Free parking gives rise to congestion

By: Sujata Srinivasan/ Forbes India

Parking expert Donald Shoup, whose ideas are being followed by cities around the world, believes charging the right parking fee reduces traffic.

DONALD SHOUP
Age: 72
Profile: Professor of Urban Planning, University of California, Los Angeles; editor, ACCESS magazine
Education: Ph.D., M.A., B.A. in Economics, Yale University; B.E. in Electrical Engineering, Yale University
Publication: The High Cost of Free Parking, Chicago; 2005
Interests: Biking, swimming 

What is the high cost of free parking?
Many countries, including the United States and certainly India, suffer from chaos associated with too many parked cars. When street parking is free, but there are no vacant spaces, many people drive around hunting for a space. This wastes valuable time and fuel. It interferes with pedestrians, congests roads and pollutes the air.

The Indian auto industry is expected to cross $100 billion in size, which is a nightmare in terms of traffic and parking. What is the solution?
Well, I don