Parking Piece Shies Away from Data

It was nice to see a partial discussion of parking on the front page today.

Front page today

But it skated along the surface a little and did not investigate enough, merely reporting what people say and not asking whether claims are true.

A stronger observation than "the parking issue seems to be more perception than reality" is possible. There is data!

For example, the image for the piece focuses on Chemeketa Street, identified as a bikeway, but it never shows a parking lot or the parking area of a parking structure. This month I have walked through the Chemeketa Parkade twice, and there were many empty stalls.

Downtown is a freakin' swiss cheese of parking lots. This image is a few years old, but the general picture is accurate.

Downtown Surface Parking Lots in Red
Parking Garages in Solid Brick Red
On-street parking stalls not included
click to enlarge (1 mb total, 1874 x 1114 px)

The City also conducts parking counts. The last study I saw was from 2017, and I have not seen the City publish a more recent one. But at that time, the parking structures were only utilized about 50%. Tons of empty stalls! There is likely a newer study and count of utilization.

Our parking garages have had plenty of room

Maybe things have changed. It would be good to know more specifically what are the current utilization rates, and how they have moved in the last decade or so. How has more housing downtown affected parking permits?

In any case, our parking discourse is shifting some, and it may be we will finally build momentum for a better parking policy.

See previous notes here on downtown parking, and of course Strong Towns has lots also on the general case. A newer group, the Parking Reform Network, also has resources. And a book, Parking and the City by Donald Shoup, who originated so many of the insights on parking.