Should Cities Get Rid of On-Street Parking?
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Date: 2022-11-25
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Comments and reviews: 14
hatpin-understudy
Leaving this comment without having paper evidence on hand, could a case possibly be made for every-block, fixed-price-increase-per-minute/hour compact parking ramps or small lots? This way, streets could be left clear to outdoor dining blocks, delivery vehicles, and bikes, while cars, removed from the street, still have a place to go, at least in my head. The key point here is that if possible, said parking places are on every block (or every other block, or possibly further as long as associated destinations are within comfortable walking distance, and because they are per-block, they can then be tiny. and then in turn, each could be a small local business. I saw a model somewhat like this in Tijuana, Mexico, with tiny parking lots slotted between taller, mixed-use buildings, and to me it seems to work, at least.
Admittedly though, somewhat deviating from topic, I feel like a lot of problems with private transit. or, I suppose, the solutions given to solve private transit problems. are more like stem-level fixes (at least here in the United States) rather than solutions at the root-level. If US zoning laws could only be amended to permit the placement of critical commercial businesses (grocery stores, mainly, but. heck, cafes, barber shops, convenience stores, even) in residential areas (that is, with the same spacing priorities as schools, or denser) instead of the hyper-segregated only houses here, and any shops must be way over there mega-blocks we have now, I feel like people would definitely feel less forced to take cars everywhere.
Additional thoughts are welcome? In any case, thanks for the video!
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Leaving this comment without having paper evidence on hand, could a case possibly be made for every-block, fixed-price-increase-per-minute/hour compact parking ramps or small lots? This way, streets could be left clear to outdoor dining blocks, delivery vehicles, and bikes, while cars, removed from the street, still have a place to go, at least in my head. The key point here is that if possible, said parking places are on every block (or every other block, or possibly further as long as associated destinations are within comfortable walking distance, and because they are per-block, they can then be tiny. and then in turn, each could be a small local business. I saw a model somewhat like this in Tijuana, Mexico, with tiny parking lots slotted between taller, mixed-use buildings, and to me it seems to work, at least.
Admittedly though, somewhat deviating from topic, I feel like a lot of problems with private transit. or, I suppose, the solutions given to solve private transit problems. are more like stem-level fixes (at least here in the United States) rather than solutions at the root-level. If US zoning laws could only be amended to permit the placement of critical commercial businesses (grocery stores, mainly, but. heck, cafes, barber shops, convenience stores, even) in residential areas (that is, with the same spacing priorities as schools, or denser) instead of the hyper-segregated only houses here, and any shops must be way over there mega-blocks we have now, I feel like people would definitely feel less forced to take cars everywhere.
Additional thoughts are welcome? In any case, thanks for the video!
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Jarethenator
It would be ideal if there were a compromise here. Not everyone _can_ ride a bike _or_ walk. How many of those people are able to use the street parking? If it isn't reserved, marked for accessibility, etc? Maybe not so many as would gain the most benefit. Bike and pedestrianization is, for the most part, a net positive for a community, but it doesn't undo the need for parking and shortening the walking/wheelchair distance by having nearer parking can be a great service for many. Plus, the fact of the matter is, people have cars and people use cars. Encouraging use of biking, walking, public transit, etc can reduce car traffic, but unless you've made a car inaccessible area, there will still be a drive for. driving. Street parking, as it is in many contexts, doesn't do a great job of fulfilling the needs of those who most need it, but it can mitigate them. Since cars will still be a thing, those people will still need to put them somewhere, which is where parkinglots and parking garages come into the picture. which bring their own, many issues.
I'm not someone qualified to say what the solution would be, so I won't offer one. I would just say that I do not believe it would be a simple matter going one way or the other. You would gain and lose no matter what you do; so, if some sort of compromise can't be found, then it really behooves the planner to identify what would best serve that specific community/location. One would hope it would be one that caters best to everyone, but that just simply isn't possible everywhere.
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It would be ideal if there were a compromise here. Not everyone _can_ ride a bike _or_ walk. How many of those people are able to use the street parking? If it isn't reserved, marked for accessibility, etc? Maybe not so many as would gain the most benefit. Bike and pedestrianization is, for the most part, a net positive for a community, but it doesn't undo the need for parking and shortening the walking/wheelchair distance by having nearer parking can be a great service for many. Plus, the fact of the matter is, people have cars and people use cars. Encouraging use of biking, walking, public transit, etc can reduce car traffic, but unless you've made a car inaccessible area, there will still be a drive for. driving. Street parking, as it is in many contexts, doesn't do a great job of fulfilling the needs of those who most need it, but it can mitigate them. Since cars will still be a thing, those people will still need to put them somewhere, which is where parkinglots and parking garages come into the picture. which bring their own, many issues.
