02-19-2019, 02:51 PM
(02-19-2019, 02:42 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:(02-19-2019, 02:33 PM)jamincan Wrote: While there is a correlation between parking prices and transit usage, I'd be hesitant to conclude that increasing the cost of parking would drive up transit usage in KW. Cities where there is high transit usage and high parking rates also are generally far larger and far more centralized than KW. As a general rule that applies for both small and large cities, I think you'll find that both transit usage and parking prices are more a function of land value than transit use is a function of parking prices.
We need to start by eliminating all parking minima. You can make anything free if you just require somebody to supply enough of it. If grocery stores were required to bake 10 loaves of bread per square foot every day they would probably be free. Of course everything else at the grocery store would be more expensive. Actually, given how expensive parking is to construct, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that my “must bake bread” mandate would be cheaper and less destructive than the “must supply parking” mandate currently in place.
My prediction is that in some places, developers would continue to build enough parking for it to be free; e.g., suburban strip malls. In other locations, they would build more stores or housing and less parking, and then charge for the parking. Regardless of what happened, though, it would be an economic calculation based on local conditions, not a broad-based rule laid down by people who cannot possibly know enough to make the right rule.
Or simply reducing parking minima for residential construction. I don't think it's desirable to have residential construction rely on on-street parking for its residents.