Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Parking Expert Donald Shoup Comes to Tacoma

Tacoma parking geeks unite! This summer’s PIPTA (Pacific Intermountain Parking & Transportation Association) Conference & Trade Show will host Dr. Donald Shoup in Tacoma from July 26 – July 28.

PIPTA is comprised of parking and transportation professionals and their partners in related fields from Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

This year’s conference at the Hotel Murano promises to be their most diverse educational program ever, including a wide range of planning, design, operations, programmatic and management topics including:

· Parking & Transportation Contributions to Downtowns & Economic Development
· Aesthetic and Environmental Considerations in Parking Facility Design
· Bicycle Facilities and Creating a Bicycling Culture
· Engaging Communities in Comprehensive Parking Management
· And many more…

Tacoma has long struggled with how to manage our on and off street parking system. Here’s a chance to learn from experts in our own backyard.

For more information review the conference flyer or go to the PIPTA website: www.pipta.org/events

2 comments:

  1. Great news.

    Shoup is the county's expert on parking issues.

    He main points are

    1) Parking minimums are destructive to urban ares and that off-street parking requirements, which were implemented in the 1950s and 60s should be removed allowing the market to determine how much parking is built.

    2) Curb parking rates should be set at the minimum cost possible in order to create a 15 percent curb vacancy (zero if necessary).

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  2. Great news!! I have had a chance to see him speak in Seattle and a have talked with him by phone 3-4 times on various matters.
    While many of us know his more common themes, it really it the depth of thinking down to street and block face management that impresses me.

    My recommendation is reading his book "The High Cost of Free Parking" and go see him speak.

    Then consider how our current parking plan ( or lack of) is well poised to be flexible to his ideas.

    And he likes to bike!!

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