More on the value ($$$s) of on-street parking

In my Savannah Morning News column today, I focus on the monetary value of on-street parking: New parking on Price will spur economic activity.

A single parking space near a vibrant retail area could result in tens of thousands of dollars a year in business for merchants. If that space is not there, well. . .

There’s ample evidence of the decline of Price Street over the decades in the work of urban planners Christian and Amy Sottile. They have documented that the number of active addresses has declined over the decades as property owners have re-oriented themselves to the side streets. It seems a pretty clear indication of the economic failure of the current two-lane, one-way, and no on-street parking configuration.

I refer in my column to a post by Steve Mouzon on his excellent blog Original Green: The Importance of On-Street Parking. Mouzon makes some great comments regarding parking decks, liner buildings, residential parking, commercial parking lots, the “pedestrian shield” provided by a lane of parking, and the impacts on retail.

Mouzon does not address the traffic calming that results from on-street parking (something I’ve written about from time to time), though he says in the comments that he might focus there in the future.

Mouzon’s post is well worth a read for those who want a better understanding of the likely results of the proposed configuration of Price Street.