The Parking Problem

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 516, 20 November 1928, Page 6

The Parking Problem

Where Next When Streets are Full ? MUCH lias been written and more said about the need for ample parking room in Auckland, and in fact, all large cities. The whole question has been reviewed by the “Radiator,” the New Zealand motor-trade journal, which sees, with the increasing new car sales, the only solution in parking garages.

The kernel of the problem is to find room to park the cars of business people, who use their cars chiefly to convey them to business in the morning and home in the evening, says the “Radiator.” During the day this class of car is little used, and owners are at their wits’ end to know of a place to leave their cars where they are reasonably safe and convenient. This is a real difficulty to-day, and will become a serious ploblem as the numbers of such cars increase, as they surely will from year to year. In the main cities, streets or spaces where cars may be left without unduly interfering with traffic are practically used up, and as it is impossible to increase such accommodation, something must be done in another way. Motorists appear to take it for granted that the local authorities are required to find parking accommodation for the cars of its citizens, but sooner or later they must have a rude awakening. Local authorities do a great deal and can do a great deal more to control and regulate traffic in the streets, but in our opinion the provision of parking areas for cars for lengthy periods is not their responsibility. The present trend of legislation is to stiffen up regulations for the control of motor traffic in the interests of the safety and convenience of the people as a whole. It cannot be doubted that the principle behind this is right, and we must expect more and more strict enforcement of our traffic regulations as time goes on. As traffic grows motorists will be required to move faster in congested streets and loitering will be prohibited. Under such conditions parking will be impossible in main streets, and the streets which to-day are used to park cars for long periods will be required for cars making only short stays. In our opinion the best way to deal with the parking problem is to endeavour to find accommodation for cars during the day, which at present stand idle in the streets. In some countries this has been attempted by local

authorities setting aside reserves in charge of an official and making a charge for same. These have not been an unqualified success, mainly because the average motorist objects to paying even a small charge for the use of greets which he thinks should be free. The time is rapidly approaching when motorists will willingly pay a reasonable charge for the proper housing and care of their cars during the day. The parking of cars in the street has become a habit, and as such may be difficult to break, as it is undoubtedly convenient and is also regarded as cheap. If, however, the loss by theft, by damage from other car owners, and depreciation from weather is correctly estimated, it will be found that open air parking is not economical. The motor trade in New Zealand has never pressed for the abolition of free parking in the streets, as they know that garage accommodation is inadequate, and is fully utilised in the servicing and repairing of cars. The time is now near when garages built specially for the storage and cleaning of cars will be a practical and payable proposition. Such garages are required handy to the busy parts of a city, and the principal drawback is 6n account of the high price of land in such centres. Necessity is overcoming this difficulty, and garages are being erected on comparatively small sections of land, which will house a large number of cars, which can be handled expeditiously and safely either by ramps or elevators.

T#.ere is an opening for such garages in some of our main centres, and there is a fair field here in which wellplanned enterprise is fairly sure of an adequate reward. Auckland already has made a start in this way, and although the enterprising owner has to follow the path of most pioneers, the progress in motor transport is so rapid that we feel sure his pioneering days will be short and his example will soon be followed by others.