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Self driving cars are going to have a huge impact on parking. Imagine being dropped off at home or work or the store then the car just going away to a garage so

by spikels 13y ago

Self driving cars are going to have a huge impact on parking. Imagine being dropped off at home or work or the store then the car just going away to a garage somewhere perhaps far away but coming back at the touch of your smart phone. Parking spots, including garages, will become much less valuable. There will be many other impacts much harder to foresee.

sbashyal 13y ago
One impact of your suggestion will be increased congestion as these automated cars use the road twice - once to drop and once to return to parking.
- jeffasinger 13y ago
  Between 5 and 10% of all traffic is currently people looking for parking in many cities. If the driverless cars function like taxis and pick up another fare, instead of parking immediately, they stand to reduce congestion overall.
  - spikels 13y ago
    SFMTA, our terribly run public transit conglomerate, says "Circling for parking accounts for approximately 30 percent of San Francisco’s congestion". While I am skeptical of the source (this was to justify an expensive new parking meter system and higher rates) it does seem possible. I'd love to see scientific research. http://sfpark.org/2011/04/04/sfmta-announces-improved-sfpark-pricing-strategy-for-city-owned-garages/ http://sfpark.org/2011/04/04/sfmta-announces-improved-sfpark... From pjlegato's comment below.
- spikels 13y ago
  That would be worst-case - if the car went all the way back to where it came from. We could easily be more efficient - garages at a moderate distance with much high density (no need of human access) and routing could be optimized to avoid congestion both on the road and parked. But the big win would be with car sharing.
anigbrowl 13y ago
Agreed. Chicago got a lot of criticism for privatising its public parking system, but given the ti will take 30-40 years for the private firm to break even on its investment and the contract runs for a full 70 years, I suspect the city will ultimately be seen to have made out like a bandit.

by spikels 13y ago

sbashyal 13y ago

One impact of your suggestion will be increased congestion as these automated cars use the road twice - once to drop and once to return to parking.

jeffasinger 13y ago
Between 5 and 10% of all traffic is currently people looking for parking in many cities. If the driverless cars function like taxis and pick up another fare, instead of parking immediately, they stand to reduce congestion overall.
- spikels 13y ago
  SFMTA, our terribly run public transit conglomerate, says "Circling for parking accounts for approximately 30 percent of San Francisco’s congestion". While I am skeptical of the source (this was to justify an expensive new parking meter system and higher rates) it does seem possible. I'd love to see scientific research. http://sfpark.org/2011/04/04/sfmta-announces-improved-sfpark-pricing-strategy-for-city-owned-garages/ http://sfpark.org/2011/04/04/sfmta-announces-improved-sfpark... From pjlegato's comment below.
spikels 13y ago
That would be worst-case - if the car went all the way back to where it came from. We could easily be more efficient - garages at a moderate distance with much high density (no need of human access) and routing could be optimized to avoid congestion both on the road and parked. But the big win would be with car sharing.

anigbrowl 13y ago

Agreed. Chicago got a lot of criticism for privatising its public parking system, but given the ti will take 30-40 years for the private firm to break even on its investment and the contract runs for a full 70 years, I suspect the city will ultimately be seen to have made out like a bandit.