NIGHTMARISH TRAFFIC CONGESTION

Problems caused by free parking?

Farjana Afrin

"Why is it that men and women, normally courteous and considerate...should of a sudden revert to selfish, snarling savages the minute they get behind the wheel of an automobile?"
   -Miller McClintock,
   Free parking is a local benefit or cure that harms the whole city.
   Free parking increases the demand for cars, and more cars increase traffic congestion, air pollution, and energy consumption. More traffic congestions in turn spurs the search for more local remedies, such as street widening, more freeways, and even higher parking requirements.
   Off-street parking requirements quietly create citywide problems that are far worse than the local ones they are meant to solve.
   The list of problems caused by free and under-priced parking is long; on a few are mentioned.
   l Car dependency: Free parking encourages people to drive more, rather than seek alternatives.
   l Discourage of environment-friendly transport: People who own cars are less likely to walk short distances, since there is no economic penalty for driving; the increased cars in the street make walking and bicycling more unpleasant, and clog the roads used by buses, thus making bus service slower.
   l Traffic congestion: Encouragement for driving simply increases traffic congestion, as more people buy cars and use them for all trips, even very short ones.
   l Energy waste: More cars, and reliance on them even for short trips and solo travel, wastes fuel.
   l Accidents: Cars parked in the street narrows the roads and cause accidents when cyclists hit an opening car door. Also, the more cars in the street, the more accidents there are.
   l Air pollution: An increase in car traffic means an increase in air pollution, given the cumulative effect of each polluting vehicle.
   l Global climate change: An increase in air pollution contributes to global climate change. Vehicle emissions are already the main contributor; we need to discourage, not encourage, travel by motorized vehicles.
   l Increased housing prices: Since the price of parking is included in the price of homes, homes become more expensive.
   l Unjust subsidies for cars: Only a few people drive, but everyone pays.
   l Social inequity: When the poor and middle class subsidize the rich, social inequity increases; social inequity in turn leads to poor health and increased crime.
   l Distorted choices in transportation investment: A focus on providing infrastructure for cars, not people, leads to investment in roads and parking rather than mass transit, NMT, or affordable housing and liveable cities.
   l Sprawl: The space taken by parking causes buildings to be built further apart, causing ugly sprawl which in turn leads to traffic congestion as destinations become too far apart to reach by foot or bicycle.
   l Damage to the economy: Money is wasted on parking and other infrastructure for and investment in cars; most of the money leaves the local economy, making the country poorer.
   l Waste of money: Governments waste money on infrastructure for cars, businesses on providing free or subsidised parking, and individuals on paying for cars when other forms of transport would be far cheaper and more beneficial to the local economy.
   l A burden on the poor and middle class: The middle class subsidize drivers whenever they make purchases at businesses that provide free or subsidised parking; the poor suffer from the lack of space on roads and footpaths for their own movements.
   l Degradation of architecture and urban design: Simply put, parking lots are ugly.
   l Increase in impervious surface area: Parking lots, and increased street surfaces due to the need to provide more road space for the increased number of cars, means that more of the city is paved over, leading to greater problems of storm water run-off.
   l Reduction in land values: Parking is probably the least profitable of land uses; more parking means less value of the land, since virtually any other use would bring in more money.
   l Reduction in tax revenues: Since parking generates so little or no money, tax revenues on businesses decline.
   l A burden on enterprise: Businesses must pay for parking, regardless of whether it is needed or wanted, reducing their chance of profitability and increasing their initial investment.
   l Prevention of reuse of older buildings: In some cases, zoning requirements for parking can mean that older buildings that fail to provide adequate parking cannot be converted into new uses. This is one main cause of urban degradation in the US.

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Mohammad Shahidul Islam

Mahatma Gandhi once said that the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. This is indeed true. World Animal Day, observed on 4th October, is an opportunity for Bangladesh to reflect on how we treat our animals, wild and domestic.
   One of the most glaring differences between developed and developing countries is that animal cruelty laws are very advanced in the former countries. Such laws are either non-existent or archaic in the latter.
   In England, for example, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) plays a pro-active role in preventing cruelty to animals and bringing offenders to justice. It publishes appeals against animal cruelty in newspapers with photographs and its army of volunteers spread throughout the British Isles helps homeless, stranded or abandoned animals.
   Here in Bangladesh, there is no such society or mechanism to look after pets and other animals. To its credit, this Government might have taken several enlightened measures to ensure animal welfare. Stray dogs are no longer killed, but are subject to birth control and anti-rabies measures.
   There can be also a proposal to encourage import on foreign beef so that local cattle may be saved from slaughter. Large-scale cattle slaughter is a blot on the Buddhist heritage and indeed, there should be a drastic drop in the number of people who eat beef, which is not also suitable for some specific patients. The authorities may think of the possibility of minimizing the slaughter of cattle and fulfilling most of the demand through imports.
   Our wild tiger population is also dwindling fast, primarily as a result of the human-tiger conflict. The battle for food and environmental blow between humans and tigers has reached a crucial point and a solution must be evolved. A world without tigers will indeed be a dull place and all possible steps must be taken to prevent their extinction. In fact, our country has many endangered species that should not be allowed to go the way of the Panther.
   Closer home, there are two animals who occupy a prime space in our living rooms - and hearts. Cats and dogs have been living with humans for thousands of years and are a constant source of delight in our lives. Dogs love their masters more than they love themselves. Cats, on the other hand, are fiercely independent creatures that consider themselves masters of all they survey, humans included. When your dog wags its tail to express its happiness or your cat purrs its heart out to you, surely there are only a few greater joys in life.
   World Animal Day is a time to rejoice and understand our relationship with the animals that share our planet and the ways in which they enrich our lives. But in Bangladesh, we are practically ignorant about the purpose of observing the day. We have to remember that it is an important opportunity to speak out to ensure the humane treatment of farm animals and to advocate for protection of the habitats that are home to wild animals. We should be more caring and proactive over celebrating the important day each year.
   Mohammad Shahidul Islam is a Tourism Worker. Email: mohd-s-islam@myway.com

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