I'm not someone qualified to say what the solution would be, so I won't offer one. I would just say that I do not believe it would be a simple matter going one way or the other. You would gain and lose no matter what you do; so, if some sort of compromise can't be found, then it really behooves the planner to identify what would best serve that specific community/location. One would hope it would be one that caters best to everyone, but that just simply isn't possible everywhere.
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Aaron
The big problem with on-street parking is it creates streets that are way too big. A business street with 2 lanes both directions might be 44'. With shoulder parking that is maybe 73'. With sidewalks it can be 100'' between buildings which is not only a huge waste of space, but creates low density development. Low density = more walking, more biking, longer transit and/or more driving. A lot of European cities in contrasts have very narrow streets. sometimes under 20'! They could do this because of good use of one-way roads and their increased density. Dense cities provide more housing/work/play within a square mile which means you don't need to use cars as much which are not space efficient. Fixing American streets though is tough. Sometimes it is easy. just make the road one-way which are very efficient. I'm not sure I like wider bike lanes next to traffic. The best bike lanes are next to lakes/rivers where they don't cross private drives and intersections. As a biker I want to be far away from cars. A better solution is often to create very wide sidewalks that can service bikers AND pedestrians with good curb protection from cars.
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The big problem with on-street parking is it creates streets that are way too big. A business street with 2 lanes both directions might be 44'. With shoulder parking that is maybe 73'. With sidewalks it can be 100'' between buildings which is not only a huge waste of space, but creates low density development. Low density = more walking, more biking, longer transit and/or more driving. A lot of European cities in contrasts have very narrow streets. sometimes under 20'! They could do this because of good use of one-way roads and their increased density. Dense cities provide more housing/work/play within a square mile which means you don't need to use cars as much which are not space efficient. Fixing American streets though is tough. Sometimes it is easy. just make the road one-way which are very efficient. I'm not sure I like wider bike lanes next to traffic. The best bike lanes are next to lakes/rivers where they don't cross private drives and intersections. As a biker I want to be far away from cars. A better solution is often to create very wide sidewalks that can service bikers AND pedestrians with good curb protection from cars.
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Tom
Here in San Diego, tons of dedicated bike lanes are being put in everywhere. In many cases, the street parking is not eliminated, but instead, what used to be street parking becomes a bike lane with a strip of planters, and then one of two driving Lanes becomes the parking Lane. That way, there's enough room for parking, bikes, but let's room for driving. It doesn't seem to make traffic any worse though, in the streets have a much more walkable scale by being narrow and having more plantings.
Overall, I think it's good to preserve street parking but play around with different configurations of passenger loading, 30 minutes, surge demand pricing, and other models that allow for flexibility as habits and needs change. People always think they can predict or plan the future, which is what doomed streetcar systems all over the country in favor of cars. Now, the city's wish they had kept the streetcars. So before radically eliminating parking altogether, these flexible models are a good way to feel out what works and what doesn't.
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Here in San Diego, tons of dedicated bike lanes are being put in everywhere. In many cases, the street parking is not eliminated, but instead, what used to be street parking becomes a bike lane with a strip of planters, and then one of two driving Lanes becomes the parking Lane. That way, there's enough room for parking, bikes, but let's room for driving. It doesn't seem to make traffic any worse though, in the streets have a much more walkable scale by being narrow and having more plantings.
Overall, I think it's good to preserve street parking but play around with different configurations of passenger loading, 30 minutes, surge demand pricing, and other models that allow for flexibility as habits and needs change. People always think they can predict or plan the future, which is what doomed streetcar systems all over the country in favor of cars. Now, the city's wish they had kept the streetcars. So before radically eliminating parking altogether, these flexible models are a good way to feel out what works and what doesn't.
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Scott
What about residential parking? I live near downtown in my city and every residential street has parking, usually on both directions, leaving enough driving space for about a car and a half. If two cars are coming at once, you usually have to wait in an empty parking space to let the other car pass if you don't want to risk scraping the other car.
