Evening star., 1932-06-26
'CURB PARKING BAN
|. HEADED TO REPEAL
Check on municipal Orgy of
Don'tS" Predicted for
Many Cities.

Another noble eXperimert-prohib1-
tion of parking-seems due for repeal.
The political situation in automobile
regulation hinges on whether there is
anything to be gained from preventing
motorists from parking as long and
as often as they like
Promiscuous parking may still not be
tolerated mder more liberal code,
but well-informed observers predict that
the time is coming when cities them
selves will not be allowed to indulge
in promiscuous placing of parking for
hidden" signs.
Who is to bring about this repeal
this check on the municipal orgy of
"dont's"?
Police Dissatisfied,
The reaction against the experiment
of trying to force the parked auto
mobile off the street has proceeded far
enough to make ii plain that much of
the criticism is coming from official
sources themselves. Police of many
cities are frankly dissatisfied with pres
ent arrangements AS high as 10000
cars have been illegally parked in the
streets Of Greater New York City during
a single night. Elaborate systems of
checking violators have been found
impractical and the cost out of all pro-
portion to the returns in point of fines
Organized motorists are commencing
to protest against the policy of marking
of more and more space as pro
hibited."
The New York Automobile Club is
conducting a parking referendum in
order to obtain an expression from its
members. Each member is asked to
answer two questions: do you favor
the elimination Of parking in down
town Brooklyn and New York;" and
DO you favor the present system of
parking in downtown Brooklyn and
New York;" The club at present is
taking no sides in the discussion, but
is seeking first to obtain the views of
motorists. Those who know the motor
lists present views anticipate that there
will be vote in favor of moderation.
happy medium in parking is the
demand of the motorist who realizes
that the streets should neither be ga
RACES nor mere traffic lanes The auto
mobiles service to the public is closely
dependent on the owners ability to
park it a reasonable length of time on
the public streets
So much pressure has been brought
to bear on many of the larger cities
that cars are parked in open violation
of regulations. This has led not only to
disregard for laws and ordinances. but
to the suspicion of special privilege
The timid soul who sees a mounted po-
lice officer paying no attention to
string of cars parked along a street
where parking Is forbidden may be
thoroughly discouraged. but he cannot
escape the belief that there is something
putrid in Denmark.
A factor Of great importance in the
present situation is the attitude OF the
far-sighted merchant, who knows that
the easier II is to park the car the
easier it is to do business. Many mer-
chants have been misled into believing
that those who park for long periods Of
time while engaged in business inter-
views, or while actually at work, inter-
fere with those who drive to town eX-
pressly for the purpose of shopping
One has to take wide-angle view of
the whole situation to appreciate that
so long as the motorist feels no pressure
and does not carry around with him
that dread of getting tagged, he or she
is much more likely to window shop, be
attracted into stores and to purchase.
II parking time is greatly restricted,
SO as to discourage all-day parkers, the
so-called preferred customers must also
cut short their shopping time Many
such shoppers have been specially ia
vored, and it is not unusual for sales
men to say, Don't worry about the
car, we'll fix it." The shopper does not
always have full confidence in the idea:
sometimes he prefers not to risk that
kind Of favoritism Many motorists
think more about the car than they do
the business of shopping
Statisttcians take keen delight in
pointing cut that parking interferes
with the movement of traffic and that if
the streets were free of the parking
space hunter millions of dollars worth
OF gas tires, brake lining, not to men
ton time. would be saved in any city.
Ihat is all true enough, but these same
anti-parking leaguers seem to forget how
many millions of dollars worth of busi-
ness is lost daily because people in
cars meet with block after block of mo
parking" signs. When American streets
become through traffic lanes exclusively
business downtown in cities will be de-
penden: on pedestrian trade Down.
town trade will be back to 1900 levels.
Parking garages are sorely needed.
They should have a big future. MANY
motorists prefer not to leave their cars
on the public streets, but there are
times and places when curb parking is
essential. For those situations-ofteu
ergencies-prohibitio of parking
should not be permitted to stalk its
grisly head. In every city there is at
least Is per cent more curb space that
could be added Immediately. In many
sections 1t could be increased 100 per
cent safely
The parking problem refuses to be
parked out
(Copyright, 1922