[Vision2020] Re: Parking Downtown Moscow

[Philip Cook]

> Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 15:05:56 -0700
> From: Nils Peterson <nils_peterson at wsu.edu>
> Subject: [Vision2020] Re: Parking Downtown Moscow
> 
> There are several threads to this conversation. The V2020 spin and
> polarization is interesting to watch.
 
[cut]
 
> For starters thinking about parking, consider this. At a dinner party the
> other night, Bill Parks outlined his thinking-- there are three problems not
> one. "Impulse" (his term) parking for shoppers, employee parking, and
> downtown resident parking. Is Bill right about 3 problems? Do the three
> problems have different solutions?
>

Nils,

You're onto something. We've got to define the problems (if there are problems) before we can propose solutions. Unfortunately, the current evidence of problems is mostly anecdotal and incomplete. We need a complete, data-driven parking survey of the entire CBD. At least then, we'll have some factual basis for saying there are, or are not, problems. Until then, I don't think we'll see agreement amongst City staff and officials, P&Z, business owners, developers, and other citizens about the nature and extent of the problems.

If we determine there is a shortage of parking downtown at certain times, then one question is what are the consequences of that shortage? For example, do customers go elsewhere to do business as a result? The conventional wisdom probably says "Yes," but I'd like to see evidence to support the conventional wisdom. (Anecdotally, I've never gone elsewhere to do business because I couldn't find a parking spot. The businesses that have what I want determine where I shop, not parking. Perhaps I'm an exception.)   

And to look at it from a different angle: the parking problem may be caused by a driving problem. Are we treating the symptoms and not the cause? :-)

Philip Cook
Moscow