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Why do commuters drive when most could be taking transit?<br>New Study: It's all about the free parking

March 1, 2007
Paul Steely White 212-629-8080

New York, NY (March 1, 2007) -- Last year a ground-breaking study found that 80% of Manhattan bound drivers possess an untaken transit alternative. Now, a new study uncovers the main reason why: 57% of drivers don't pay for parking. "Free Parking, Congested Streets," a study prepared for Transportation Alternatives by Schaller Consulting, finds that 38% of motorists parking in the Manhattan Central Business District (CBD) have free parking provided to them and an additional 19% park at unmetered on-street spaces.

"Free and under priced parking is contributing to the traffic that clogs our streets, chokes our lungs and costs the city billions in lost revenue" says Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives.

The study concludes that the cost and availability of parking is the biggest factor influencing potential motorists' choice between driving and public transportation, and that free parking encourages driving and exacerbates Manhattan's traffic problem.

The Study recommends that the City:

  • Restrict the availability and use of government-issued parking placards
  • Rationalize the price of on-street meter parking and increase the number of metered spaces
  • Encourage private companies to reduce employer provided parking
  • Provide incentives to employers with a parking "cash-out"
  • Institute congestion pricing in the Manhattan CBD
"The City's current traffic policy has failed because the large majority of CBD drivers do not pay for parking," says Bruce Schaller, Principal of Schaller Consulting. "These perverse economic incentives that encourage driving need to be fixed with new City policies recommended in this report."

View this press release in PDF format