Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Steal This Idea: The Larger the Car, the More You Pay to Park

usa.streetsblog.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 85 posts

Re: Steal This Idea: The Larger the Car, the More You Pay to Park

#11

Post by TylerE »

latchkey wrote: post #8

In the US, we literally don't have a choice. The only small (2-door) cars that are on the market are the Mini, Mazda MX5, Toyota GR, Subaru BRZ. The last three being sports cars. Everything else has pulled out of the country or has more doors (and is larger). It is really sad. I really wish Smart cars would come back as an option.

The VW Golf, which not exactly a compact car by Euro standards, is pretty well sized.

My Mk7 is only a half inch longer and one inch wider than a current gen (21+) BRZ.

I’ve actually owned the Mk7 in both 2 door and 4 door. The 4 door is identical dimensionally, better proportioned, and much easier to get in and out of since you can open the doors more than 10 degrees without banging the car next to you… the doors on the 2dr are loooooong.

Americans like hatchbacks just fine.. Honda sells a bunch of Fits… they just don’t like two door hatches, for mostly good reason.

Re: Steal This Idea: The Larger the Car, the More You Pay to Park

#12

Post by 7speter »

ARandomerDude wrote: post #2

A minivan can very comfortably seat 6 adults. In a busy area, higher fees for larger vehicles may discourage carpooling and increase traffic.

Minivans are a totally different class of vehicle than the actual problematic vehicles, body on frame suv’s and pickups, though. I wager they are significantly lighter too because they are unibody and based on car platforms. The problem is that most people who are really in the market for a minivan don’t buy minivans anymore, they buy crossovers, which are either cars or minivans (the caravan, the first minivan, was based on the chrysler k platform, anyways) made up to look like a big box, non-aerodynamic, and in most cases, “rugged” (or “sporty”) suvs.

Re: Steal This Idea: The Larger the Car, the More You Pay to Park

#14

Post by shagie »

https://globalnews.ca/news/9668217/montreal-rosemont-la-peti...

> Whether electric, hybrid or internal combustion, parking a vehicle under 1,550 kilograms will cost $115 for the year. Vehicles with a mass between 1,250 kg and 1,424 kg will cost $145, 1,425 kg to 1,599 kg will be $175 and 1,600 kg and more will be $205.

(I think that 1550 is a typo and should be 1250 and is reflected in the table below)

    |      kg     |      lbs    |  fee  |
    |:-----------:|:-----------:|:-----:|
    |
Some data points:

My old '96 geo metro (four door) was is 1,984 lbs

My '03 Honda civic was 2,500 lbs

I currently drive an '10 Honda insight which is listed as "2,723 to 2,727 lbs"

A 2023 Toyta Prius is 3,097 to 3,340 lbs

A Mazda CX-90 (SUV) is 4,709 to 4,899 lbs

The 2023 Ford F150 is 4,021 to 5,740 lbs

The Mitsubishi Mirage is one of the lightest cars on the market that is still in the practical category and has a curb weight of 2,084 to 2,117 lbs.

Re: Steal This Idea: The Larger the Car, the More You Pay to Park

#15

Post by the_optimist »

No, don’t steal this idea. It has sprung forth from the head of a bureaucrat and will lead to externalities like the one mentioned about carpooling. Instead, steal this idea: Stop investing in optimized bureaucracy. It is ever so fragile, eternal, and unforgiving. It creates expensive administrative jobs that waste lives and resources. Invest in a philosophy of creating innovative improvements which can survive in a marketplace of ongoing change and adaptation.

Re: Steal This Idea: The Larger the Car, the More You Pay to Park

#18

Post by jimjimjim »

the_optimist wrote: post #15

No, don’t steal this idea. It has sprung forth from the head of a bureaucrat and will lead to externalities like the one mentioned about carpooling. Instead, steal this idea: Stop investing in optimized bureaucracy. It is ever so fragile, eternal, and unforgiving. It creates expensive administrative jobs that waste lives and resources. Invest in a philosophy of creating innovative improvements which can survive in a…

Bureaucracy is just rules. most rules are there to prevent the harm to other members of society. Unless you own all the land and build all the roads you are NOT allowed to do whatever you want if the society that provides the land and roads doesn't want you to.

Re: Steal This Idea: The Larger the Car, the More You Pay to Park

#19

Post by Thermosetty »

atyppo wrote: post #4
ARandomerDude wrote: post #2

A minivan can very comfortably seat 6 adults. In a busy area, higher fees for larger vehicles may discourage carpooling and increase traffic.

The vast majority of people in the US and Canada are not buying minivans. They're buying comically large cars that endanger road users, and often even themselves because SUVs and trucks are not subject to the same road safety standards as sedans and minivans (in the US, at least. Not sure about Canada on this second point).

> The vast majority of people in the US and Canada are not buying minivans. They're buying comically large cars that endanger road users...

This is true in the surrounding suburbs but vehicle size in city centers trend smaller.

Post reply on HN