Comments on Reinventing Urban Transport: Parking slots are like toilets (according to conve...

Parking should be priced based on demand. These m...

2011-11-25T05:59:45.044+08:00

Parking should be priced based on demand. These minimum parking requirements are extremely harmful. Toilets not so much. Everybody has to "expel waste from themselves" but not everybody has to park. If you travel by vehicle and can afford that you should be able to afford the costs that come along with owning a car.

1. Gasoline
2. Insurance
3. Parking

Why is parking any different?

"There is thus little direct return on the in...

2010-06-23T08:05:02.981+08:00

"There is thus little direct return on the investments. So the private sector would under-provide them unless forced to. To the rescue come regulations in the form of parking or toilet requirements in planning or building codes."

I agree that minimum parking requirements can be harmful, but for different reasons. Contrary to popular belief, the private sector likes making a profit. In areas with no parking or toilet regulations, paying customers are more likely to patronize stores that go above and beyond in providing convenient parking and toilets to their customers. Thus there is an immediate and direct return on investment. The only thing minimum parking and toilet regulations accomplish is placing the responsibility for predicting demand on local governments instead of business owners who would be more aware of demand and more able to balance the costs and benefits of additional parking spaces or toilets.

Another observation is what happens when one is co...

2010-06-14T05:44:27.662+08:00

Another observation is what happens when one is considered "out of order." An "out of order" toilet is a messy and publicly bad situation where potential users will have to find a new location while expecting someone else to fix the toilet. This is as opposed to an "out of order" parking meter, where potential users will compete for that metered spot and hoping no one will fix the problem.

I think the analogy only works when comparing the appropriate contexts of the end-use of parking and toilets. Chairs in a lobby or park benches could thus also be thought of as good analogies to parking.

Thank you for the thought provoking post!

This post was picked up by the Streetsblog network...

2010-06-12T08:28:29.217+08:00

This post was picked up by the Streetsblog network (via http://streetsblog.net/2010/06/10/how-is-a-parking-space-different-from-a-toilet/). Some of the comments there provided useful insights. For example:

- Erik G. points out that "Toilet users are not carrying around up to 30 gallons of explosive hydrocarbons." Good point!

- Andy Chow mentions the transaction cost problem in another good point: "The reason we have free toilet is also the same reason why we have free schools, and free parking in most places. We aren’t willing to pay someone to nickel and dime these things." I think this point is stronger for parking and toilets than schools though.

- Zach and others pointed out that free toilets can be problematic too and so maybe pay toilets are also a good idea. Several people pointed to examples of pay-toilets. [This is common in Southeast Asia too, even in some shopping centres]

Interesting post. Another way in which parking and...

2010-06-11T01:58:05.688+08:00

Interesting post. Another way in which parking and toilets might be similar is that congestion pricing for both would lead to a more efficient provision. How often are toilets fully used with lines waiting at conventions, sports events, meeting and work breaks, etc., but nearly empty at other times? Congestion pricing could keep some toilet capacity open at all times. As with parking.

Someone just reminded me of another important way ...

2010-06-10T21:15:03.997+08:00

Someone just reminded me of another important way parking is different from toilets. The length of stay in a parking slot varies enormously. Anything from 15 minutes to 10 hours could be common. Needless to say, toilet use rarely takes more than 10 minutes (reading on the 'throne' notwithstanding). This makes demand for parking even more difficult to predict.

Agree with the need for toilets in cities. But be...

2010-06-10T19:57:40.576+08:00

Agree with the need for toilets in cities. But besides having them there needs to be signs that let people know their location. My citys has a public restroom just inside the entrance to an attended underground parking lot. People are always surprised when I mention it's existance