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Imo, street side parking in cities should just be scrapped. It makes no sense for the public to pay so much money to allow people to park particular kinds of pr

Imo, street side parking in cities should just be scrapped. It makes no sense for the public to pay so much money to allow people to park particular kinds of private property for free. Pushing all parking on to businesses own lots or in dedicated parking facilities would let the market adequately price parking rather than externalising the cost.

jj999 3y ago
In my building, there are 40 units... and 6 parking places in the basement. Most of the city is this way. Street side parking is the only way to go. TBH I prefer trees and grass over parking lots. I would not change it.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- elyobo 3y ago
  > I prefer trees and grass over parking lots I don't see a meaningful distinction between a consolidated parking lot and one that's distributed along the side of the road when it comes to tree and grass cover. For dense urban situations car parking buildings allow more than either surface lots or surface street parking.
  - jj999 3y ago
    Nearly half of parking lots' space a dedicated to move in and out. That space isn't needed with street parking because the street itself accomplish this function. Parking lots are mostly used only half of the day and empty otherwise, because typically people drive their car around in a few different parking lots. Streets are useful all day long. I'm unconvinced removing street parking would allow for smaller streets because that space is also used for bus stops and snow management in winter. Chance are street parking don't take place in itself but merely maximize usage of space that would be used up by the streets anyway. I don't think we need private parking buildings to park our private cars when not in use, ie, most of the time. We need fewer, always in use, public cars to drive on our already public roads.
    - yowzadave 3y ago
      Have you seen what streets in Japan look like? Very narrow, very walkable, views unobstructed by rows of cars; the streets become a place for interaction, a place for children to play, etc. It works because street parking is not allowed.
      - anthonypasq 3y ago
        there so many compounding elements that make it difficult to transition to something like Tokyo. Things in America are big because we had room and built our cities around big things. if you make the average parking spot the size of a parking spot in Tokyo, 95% of american cars wouldnt fit. and no one really uses mopeds because the streets are full of giant cars traveling very fast. And people need cars in the first place because cities arent dense enough, and therefore harder to justify public transit because the density isnt there etc. someone in the chain just needs to bite the short term bullet to start a cascade of events that will make american cities more liveable
        yowzadave 3y ago
        > And people need cars in the first place because cities arent dense enough, and therefore harder to justify public transit because the density isnt there etc. ...and housing is too expensive because cities strongly resist increasing density. We have indeed found ourselves in a cycle of dysfunction.
    - breuleux 3y ago
      As a cyclist, removing street parking would free up space for dedicated bike lanes and remove risks of being doored. It would also increase visibility a good deal, especially at a time when cars are getting so massive.
Arainach 3y ago
Per-business lots are incredibly inefficient. They have to optimize for peak demand or lose sales during crucial peak seasons - when was thr last time you saw a Walmart parking lot full? They make it more difficult to visit multiple stops in one trip. Instead of parking downtown, going to an appointment and grabbing lunch I have to move my car in between those trips, generating more emissions and waste.
- jjallen 3y ago
  > when was thr last time you saw a Walmart parking lot full? Sounds like they could make them much smaller > They make it more difficult to visit multiple stops in one trip. Instead of parking downtown, going to an appointment and grabbing lunch I have to move my car in between those trips, generating more emissions and waste. A general, private garage is an existing possible solution to this problem.
  - RugnirViking 3y ago
    > Sounds like they could make them much smaller You're not really adressing the point of what they were saying. If they were smaller and utilised more efficiently, there would be at least some days where you shop up and its full, so you go somewhere else. Walmart want your money, so they're incentivised to have more parking lots than they'll ever need. Pushing everything into private lots only will exacerbate this problem
  - ultrarunner 3y ago
    > Sounds like they could make them much smaller This is usually regulated by zoning laws, and Walmart (et al) have no say in the matter.
- Gigachad 3y ago
  They don't have to be per business. In Australian cities at least, you'll have one multi level parking facility which serves the whole area. It's entirely funded by the user rather than the tax payer and is even more effective.
ianburrell 3y ago
Removing street parking makes sense some places but not in general. It only makes sense when there is another need for that space. Like taking parking from major street to make protected bike lane or bus lane. My neighborhood has less off-street parking than newer ones. Which means all the extra parking goes on the street. The streets are narrow, parking makes them safer by forcing cars to share a single lane. There is no conflict with bikes because the cars are going slowly. There are other neighborhood nearby that have too much street parking and should probably charge more for parking passes.