But then we also have front yards. Every home has enough space in their front yard for two cars if they just got rid of the grass. But we don't have to because on-street parking exists. A lot of my neighbors also have 1-2 car garages that never have cars in them, but are empty or used for storage. Because, again, they just use on-street parking instead.
I'm constantly thinking about how that space would be better used for cycling lanes, wonder streets, and wider sidewalks. (Our sidewalks can barely hold 2 people width, if they exist at all)
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What about residential parking? I live near downtown in my city and every residential street has parking, usually on both directions, leaving enough driving space for about a car and a half. If two cars are coming at once, you usually have to wait in an empty parking space to let the other car pass if you don't want to risk scraping the other car.
But then we also have front yards. Every home has enough space in their front yard for two cars if they just got rid of the grass. But we don't have to because on-street parking exists. A lot of my neighbors also have 1-2 car garages that never have cars in them, but are empty or used for storage. Because, again, they just use on-street parking instead.
I'm constantly thinking about how that space would be better used for cycling lanes, wonder streets, and wider sidewalks. (Our sidewalks can barely hold 2 people width, if they exist at all)
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Sam
I would be in favour if there was spaces kept specifically for disabled people and others with mobility issues. My mother has mobility issues but can t be classed as disabled to get the blue badge and often it means parking at a car park and it s very time consuming for to get around as she has to walk incredibly slow vs if she just popped into a shop from an adj space. It s also an issue when carrying bags for example. I wouldn t have a problem with able bodied people like myself being forbidden from those parking spaces and made to use car parks or garages. Here in Ireland as far I am aware we have high fines if you park in a disabled parking space, maybe the same could be done for these 2nd tier prioritised spaces
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I would be in favour if there was spaces kept specifically for disabled people and others with mobility issues. My mother has mobility issues but can t be classed as disabled to get the blue badge and often it means parking at a car park and it s very time consuming for to get around as she has to walk incredibly slow vs if she just popped into a shop from an adj space. It s also an issue when carrying bags for example. I wouldn t have a problem with able bodied people like myself being forbidden from those parking spaces and made to use car parks or garages. Here in Ireland as far I am aware we have high fines if you park in a disabled parking space, maybe the same could be done for these 2nd tier prioritised spaces
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Ire
On-street parking is just another element of war on cars, designed to bribe the small business owners into the ongoing assault.
On-street parking should be abolished in favor of wider roads and higher speed limits. If there's leftover space, sure, build a bike lane, just make sure there's a pedestrian lane in between the bike lane and car lanes, to prevent cyclist lunatics from getting onto the road and disrupting real traffic.
Municipalities should provide paid public underground parking. Private businesses should also be mandated to provide underground parking, paid or free according to their business strategy.
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On-street parking is just another element of war on cars, designed to bribe the small business owners into the ongoing assault.
On-street parking should be abolished in favor of wider roads and higher speed limits. If there's leftover space, sure, build a bike lane, just make sure there's a pedestrian lane in between the bike lane and car lanes, to prevent cyclist lunatics from getting onto the road and disrupting real traffic.
Municipalities should provide paid public underground parking. Private businesses should also be mandated to provide underground parking, paid or free according to their business strategy.
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travel
Having elderly parents has shown me that unless parking is close to their destination they have difficulties getting out. Also any parent who s child is still in a stroller and multiple young children may need close parking. Must really depend on the demographics and family make up of the area your in as well as the what type of businesses or services are in that area and the demographics of the people who use their services.
Really enjoy watching your videos as they get me thinking about how we could design our cities better. We certainly could do so much better so great that people like you are working on this.
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Having elderly parents has shown me that unless parking is close to their destination they have difficulties getting out. Also any parent who s child is still in a stroller and multiple young children may need close parking. Must really depend on the demographics and family make up of the area your in as well as the what type of businesses or services are in that area and the demographics of the people who use their services.
Really enjoy watching your videos as they get me thinking about how we could design our cities better. We certainly could do so much better so great that people like you are working on this.
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KorKhan89
I think the approach needs to situational. On-street parking can be a good option in less densely inhabited suburban and rural areas. In cities, though, you really need to find ways to limit it. For urban residential neighbourhoods and any commercial districts where underground parking isn t an option, you can use parking metres or time limited blue zones (with long-term parking rights for local residents, while at the same time making as much of the city centre as you can entirely car free. And of course, build up transit and bike infrastructure so cars aren t needed in the first place!
