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Could New York City Eliminate Free Street Parking?

nytimes.com

21–30 of 47 posts

Re: Could New York City Eliminate Free Street Parking?

#21
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While this is a helpful point, I think it would be nice if this issue were framed more in terms of physical and mental health, not just as a question of how to optimise economic output. We need less cars for almost every possible reason you can think of.

I want to make a point. There should be no concern that The War on Cars harms the economy of New York City. It is a claim without evidence.

I agree. But I would also counter that it is worth killing cars even if there were a measurable negative economic impact, because of all the clear benefits we would gain in exchange for it. But of course even these subtler benefits (like mental and physical health), would necessarily result in improved economic output overall.

Re: Could New York City Eliminate Free Street Parking?

#23
post #15
post #7

A must read classing for anyone interested in this topic: The High Cost of Free Parking by Donald Shoup https://www.amazon.com/High-Cost-Free-Parking-Updated/dp/193...

What makes this a must read?

Donald Shoup, a UCLA professor, is one of the few academics who has been studying the economics of parking and is considered THE authority on the subject.

Re: Could New York City Eliminate Free Street Parking?

#24
post #8

> Driving down any avenue, the traffic lanes have been diminished because of the bicycle lanes and the parking areas have been diminished because of the bike rentals. It’s punishing drivers. Funny how drivers are willing to blame everyone except other cars. Walk down Canal or Broome around rush hour and it's pretty clear that the problem is not bike lanes (neither have them) but the fact that there are just too many…

> My sense on the ground is that political will from the non-driving majority is stronger and more organized than it has been in the past.

This might be an unfair generalization, but I associate pro-car sentiments with older conservative voters, who unfortunately do turn out to elections more strongly. The outer burroughs certainly elect in that direction.

Re: Could New York City Eliminate Free Street Parking?

#25
post #3
post #2

>> "In Chicago, neighborhood parking costs residents $25 a year; in Los Angeles, as much as $34; in Washington, $35; and in Portland, Ore., $75. In Boston, a pass for neighborhood parking is free, but officials are considering charging people with one car $25, and more for second and third cars." The area highlighted in the article is the Upper West Side in Manhattan, which is a primarily residential area and not a c…

Nobody who lives on the Upper West Side is driving to work. They circle looking for spots when they have to move their cars for street cleaning and when the get back Sunday night from their country houses. https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2019/07/05/new-york-is-really-aw...

as an UWSer who does not know anyone with a "country residence" or who can afford a second residence at all given the exorbitant price of living in this city, there are plenty of other reasons for people to take the car out in the middle of the day on a summer weekend like, say, going to a beach with your chairs and cooler etc which isn't something you can do with public transit, or going hiking someplace not right off a train line, or any number of things that ordinary non-super-rich people do.

Re: Could New York City Eliminate Free Street Parking?

#26
I live in Europe, but I see no reason why parking space would be free. I also don't see a reason why a part of the street should be used parking when they are built for driving. I am not an eco-nazi, I use a car and a motorcycle, but they are always parked either on my property at home, in the shopping mall parking (cost included in the price of the products I buy) or in the parking at the office (which the employer already considers as a cost when paying me a salary).

Re: Could New York City Eliminate Free Street Parking?

#27

In New York owning a car is a huge luxury, the city is giving away free real estate to the richest of the rich New Yorkers. Getting rid of free street parking is a great idea.

You must not visit Queens, Bronx or Manhattan beyond 110 very often. They have extensive car ownership. I don't think anyone would call them rich.

True, we should be careful to not conflate "Manhattan" with "New York City".

That said, I agree with OP's comment within the context of Manhattan. Anyone who owns a car there is very wealthy, even within the context of a wealthy city.

(I don't agree with pegging the divide at 110th street, that's much too low.)

Re: Could New York City Eliminate Free Street Parking?

#28
post #19

In New York owning a car is a huge luxury, the city is giving away free real estate to the richest of the rich New Yorkers. Getting rid of free street parking is a great idea.

62% of households in Queens and 44% of households in Brooklyn own a vehicle [0]. [0] https://edc.nyc/article/new-yorkers-and-their-cars

Yes, the “parking is free real estate for the wealthy” idea is really a manhattan thing, but those numbers aren’t doing you any favors - that’s far and away the lowest proportion of car ownership in the country.

https://www.governing.com/gov-data/car-ownership-numbers-of-...

Re: Could New York City Eliminate Free Street Parking?

#29

In New York owning a car is a huge luxury, the city is giving away free real estate to the richest of the rich New Yorkers. Getting rid of free street parking is a great idea.

You must not visit Queens, Bronx or Manhattan beyond 110 very often. They have extensive car ownership. I don't think anyone would call them rich.

Yeah good point, I should have specified UES/UWS or below

Re: Could New York City Eliminate Free Street Parking?

#30
post #16

In New York owning a car is a huge luxury, the city is giving away free real estate to the richest of the rich New Yorkers. Getting rid of free street parking is a great idea.

Charging is not going to fix that problem. If anything, the closer you get to charging market rates, the less accessible it becomes to anyone other than the richest of the rich. At least with free parking all vehicle owners are on an equal footing regardless of how much disposable income they have. Not that I'm advocating free parking. I'm not. But this isn't a good argument against it.

To me, the problem is giving away publicly owned land to people who don't need handouts. Charging market rates fixes that problem.
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