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October 3, 2011
Glut of parking spaces in city
Ancient zoning rules force developer to overbuild. But reforms could reduce number of empty parking spaces.
Crain's NY Business
by Jeremy Smerd
The Department of City Planning knows its 1950s-era parking requirements are outdated and is preparing to issue recommendations for Manhattan and “inner-ring” neighborhoods, such as those in western Brooklyn and Queens. But transportation advocates worry that reforms will fail to dent what they deem an oversupply of parking at large developments.
“We've asserted that limiting parking supply can be a valuable tool to encourage mass transit,” said Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives. “[The city's] point of view is people will own cars and drive, no matter what.”
...Transportation advocates worry that the glut at Yankee Stadium will be replicated at Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, which is to have 3,670 parking spots when residential buildings are completed in the project's second phase. Until then, much of the space next to the site's arena, the Barclays Center, will be a blacktop parking lot.
“If the economic conditions change and phase two of the project doesn't go forward, you will have this big empty space in the middle of Brooklyn,” said Kate Slevin, executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.
NoLandGrab: All the more reason to a) significantly cut the number of parking spaces planned for Atlantic Yards, and b) divide the parcels up, set development guidelines, and auction them off to different bidders.
Posted by eric at October 3, 2011 11:28 AM