We usually think of traffic as "moving cars," but the biggest "traffic driver" in a city is often cars that are looking for a place to stop. In high-density areas, up to 30% of traffic consists of drivers circling the block looking for a parking spot. This "cruising" increases emissions, frustration, and the likelihood of low-speed collisions with pedestrians.
Solving traffic requires solving parking. Cities that implement "demand-based pricing"—where the cost of a meter goes up when the street is full—encourage people to use garages or public transit instead. By managing the curb, we clear the lane. As urban planner Donald Shoup famously argued in The High Cost of Free Parking, there is no such thing as a free spot ; someone always pays for it in the form of congestion.
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