The New York Department of City Planning (DCP) recently presented the final version of its town parking policy reforms, which aim to streamline the current system. According to the streetsblog website, this version appears to be more robust than that proposed by the DCP in autumn 2011.
In a city that has over 12,000 taxis, the major challenge is to maintain the quotas for those parking spaces already available in order to eventually deter residents in the heart of Manhattan from buying cars. And, as a consequence, to reduce the high traffic levels in the town centre.
However, in order to achieve this, the DCP must deal with the powerful property lobby, which is critical of any ban on building new parking spaces. And the Department must also resolve the question of the high cost incurred when parking in the spaces, which is a direct result of their reduced number. The report’s conclusions do appear, nonetheless, to show that the DCP is capable of overcoming these obstacles.
When will there be a comprehensive, global discussion?
If the reforms take place, New York could finally adapt to the great contemporary urban principles. However, parking-space management is obviously not the only factor to be taken into account.
To fight congestion and to secure more sustainable mobility, many solutions, which are often mentioned on this website, are possible and even necessary. Encouraging cycling by building cycle paths, congestion charges for entering towns (like those recently implemented in London and Milan), carpooling… the remedies to the excessive traffic problem do exist!
And such measures bring major environmental benefits with them: improved air quality and reduced urban pollution. A better definition of 21st-century town planning and parking? It’s enough to turn the Big Apple even greener!
Marcel Green and Sustainable Mobility are starting a new partnership together … And it’s all happening in the “Interviews” section!
