No One Visits Chicago to Experience It's Surface Parking
No one is going to come to Detroit to experience it's parking either.
Trying to compete with suburbia for better free parking lots is a waste of time and effort, we will never beat them in that department. What we do stand a chance of eventually beating suburbia at is providing a vital downtown and a good urban environment that people will want to visit despite it's lack of close free parking.
Negative impacts on society are taxed to balance out their impact. Detroit is a urban city, and parking should be taxed if it detracts from the appeal and vitality of the city the way some of these surface lots do.
The Surface Lots Make A Lot Of Money, And Here Is Why....
Thanks to those who keep responding, both ways.
First, let me say that many surface lots at one time or another, had developers who wanted to buy them, the asking prices were astronomical, they are simply more profitable as un-landscaped and garbage strewn surface lots.
Second, they are more profitable as surface lots because of our tax structure, and often, they appeal to a lot of people. Some lots [[the most unkept) are simply cheaper than other lots, and in areas where there are few lots, or [[more often than not) surrounded by lots all owned by the same owner [[called Downtown parking cartels, in these parts).
Third, other surface lots, some of which are un-landscaped, are profitable because they are located next to venues that attract guest who live outside the immediate area. Some of these parkers just don't know where they are going, but many others just want to park as close as possible. Still other parkers are not dressed for the weather, such as people entertaining or woman clubing in Greektown, Foxtown, or Bricktown. Also, it is true many lots charge little for monthly passes, but those passes are no good during events at nearby venues. I have been kicked out of surface lots in the past, even though I payed for an all day pass, because they assumed I would be leaving after the typical workday.
Fourth and finally, there is definately a number of people who believe what they hear about Detroit being big bad and dangerous, and indeed, many of these people have been victims of property crime [[usually smash and grabs) in the city. Unfortunately, these people don't really want to pay for the real added security of guarded lots and parking garages, and instead settle for $2-$5 surface lots with cashiers and flagers who leave once the events start, leaving cars double parked, and lots unguarded.
What people who park in these un-landscaped lots fail to realize, is that crime almost always sticks to untravelled streets, abandoned buildings/construction sites, and in front of closed businesses, or have few residences overlooking them. Every week I see the exact same spots hit on my way to or from work, or after an event [[usually in broad daylight). In front of the United Artist Theater is so bad, that when I would walk in front of the building before Tiger's Games, I would warn anyone I saw not to park there, and direct them to the other side of the street, where they could be easily seen by a half dozen residential buildings, only to come back and see that all the spots had been filled again.
Surface Lots Help To Make Vacant Buildings Less Appealing
Surface lots in general, but especially un-landscaped surface lots, are a factor [[a single ingredient of many) in keeping many of our urban buildings vacant, and streets empty. Surface lots ruin the urban environment because they are undesirable to walk by. Walking by a garbage strewn surface parking lot helps make walking a chore, where nice things to look at [[architecture or landscaping) helps to make walking less of a chore, this is apparent walking down Bagley or Cass, as opposed to Griswold and Congress, Ouellette, or Campus Martius Park.
Quote:
"Even the Hudson's block is something to avoid on a blustery Winter day, the center of what should be Detroit's shopping district".
Beyond that, large surface lots in general can kill any non motorized street life surrounding them. How many of you enjoy walking by Clifford and Columbia or even the Hudson's Block? Now go walk by them [[or my corner of Bagley and Cass) on any given windy day, now do it in any given early Spring rain with an umbrella, now do it again on any given Winter day, with that wind whipping over the great plains of Foxtown. Even the Hudson's block is something to avoid on a blustery Winter day, the center of what should be Detroit's shopping district.
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