In this Climate Watch blog and accompanying "Miles To Go" radio report, the reporter observes how powerful parking rated as a factor in determining whether to drive, walk, or take transit, and the public policies that affect the quantity of parking.
Krissy Clark, the L.A. Bureau Chief for The California Report at KQED, confesses that her "transportation habits have very little to do with how environmentally conscious I am as a person, and have a lot to do with parking spots." She contrasts her lifestyle when she lived in San Francisco to her current travel behavior and recognizes that the abundance of free, convenient parking spots caused her to abandon her "bike, my feet, the bus, BART and the transbay ferries" that formed the core of her trips as a SF resident.
The one exception: "Parking costs too much at LAX, so I take the city shuttle."
"It turns out my different lives in L.A. and San Francisco, and my different parking options, are no accident. They're based on different approaches the places take to parking. According to a RAND study from 2007, in San Francisco there is "a deliberate effort by planners to reduce private vehicle use" which "limits the number of parking spaces that may be included in a new development." In contrast, across most of L.A., developers are required to provide a certain number of parking spaces, "ensuring that parking will remain cheap and abundant and reinforcing auto-dependency."
Clark offers a slightly different angle on the same issue on her accompanying Miles To Go radio report, The Carrot and the Stick.
Thanks to California League of Conservation Voters
FULL STORY: Blame My Driving Habits on that Parking Spot
San Francisco Development Centers Pedestrians, Public Space
The Mission Rock project eliminates street parking, replacing it with public seating and landscaping.
How Well Will San Francisco’s Daylighting Program Work?
Unlike other efforts to prevent cars from parking near intersections to improve visibility and road safety, San Francisco has no plans to install physical infrastructure to keep vehicles out of danger zones.
San Francisco Implements ‘Daylighting’ at Intersections
Vehicles are prohibited from parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk as part of the city’s Vision Zero efforts to eliminate traffic deaths and make roads safer.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
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Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
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