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A major subsidy to the suburban lifestyle is free parking[1]. In heavily urban areas like New York, the space required for parking is priced (mostly) according

A major subsidy to the suburban lifestyle is free parking[1]. In heavily urban areas like New York, the space required for parking is priced (mostly) according to the market. In less dense cities with a higher percentage of car owners, street parking is often free when it should not be. Free parking causes three main problems: * Tons of street space is provided by the public for parking that would otherwise be used more efficiently. * Parking spots become scarce, causing drivers to waste a lot of time and cause extra congestion while searching for parking spots. It's nice for people who have more time than money, but taxpayers can't collect that wasted time. * Because voters have an expectation of unlimited free parking, local government requires new construction to include parking spaces so the additional residents don't consume existing street parking. This increases the cost of construction and wastes space, and it reduces the possibilities for land use. You can't have dense communities when half the space is consumed by parking garages. [1] "The High Cost of Free Parking" http://www.uctc.net/papers/351.pdf http://www.uctc.net/papers/351.pdf

waterlesscloud 12y ago
Street parking has almost no place in the suburban lifestyle.
- prawn 12y ago
  In my experience, every urban street in Australia is full of parked cars. It wasn't like this when I was growing up and we would ride up and down our cul-de-sac or kick a football, but now that same street would have 12-20 cars parked within a one block segment at any given time. People can afford more cars and would rather make use of the public space for parking than fill their driveway or have to shuffle cars if they're parked behind one another. I leave my second car parked out front because it's slightly more convenient than using my double driveway (crammed to get kids in the car when two cars are parked there), and because I have a pool table and table tennis table in my double garage. I am a part of the problem!

waterlesscloud 12y ago

Street parking has almost no place in the suburban lifestyle.

prawn 12y ago
In my experience, every urban street in Australia is full of parked cars. It wasn't like this when I was growing up and we would ride up and down our cul-de-sac or kick a football, but now that same street would have 12-20 cars parked within a one block segment at any given time. People can afford more cars and would rather make use of the public space for parking than fill their driveway or have to shuffle cars if they're parked behind one another. I leave my second car parked out front because it's slightly more convenient than using my double driveway (crammed to get kids in the car when two cars are parked there), and because I have a pool table and table tennis table in my double garage. I am a part of the problem!