As Super Bowl approaches, worries grow about
downtown Minneapolis parking
That’s the headline. Here’s the take aways from the story printed in the local paper:
But local officials say there’s no need for worry. Many people, they figure, will rely on public transportation or use a ride-sharing app like Uber and Lyft.
And with thousands of car spaces downtown, there should be enough parking to go around, officials say.
Minneapolis officials said an estimated 65,000 spots will be available to visitors, of which roughly 4,000 are city-owned metered spaces and about 40,000 are in privately owned ramps and lots. No estimates were available for how many more cars, trucks and SUVs will be around for the game.
Sensing the potential parking shortage, some downtown businesses have given workers the option of working from home during Super Bowl week.
The Host Committee said there will be plenty of parking, but some visitors heading downtown may have to choose from a “number of transportation options ranging from Metro Transit, to park-and-rides, to ride shares.”
The media just can’t stand it. A headline like:
Parking Not Seen to be a Problem as
Super Bowl Approaches Downtown
Just won’t hack it. They are stopped by their DNA from calm realistic headlines. But then who can blame them. The public wants to see mayhem and horror. Who are the media to keep them from it?
A few years ago the department of transportation closed the 405 freeway in Los Angeles for an entire weekend. “Carmaggedon” the headlines screamed for weeks. Reality – it was the most traffic quiet weekend in LA history. People just elected to stay home.
So what’s the point? It is what it is.
My take is that we must see the media for what it is. A for profit enterprise that must maximize the extremes of any story. Whether its parking at the Super Bowl or the coming of electric or autonomous vehicles, the stories are blown out of all proportion.
So where do you get good information about the future. I say you cannot. You must rely on common sense and your two good eyes.
JVH
