Live data from Hacker News

Charge, Baby, Charge for Parking

econlib.org

1–10 of 195 posts

Re: Charge, Baby, Charge for Parking

#2
> Parking clouds people’s minds, shifting analytic faculties to a lower level. Some strongly support market prices — except for parking. Some strongly oppose subsidies — except for parking.

I wonder if you could replace this with: "some people strongly support X - except in circumstances where it negatively affects them personally".

Re: Charge, Baby, Charge for Parking

#3
I can't help but think that many of our economic, social, and environmental issues stem from a culture of cars. Cars push out urban sprawl weakening economies of scale, cars take up a massive amount of expensive real-estate (roads and parking), cars produce a tremendous amount of pollution in addition the environmental impacts of the previous two points.

At least in the US, I do not see a path forwards tho. The houses have been built and the people live where they live.

Re: Charge, Baby, Charge for Parking

#4

I can't help but think that many of our economic, social, and environmental issues stem from a culture of cars. Cars push out urban sprawl weakening economies of scale, cars take up a massive amount of expensive real-estate (roads and parking), cars produce a tremendous amount of pollution in addition the environmental impacts of the previous two points. At least in the US, I do not see a path forwards tho. The house…

It took decades of intentional development to go from a United States where every big city had a streetcar system and basically nobody had a car, to the suburban hellscapes that exist throughout the country today. It will take decades more to fix.

Re: Charge, Baby, Charge for Parking

#5
If this topic interests you, Strong Towns is a national non-profit working on parking reform as one of its top issues. The movement is growing, and there's a lot you can do to support it!

Some relevant content:

1. https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/11/20/the-many-cost...

2. https://www.strongtowns.org/parking

Re: Charge, Baby, Charge for Parking

#6
remove or charge for parking and people park on the street...no one is giving up their cars, all of the social engineering just ends up creating more problems

in many Bay Area communities you will see cars as tightly aligned on both sides of residential streets as is physically possible...homeowners don't even have room to put out trash bins without blocking their own drives. and why? because apartment complexes and offices don't provide spaces for their users. so, people just clutter up the streets. win?

any time there are measures to make parking inconvenient, you end up with annoying ordinances banning street parking...or "members only" local passes...or meter maids who exist to torment us all

how can the government get us out of our cars when they otherwise encourage car use as broadly as possible?

Re: Charge, Baby, Charge for Parking

#7

I can't help but think that many of our economic, social, and environmental issues stem from a culture of cars. Cars push out urban sprawl weakening economies of scale, cars take up a massive amount of expensive real-estate (roads and parking), cars produce a tremendous amount of pollution in addition the environmental impacts of the previous two points. At least in the US, I do not see a path forwards tho. The house…

The path forward is zoning changes. Make it legal to build small apartments in a neighborhood, make it legal to run a corner shop, etc. We can build walkable environments in suburban hellscapes if we tweak the laws.

Re: Charge, Baby, Charge for Parking

#8

I can't help but think that many of our economic, social, and environmental issues stem from a culture of cars. Cars push out urban sprawl weakening economies of scale, cars take up a massive amount of expensive real-estate (roads and parking), cars produce a tremendous amount of pollution in addition the environmental impacts of the previous two points. At least in the US, I do not see a path forwards tho. The house…

It would be fixed because the car industry does not have anymore power to stop the improvements.

Now, it's tech companies the ones that have the money to create a bad for humans landscape. Will the USA repeat the same mistake and let them create an unfit for society digital neighborhood, or has it learned that to take corporation interests above everything else create inefficient societies?

Re: Charge, Baby, Charge for Parking

#9
> Rational people quickly become emotional about parking ... Thinking about parking seems to take place in the reptilian cortex, the most primitive part of the brain responsible for snap judgments about urgent fight-or-flight issues, such as how to avoid being eaten.

Lol. A bit melodramatic, but sure. Charge for it, yes, but give motorists a civilized experience when possible.

Some of the emotion and impatience and anxiety can be reduced. IME, parking anxiety can come from 1) finding the expensive parking, 2) navigating in/out of it, 3) paying for it, and 4) worrying about it expiring. Technology can lighten some of that chore and people can get on with their business and pleasure. Self-navigating/parking cars might soon be helping with 1 & 2. Background: I cofounded PayByPhone with a goal of providing a civilized solution to 3 & 4.

Re: Charge, Baby, Charge for Parking

#10
I live in a planned high density office/shopping/residential development.

When the developer switched to paid parking, there were literal protests: folks with signs.

It absolutely gutted the shops. Foot traffic was way down. And now with COVID, we have dozens of empty storefronts.

Consumers vote with their wallet, and lots of folks are dead set against paying for parking.

Post reply on HN