Don Shoup reports that the Alaskan Capital’s city council passed a parking policy that basically said that parking rates should be set so that 15% of all spaces would be available at all times. They didn’t set any rates, and left that to the professionals in the parking department.
The purpose was to “depoliticize parking pricing”.
Isn’t that a great term. By simply setting a policy and letting the parking department set the pricing, it gets the politicians out of the parking rate business, and keeps them from having to react to pressure from the electorate.
By allowing parking prices to raise and fall based on the market, and setting them so that one space is open per block face (about 15%), the city will cut congestion, pollution, and increase parking availability. Politicans set policy, city employees carry it out.
Everyone wins.
One Response
Hooray for Juneau City Council for being so wise. My only question is if parking ever becomes depoliticized. Just because Juneau has set a smart policy for parking doesn’t mean the political pressure for free parking disappears.
Don’t be surprised when some group of merchants starts pushing for free parking. It happens all the time, so I see no reason why Juneau would be exempt.