By Trent Donat:
It seems parking is always a problem in the mind of every driver as they approach their destination, including me, who knows that there is definitively no parking problem. It seems this tendency to think if we cannot park right in front of the place we are going then “without a doubt there is a parking problem!” When walking a few extra steps (i.e., a block or two) is good for us and is NOT a parking problem. This parking conundrum seems to have entered our minds instinctually from the time we started driving and convinces us we have the right to park in front of where we are going.
So, what represents the definition of a true parking problem? Do we use the 85% Occupancy Rule as our “North Star”, is perception reality, is it when the squeaky wheel is so loud, we have no choice but to acknowledge, is it when someone must walk more than two blocks to their destination?
To solve this mental, parking Rubik’s cube presents a challenge that is not easily overcome. I believe the industry standard of 85% or less occupancy on a given block face works. As a secondary measure walking five minutes to your destination (e.g., 1-2 blocks) provides a real-world measurement that seems fair and reasonable.
On a high note, new wayfinding technology brings much-needed stress relief that will guide me quickly to an available spot and ease my mind knowing that finding a convenient parking spot will start my day off on the “proverbial good foot!” And this technology updates in real time as I journey towards my parking spot for the day and makes my life so much easier to navigate.
Trent Donat is a City Clerk & Business Manager for the City of Ketchum, Idaho. Trent can be reached at tdonat@ketchumidaho.org.
Forum Question: How do you demarcate between a community parking problem and hey! no parking problems here?