The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-27
3O-DkY SURVEY
OF CAR PARKING
OPENS MONDAY
Downtown Congestion Data
Is to Be Taken by
80 Workers.

More than 30 National Youth
Administration workers are to start
a 30-day survey of all cars parked
IN the mile square area here Mon
day, Stephen D. Grain, project
superintendent, announced today.
The survey, sponsored by the
Chamber Of Commerce and request
ed by Chief Of Police Morrissey as
an aid in solving traffic congestion
problems, is to tabulate results on
double parking, overtime. parking
in safety zones, taxi stands, mer-
chandise loading zones and close
TO fireplugs.
The survey will be an invaluable
service in checking the value OF our
sticker system" said Capt. Lewis
Johnson, of the indianapolis police
traffic department.
A similar project conducted last
March revealed that II per cent
OF automobiles in the downtown area
were illegally parked.
Data for Police
Tsbulated results are to be given
to the Police Department., the In
dianapolis Chamber Of Commerce
and other civic organizations ar
lively engaged in traffic problem
study.
The survey follows a national
trend toward an attempt to solve
the traffic situation, Mr.. Grain
stated. Other cities with similar
problems have used the regulations
included under the Wagner housing
bill on slum clearance which per-
mits the municipality to rae unfit
dwellings and construct parking
lots.
Many civic leaders, familiar with
parking difficulties advocate self
liquidating, municipality owned
parking lots. Such lots, surveys
show, bring a greater return on in
vested capital than any other type
Of property in similar location.
Detroit has engineer several
parking lots in downtown areas, in
one instance by demolishing a
theater in the heart of the bust
ness district.
Municipal Lots
In many cities elevator garages
have been built and now are I'M
able to operate under what is said
to be a prohibitive capital invest
ment.
A recent survey of 81 cities in
the New York metropolitan area by
the Regional Planning Association
shows that 10 have established mu-
nicipal parking spaces.
Suggestions from the survey in
clude a plan for including the park
ing problem in the highway sys-
tenn, that neighborhood business
centers must be replanned to serve
customers travelling by automobile,
and that privately owned parking
spaces are failures from the stand
point of public interests.
1t has also been suggested that
business concerns serving motorists
should provide oft-street parking
facilities.
In several cities, principal streets
on which department stores are To-
Gated are closed to traffic during the
rush shopping hours each day.
Private Garages
In New York, Detroit, Chicago
and Philadelphia, where accommo-
dations for private automobiles are
so limited as to discourage their
use during the day. various types of
private commercial garages have
been erected.
Commercial garages in Indianap-
oils have rates ranging from Is
cents to 25 cents for one hour and
from rs cents to 81 for "a hours.
In view of recent strict inforce-
ment OF parking ordinances, the
present check is expected to be of
value to police for a comparison
With the earlier statistics.