A wild overestimation of parking demand at a mall in Manhattan has led to wasted space, reduced pedestrian accessibility, and undermining long term planning goals. Because no big box stores had been built in such a dense urban area, developers relied on data from similar developments in more suburban locations. Assuming 67 to 68 percent of shoppers would arrive by car, the mall built vastly more parking than was needed to accommodate customers.
parking
Off-street parking access linked to higher VMT
When it comes to parking in new residential developments, planners often face stakeholders with two opposing positions. Some want land-use authorities to require lots of off-street parking in order to avoid over-demand for street spots. Others complain that all that off-street parking will just induce more traffic; if authorities require anything, they should set parking maximums, not minimums. A new study by Rachel Weinberger of the University of Pennsylvania provides evidence for the latter view.
San Francisco drivers still park on congested blocks despite variable pricing
Even though parking can be significantly cheaper on adjacent blocks, people keep parking in the same spots, regardless of cost. That’s the conclusion after the most recent adjustment in an innovative program to even out parking …
Road pricing: public perceptions and program development
As state and local governments grapple with reduced revenue from traditional sources, deferred maintenance needs, and traffic congestion, many are searching for ways to generate revenue and reduce congestion without making major capital investments. An …
Pricing, our only feasible path to reduced congestion?
A recent article by Benjamin Orr in The New Republic, previewing a forthcoming article by researchers, Gilles Duranton and Mathew Turner, at the University of Toronto that looks at data to test the claim that …
San Francisco parking meters to adjust costs based on demand
San Francisco’s advanced parking management project, SFPark, is moving forward with its first tweak of parking meter rates. After analyzing parking demand data from the past year, rates are being changed to maximize the utility …
Glass roads?
“There’s 25,000 square miles of road surfaces, parking lots and driveways in the lower 48 states. If we covered that with solar panels with just 15 percent efficiency, we’d produce three times more electricity than …
S.F. parking meters to alert drivers when spots are open
The new meters will send messages to smart phones to help drivers avoid cruising in search of a parking space. Read more here.
History of the parking meter
NJ.com offers a brief history of the parking meter, as Somerville, New Jersey phases out its penny parking meters.
WSDOT quantifies the GHG reduction impact of sidewalk coverage.
“If you build it, they will come” seems to hold for building sidewalks. A recent report for the Washington State Department of Transportation found that increasing sidewalk coverage from 30 percent to 70 percent of …