Comments on: Funding transit through market-rate parking spots

By: A digression on parking rates and spaces :: Second Ave. Sagas

A digression on parking rates and spaces :: Second Ave. Sagas — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:01:58 +0000

[...] occasionally returned to the idea of the parking space. Two years ago, I said the city could fund transit by raising on-street parking rates, and I’ve argued in favor of residential parking permits as a way to raise revenue for [...]

By: Funding transit through a 36-percent fare increase :: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:23:56 +0000

[...] solutions and the measures for which advocates should push, I jumped into the fray Monday with a call for market-rate on-street parking spots. The proposal generated a lot of talk with most in favor to a tiered on-street parking system that [...]

By: Duke87

Duke87 — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:11:26 +0000

Another qualifier: if you have a handicapped parking permit, the fee for a resident parking permit should be waived. Because in that case, you likely are dependent on a car to get places since walking and riding buses and trains would be too physically taxing for you to handle (my grandmother in Pelham Bay is in this position).

By: SEAN

SEAN — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:55:01 +0000

In the burbs of course you are more likely to drive, however that to is beginning to change. In the case of summit a former supermarket was turned into what else, CVS. You will find that all over the metro area. Just imagine if those grocery stores stayed open undernew management, you wouldn’t need to drive every time you needed to go food shopping. Remember most of those stores are right smack dab in the middle of town near transit & could be part of a community masterplan. Same could be said for
several city neighborhoods as well.
It is time to change the car mindset. It won’t be easy, but it’s nessessary.

By: SEAN

SEAN — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:28:38 +0000

I never implied LIRR in substitution for the subway in the Forest Hills example. It was LIRR, the Q23/ Q60 buses & the subway for maximum mobility. Infact on the south side of the Gardens subdivision you have Q54 busses on Metropoliton Avenue as well. Nearby the Q 11, 21, 53 & QM15 ALSO TRAVEL ALONG THAT STRETCH AT VERRIOUS POINTS.

By: AlexB

AlexB — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:36:47 +0000

$700/square foot for an apt or house includes the cost of finishes, mechanical systems, a roof, etc. There is no way pavement on dirt would get that much. You’d have to find the cost of land, although it would still probably be ridiculously high.

I understand that at some times, up to 50% of traffic in park slope is people looking to park their cars. Obviously, simply having a permit would decrease this traffic.

Charging people for a parking space is a good idea, but if the fee is too low, it is not. It has to be quite high in order to actually prohibit people from owning a car.

I read something on Streetsblog one time that the rate of people who drive in a neighborhood is not based on car ownership, but on the ability to park. The examples used were Jackson Heights and Park Slope. In Park Slope, there is no off street (guaranteed) parking. In Jackson Heights, there is a lot. Both neighborhoods have similar levels of car ownership. People who live and own cars in Jackson Heights were much more likely to drive into Manhattan, probably because they knew they had a spot waiting for them when they got home again.

If you give people in Prospect Heights, Williamsburg, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, etc. guaranteed parking spots via expensive parking permits, you might see a slight decrease in car ownership and traffic due to people looking for a spot, and overall car ownership, but you will also probably see an increase in car traffic between the neighborhood and Manhattan. After all, if someone is going to spend top dollar to have their own bit of reserved street space, they are going to use it.

By: AlexB

AlexB — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:27:18 +0000

TX Transportation Institute is at A&M in College Station. Big difference.

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:18:47 +0000

Because someone took away their precious and unnecessarily free parking spots? I highly highly doubt it. The vast majority of the 8 million people who live here don’t come for the good parking.

By: Al D

Al D — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:00:46 +0000

You will chase people out of the city in droves!!

By: Scott E

Scott E — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:59:20 +0000

Sean, I have to disagree with you here. Commuter rail does not substitute rapid transit (subways). Those who live near the subway rely on it, or live within walking distance to, everyday errands (groceries, clothes shopping, banking, etc). Those people in the NJ towns you mentioned, as well as the Queens areas I mentioned, still need a car for everyday purchases – they just don’t need it to drive to work (but a quick look at the train station parking lot shows that they DO use it for a portion of the commute!)