for Half-Empty Black Friday Parking Lots
It's standard practice to build parking lots to accommodate the maximum number of vehicles expected on the busiest shopping day of the year.
November 26, 2014
Congress Gives Itself More Free Parking Than Its Own Rules Allow
As TransitCenter and the Frontier Group reported last week, the federal government pays a huge $7.3 billion subsidy to people who drive to work by making commuter parking expenses tax exempt. There are countless reasons for Congress to scrap this poorly-conceived, congestion-inducing subsidy. While policymakers consider the big picture, they also ought to examine how their own parking benefits are administered.
November 24, 2014
SF Voters Reject Measure to Enshrine Free Parking and Stop Livable Streets
In case you need a little pick-me-up this morning, here's some good news out of San Francisco. Voters resoundingly rejected Proposition L, a local ballot measure designed to halt the city's progress on improving streets for walking, biking, and transit. As of the most recent available count, with nearly all precincts reporting, 62 percent of San Francisco voters had said "No" to Prop L.
November 5, 2014
Progress on Parking Reform Could Make DC More Walkable and Affordable
A few key changes to the DC zoning code could help make housing more affordable, streets more walkable, transit more convenient, and healthy foods more accessible. Years of debate and delay have watered down the reforms somewhat, but they still represent substantial progress. And now it looks like they will pass.
October 10, 2014
In Tenth Year of Park(ing) Day, Parklets Bloom on Six Continents
Cities on six continents are celebrating Park(ing) Day today, now in its tenth year of temporarily transforming curbside space for cars into public spaces for people. Some of the pop-up parks that caught our eye this Park(ing) Day include:
September 19, 2014