jj999 3y ago

In my building, there are 40 units... and 6 parking places in the basement. Most of the city is this way. Street side parking is the only way to go. TBH I prefer trees and grass over parking lots. I would not change it.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
elyobo 3y ago
> I prefer trees and grass over parking lots I don't see a meaningful distinction between a consolidated parking lot and one that's distributed along the side of the road when it comes to tree and grass cover. For dense urban situations car parking buildings allow more than either surface lots or surface street parking.
- jj999 3y ago
  Nearly half of parking lots' space a dedicated to move in and out. That space isn't needed with street parking because the street itself accomplish this function. Parking lots are mostly used only half of the day and empty otherwise, because typically people drive their car around in a few different parking lots. Streets are useful all day long. I'm unconvinced removing street parking would allow for smaller streets because that space is also used for bus stops and snow management in winter. Chance are street parking don't take place in itself but merely maximize usage of space that would be used up by the streets anyway. I don't think we need private parking buildings to park our private cars when not in use, ie, most of the time. We need fewer, always in use, public cars to drive on our already public roads.
  - yowzadave 3y ago
    Have you seen what streets in Japan look like? Very narrow, very walkable, views unobstructed by rows of cars; the streets become a place for interaction, a place for children to play, etc. It works because street parking is not allowed.
    - anthonypasq 3y ago
      there so many compounding elements that make it difficult to transition to something like Tokyo. Things in America are big because we had room and built our cities around big things. if you make the average parking spot the size of a parking spot in Tokyo, 95% of american cars wouldnt fit. and no one really uses mopeds because the streets are full of giant cars traveling very fast. And people need cars in the first place because cities arent dense enough, and therefore harder to justify public transit because the density isnt there etc. someone in the chain just needs to bite the short term bullet to start a cascade of events that will make american cities more liveable
      - yowzadave 3y ago
        > And people need cars in the first place because cities arent dense enough, and therefore harder to justify public transit because the density isnt there etc. ...and housing is too expensive because cities strongly resist increasing density. We have indeed found ourselves in a cycle of dysfunction.
  - breuleux 3y ago
    As a cyclist, removing street parking would free up space for dedicated bike lanes and remove risks of being doored. It would also increase visibility a good deal, especially at a time when cars are getting so massive.

Arainach 3y ago

Per-business lots are incredibly inefficient. They have to optimize for peak demand or lose sales during crucial peak seasons - when was thr last time you saw a Walmart parking lot full? They make it more difficult to visit multiple stops in one trip. Instead of parking downtown, going to an appointment and grabbing lunch I have to move my car in between those trips, generating more emissions and waste.

jjallen 3y ago
> when was thr last time you saw a Walmart parking lot full? Sounds like they could make them much smaller > They make it more difficult to visit multiple stops in one trip. Instead of parking downtown, going to an appointment and grabbing lunch I have to move my car in between those trips, generating more emissions and waste. A general, private garage is an existing possible solution to this problem.
- RugnirViking 3y ago
  > Sounds like they could make them much smaller You're not really adressing the point of what they were saying. If they were smaller and utilised more efficiently, there would be at least some days where you shop up and its full, so you go somewhere else. Walmart want your money, so they're incentivised to have more parking lots than they'll ever need. Pushing everything into private lots only will exacerbate this problem
- ultrarunner 3y ago
  > Sounds like they could make them much smaller This is usually regulated by zoning laws, and Walmart (et al) have no say in the matter.
Gigachad 3y ago
They don't have to be per business. In Australian cities at least, you'll have one multi level parking facility which serves the whole area. It's entirely funded by the user rather than the tax payer and is even more effective.

ianburrell 3y ago

Removing street parking makes sense some places but not in general. It only makes sense when there is another need for that space. Like taking parking from major street to make protected bike lane or bus lane. My neighborhood has less off-street parking than newer ones. Which means all the extra parking goes on the street. The streets are narrow, parking makes them safer by forcing cars to share a single lane. There is no conflict with bikes because the cars are going slowly. There are other neighborhood nearby that have too much street parking and should probably charge more for parking passes.