High Cost of Free Parking

Electronic parking pay station next to curb in Washington D.C., on rain-soaked red brick sidewalk with neoclassical white building in background

D.C. Residents Heavily Subsidize Residential Parking

The District is losing out on hundreds of thousands in potential revenue while encouraging residents to store cars on valuable public land.

August 8, 2023 - Greater Greater Washington

View of large empty parking garage

The Softer Side Of Shoupism

Journalist Harry Grabar takes Prof. Don Shoup's economic theories about parking (and over-parking) and illustrates them with compelling—and terrifying—stories about the role parking plays in America's cities.

May 22, 2023 - California Planning & Development Report

Cars are blurred as they pass the bright lights of the Michigan Theater at dusk in Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor Votes to Eliminate Parking Minimums

Ann Arbor, Michigan approved changes to the city’s Unified Development Code (UDC) earlier this week that eliminate off-street parking requirements for a variety of development types throughout the city.

August 17, 2022 - The Handbuilt City

Bend, Oregon

Oregon to Reform Parking Requirements in 52 Cities

Oregon, the first state to end single-family zoning statewide, is on the cusp of another historic planning reform as the Land Conservation and Development Commission nears approval for new “Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities” rules.

June 6, 2022 - Sightline Institute

South Mall Parking Lot

Progressive Political Support Sought for Parking Reforms

Despite mounting evidence that parking requirements subsidize cars, raise the cost of housing, and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, few policymakers have strongly advocated to end them.

January 24, 2022 - StreetsBlog NYC

Parking Requirements

Parking Reform Moving Forward in Minneapolis

The vision proposed by the groundbreaking Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan is taking shape as zoning amendments move toward adoption.

April 25, 2021 - The Minnesota Daily

Parking Lot

Is the Era of Over-Parking Over?

Cities like Vancouver are rethinking parking minimums as they try to meet climate goals, reduce traffic, and reallocate street space to other modes.

January 11, 2021 - Sightline

New York Parking

Parking Battles Heat Up in New York City

With car ownership rates soaring, the fight for the city's free street parking spots is intensifying.

January 8, 2021 - The New York Times

Parking

How Cars Make Life More Expensive—Even If You Don't Own a Car

Auto-dependence starts with land use, and zoning codes ensure everyone pays for the privilege only available to some.

February 6, 2020 - Vice

New York Street Parking

The N.Y.C. Free Parking Giveaway Needs to Stop

Free street parking in much of New York City means lost revenue, but it also affects the urban landscape and the quality of people’s lives. So how much is all that street space really worth?

December 10, 2019 - Bloomberg Opinion

Los Angeles Harbor Freeway

If Road Pricing Is Inherently Unfair and Regressive...

Road pricing has its faults as a revenue measure, but it needs to be compared to ten elements of the current system of paying for transportation, including hidden subsidies, says Joe Cortright, an urban economist with Portland-based City Observatory.

February 4, 2019 - City Observatory

Downtown St. Paul

St. Paul Seeks State Money for Parking Garage

The state of Minnesota is disinclined, so far, to pay for the project, but St. Paul officials are looking to invest big money to replace a large parking garage in the downtown entertainment district.

May 29, 2018 - Streets MN

On-Street Parking

Philadelphia Law Would Raise Parking Minimums

Swaths of the city of Philadelphia could see increased parking minimums if a new version of a bill that failed in 2016 makes its way through City Council.

May 17, 2018 - PlanPhilly

Charlottesville to Begin Charging for Parking in Downtown

The city of Charlottesville, home to the University of Virginia, has approved a controversial measure to begin charging for on-street parking in the city's downtown.

April 6, 2016 - C-Ville Weekly

Suburban traffic

Study Finds Strong Evidence that Parking Causes Driving

A new study presented at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting builds a strong case that parking causes driving.

January 13, 2016 - CityLab

San Francisco Initiative a Setback for Progressive Parking Policy

San Francisco's voters are continuing their trend of deciding complex and difficult planning issues at the ballot box. Last time it was height restrictions—this time it's parking.

September 12, 2014 - SF Streetsblog

The Danger of Commuter Benefits for All

In yet another illustration of the high cost of free parking, Eric Jaffe reports on a study by two Virginia Tech transportation scholars that analyze all types of commuter transportation benefits and how they influence choice of commute mode.

August 3, 2014 - CityLab

When Cleveland Gives Away Public Parking, the Browns Profit

The Cleveland City Council this week approved a new ordinance that gives away city-owned parking for free for the Cleveland Browns to use—and charge for—during games. High cost of free parking indeed.

June 8, 2014 - 19 Action News

Planners Backtrack on Reform of Parking Standards

A bill in California that would reduce parking minimums in transit-oriented areas has drawn opposition from an unlikely group: the American Planning Association.

June 19, 2012 - California Planning & Development Report

End of the Road for Influential Publication

For those who missed it, Friday brought the end to the influential infrastructure focused blog -- The Infrastructurist

January 11, 2012 - The Infrastructurist

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