Example of Parking at a Large Shopping Center
Site Coverage for a Typical Commercial Development (Olympia, WA, 1995):
Parking 54%; Building Footprint 26%; Lawns/Landscaping 13%; Sidewalks 4%; Streets 3%
From the publication "Parking Spaces / Community Places: Finding the Balance through Smart Growth Solutions" from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. [Click here to read more about "Parking Spaces / Community Places…]
Five Communities Awarded Funds for Gridlock Fightin', Congestion Pricin' Projects
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced funding for five communities to "fight gridlock" by introducing congestion-pricing type programs. And the winners are:
Miami, $62.9 million
The Minneapolis area, $133.3 million
New York City, $354.5 million
San Francisco, $158.7 million
Seattle area (King County), $138.7 million
The Miami Herald notes in "I-95 To Get Toll Lanes" that, "Bolstered by […]
The Costs of Construction Overflow Onto Nearby Sidewalks, Bicycle and Traffic Lanes
It is not uncommon for construction projects in urban areas to "overflow" onto nearby sidewalks, bike lanes and streets simply because there is not enough room on the site to store all the materials and equipment. (In fact, I'd guess that the use "overflow" space gets prioritized in that exact order. The first to go is the sidewalk, which is admittedly the space located closest to the building. Next the bicycle lane gets bumped into and finally a lane of traffic is closed).
What is the cost of this type of use of public/municipal space?
How Would You Like Your Road Construction?
Highway road construction is disruptive, but it is probably both necessary and inevitable. How can being stuck in a construction zone become less painful? Any ideas?
Creativity is appreciated. [read the rest of this post to see some excellent links about detouring traffic in non-grid cities]