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I think the approach needs to situational. On-street parking can be a good option in less densely inhabited suburban and rural areas. In cities, though, you really need to find ways to limit it. For urban residential neighbourhoods and any commercial districts where underground parking isn t an option, you can use parking metres or time limited blue zones (with long-term parking rights for local residents, while at the same time making as much of the city centre as you can entirely car free. And of course, build up transit and bike infrastructure so cars aren t needed in the first place!
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Sela
I m fine with people getting free or low-cost parking. I don t drive and use public transit. But I could lose count at how many times I ve seen people leave work in the middle of the day because they have to move their car or else they ll get a ticket. Or they can t park near the destination because they ll get a ticket. These tickets are expensive and can cut a whole week of pay in some cases. Just like free public transit, free public parks, public libraries, and public museums, free public parking is one less thing we can all share together and we don t have to fight one another over.
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I m fine with people getting free or low-cost parking. I don t drive and use public transit. But I could lose count at how many times I ve seen people leave work in the middle of the day because they have to move their car or else they ll get a ticket. Or they can t park near the destination because they ll get a ticket. These tickets are expensive and can cut a whole week of pay in some cases. Just like free public transit, free public parks, public libraries, and public museums, free public parking is one less thing we can all share together and we don t have to fight one another over.
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Save
SLO is an especially great town to do studies like this in. It s small enough that someone can easily bike across town on an e bike in almost the same amount of time as it would take to drive, there s loads of college students who will gladly use the bike lanes, and it s nestled right there in the hills. So when someone complains about why bother you can just point to the gorgeous landscape and say we re trying to keep this area beautiful for our grandkids!
Hopefully your little study helps fuel the desire for more bike lanes and less parking!
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SLO is an especially great town to do studies like this in. It s small enough that someone can easily bike across town on an e bike in almost the same amount of time as it would take to drive, there s loads of college students who will gladly use the bike lanes, and it s nestled right there in the hills. So when someone complains about why bother you can just point to the gorgeous landscape and say we re trying to keep this area beautiful for our grandkids!
Hopefully your little study helps fuel the desire for more bike lanes and less parking!
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N-der
As much as I agree with this video, its genuinely impossible in my area's current situation. The goal right now is to limit it to just on-street parking, rather than expansive parking lots. Installing sidewalks is our step one here, completely removing cars from the business areas would be like telling people they are losing everything they know.
Its not a good situation, the fact that sidewalks are even a question as to if you'll find one is horrible, but starting with on-street parking is the only real way to get any progress.
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As much as I agree with this video, its genuinely impossible in my area's current situation. The goal right now is to limit it to just on-street parking, rather than expansive parking lots. Installing sidewalks is our step one here, completely removing cars from the business areas would be like telling people they are losing everything they know.
Its not a good situation, the fact that sidewalks are even a question as to if you'll find one is horrible, but starting with on-street parking is the only real way to get any progress.
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mbogucki1
I live in Hamiton Ontario and recently the city rejigged our two main stroads through the city by adding bus lanes.
The car-centric crowd got all uppity because traffic increased, moaning about the bus-only lanes. meanwhile street parking on this major stroad takes up an entire lane of traffic and is usually occupied sparingly by a car or two every couple of blocks because of some legacy business from a bygone era. It's a major headache.
Street parking should be for side streets only.
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I live in Hamiton Ontario and recently the city rejigged our two main stroads through the city by adding bus lanes.
The car-centric crowd got all uppity because traffic increased, moaning about the bus-only lanes. meanwhile street parking on this major stroad takes up an entire lane of traffic and is usually occupied sparingly by a car or two every couple of blocks because of some legacy business from a bygone era. It's a major headache.
Street parking should be for side streets only.
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ve5vv
the logic hear is to make peoples lives so difficult they just do what you want, in reality they go shop where the parking is free in the strip malls and the down town business that had to depend on city provided parking get whatever is left over in terms of customers. My city has succeeded in significantly reducing the number of down town businesses by increasing parking fees and these vacant building use a lot of plywood to cover the windows so the lumberyards really like it.
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the logic hear is to make peoples lives so difficult they just do what you want, in reality they go shop where the parking is free in the strip malls and the down town business that had to depend on city provided parking get whatever is left over in terms of customers. My city has succeeded in significantly reducing the number of down town businesses by increasing parking fees and these vacant building use a lot of plywood to cover the windows so the lumberyards really like it.
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