angryve t1_jcnwe5p wrote on March 18, 2023 at 5:13 AM

Reply to comment by ManhattanRailfan in This city needs residential parking permits and loading zones by nsmka

30%? Yea. Gonna need a source on that one, friend.

eyesRus t1_jcoo3nl wrote on March 18, 2023 at 11:32 AM

The source is Donald Shoup’s The High Cost of Free Parking. It is based on sixteen studies of multiple cities. However, Shoup is careful to note that the “30%” number describes “congested downtown traffic,” not “all traffic.”

In 2006, it was found that on Prince St., on certain afternoons, 28% of motorists were looking for parking. On Saturday, it was 41%. In 2007, it was found that in Park Slope, 45% of traffic was cruising for parking. (These reports are currently unavailable online, but you can email info@transalt.org for copies of them.)

angryve t1_jcoz2c8 wrote on March 18, 2023 at 1:22 PM

Thanks for the sources.

ZA44 t1_jcou0y4 wrote on March 18, 2023 at 12:36 PM

Yea transalt, an organization that would in no way fudge the numbers to make cars look bad LOL.

eyesRus t1_jcp6j6o wrote on March 18, 2023 at 2:21 PM

Yeah, you don’t generally need to fudge numbers to make cars look bad. It’s fairly obvious that they’re horrible in many, many ways.

Yes, they are a necessary evil for some people. But they are absolutely not necessary for a lot of New Yorkers. This includes many of my friends and peers. My friends drive their kid to swimming lessons. We make the 20-minute walk/scoot instead. Other friends use their car to drive to their upstate house on weekends. We…don’t have a second fucking house.

ZA44 t1_jcp99mr wrote on March 18, 2023 at 2:42 PM

I’ve lived here all my life and most families I know owned cars. A lot of us have family on LI or NJ, use our cars for work outside of Manhattan and generally like to take trips outside of the city. See how my anecdotal experience cancels out yours? As hard as you might try you won’t be able to control other peoples lives.

PS wealth envy is not a good look.

eyesRus t1_jcpf7w7 wrote on March 18, 2023 at 3:24 PM

Like I said, some people need cars. Many New Yorkers do not. This is simply a fact.

Years ago, we did need a car, due to the travel required by my residency (I was expected to be at multiple area hospitals, depending on the day). When I finished my residency, we no longer needed a car, so we got rid of it.

I am not envious of my friends’ second home. I believe no one needs a second home; it’s unnecessary excess in a world of finite resources. This includes my friends, who I overall like and respect greatly. They are extremely decent people, but I disagree with them on this aspect. That’s okay.