A kid from Cleveland who reads too much.
A new survey from IBM has confirmed what city managers, travelers and commuters already know from everyday experience: finding a parking space in a big city can be a frustrating and sometimes futile chore. And the problem isn’t confined to the U.S. — it’s an issue around the world.
More than half of drivers among 8,000 commuters in 20 cities worldwide said during the past year they gave up at least once when looking for a parking space, and one-fourth of them admitted they had argued with someone about a parking spot. New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago each were represented by 400 commuters in the survey.
This fresh data could validate the need for investment in “smart parking” infrastructure and the projects that are already under way in several big U.S. cities.
The survey found that more than 30 percent of a city’s traffic is caused by drivers searching for a parking spot. This inefficiency leads to more carbon emissions discharged by vehicles (a pollution and climate issue), and can cost businesses and city services money (an economic issue).
In New York City alone, 29 percent of commuters said they spend 20 minutes on average looking for a parking spot and 10 percent spend more than 40 minutes, according to the survey.
