[sustran] About Parking and TDM (Traffic Demand Management)

[Sujit Patwardhan]

13 February 2011


*Reducing/Banning Parking is one of the best ways to discourage Car Use*

See this page from the website of the Tate Modern Gallery in London.

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/information/


When talking about Parking as TDM I often quote the example of the Tate
Modern in London. Their site tells you how to get there by Boat,
Underground, Bus, Train, Bike, Taxi and Car (in that order). From what I
remember there was a parking facility at some distance away from the gallery
which implied that one should avoid coming there by car but when saw this
page today I find that "Car Parking"
facility does not exist anymore. This is what it says:-

By car

There are no parking facilities at Tate Modern or in the surrounding
streets. Public transport is the easiest way of getting to the gallery.
More information about parking provision for disabled
visitors<http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/information/access.htm>
.
This is quite in contrast with how our decision makers see the need for
Parking (for personal vehicles) as something not only essential but one that
needs to be increased drastically. No one seems to understand this is a
losing battle as the number of auto vehicles added to the city each year
(over 150,000)  will need over 250 acres of parking space (each year) even
when calculated on the basis one one parking space per vehicle. In actual
fact about 4 parking spaces are needed per vehicle.
What will this cost?
And do we have so much land to waste for the needs of the personal auto
vehicle?
Our leaders avoid looking at these problems, but shouldn't we as citizens
ask "How much longer is the city going to subsidize the personal
automobile"?
--
Sujit




-- 
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*“..each million we invest into urban motorways is an investment
to destroy the city“*

Mayor Hans Joachim Vogel
Munich 1970

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Sujit Patwardhan
patwardhan.sujit at gmail.com
sujit at parisar.org <sujitjp at gmail.com>
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