Redirecting from one of the downtown Cleveland development threads, where every development is including a cookie-cutter approach to transportation. Namely, every development includes a standard X-number of parking spaces per housing unit. Even more mind-boggling is that this repetitive mold was applied to a development designed specifically for CSU students many of whom don't have cars, don't want cars, and sure don't need cars for commute (across the street!) to school or for their lifestyle.

 

When you mass-produce one-size-fits-all developments, you get developments that aren't designed for a unique market like students. That unnecessarily adds costs to housing and to the overall costs of attending college which, as we all know, is exorbitant. I keep waiting for a student-oriented development that doesn't including parking on site. So if someone wants to keep a car downtown, there are plenty of parking garages that offer monthly parking.

 

It would also be nice if some of the self-storage companies offered a more secure, climate-protected facility with 24-hour access to parked cars, like CubeSmart. But they only have locations in the suburbs ($53-$77 per month to park a car).... http://www.cubesmart.com/ohio-self-storage/cleveland-self-storage/

 

I challenge a developer to seek a downtown housing development with ZERO parking spaces included, which similarly building on their own, or partnering with another firm like CubeSmart to provide off-site, climate-protected, self-storage for cars. That might also satisfy lenders who are accustomed to financing residential developments that fit snugly into their narrow paradigms. I'm sure both developments would do quite well, even if their customers aren't the same people.

Cleveland needs Car2Go. Those little guys are everywhere in Columbus nowadays.

Yes, and a real bike share. I'm blown away by how many cities that are smaller than Cleveland have a extensive bike-share facilities. Or maybe I shouldn't be!  :-o

I agree there should not be parking space requirements tied into new urban developments. But I also think that even if they weren't required, developers would still build those spaces because that's what most people want. Unless you're talking some form of subsidized housing.

Cleveland needs Car2Go. Those little guys are everywhere in Columbus nowadays.

 

Yes, and a real bike share. I'm blown away by how many cities that are smaller than Cleveland have a extensive bike-share facilities. Or maybe I shouldn't be!  :-o

 

As someone living in Cleveland without a car, I can't agree with both of these statements enough. Bikeshare and Car2Go are two of the things I miss most about DC. The issue with bike share though is that I'd worried about its success given the pitiful state of our bike infrastructure on our streets. Regardless though, Dayton even has a real bike share system. Dayton! (No offense to Dayton...) I just hope that when we eventually build a comprehensive system that we don't use Zagster.