Center Parking

[zachary_amaryllis]

So, in my area there's several blocks of downtown that have parking on both sides, as well as in the center median. It's all diagonal. The center parking can be entered from either direction, and can be exited in either direction. To me, though, it seems like it was designed in an era of smaller, shorter vehicles, because invariably, someone's parked their truck there, half of which is hanging out in the street. (Rule 1: if you can't park it, you don't get to drive it).

Any similarities in your areas, or areas you've been through?

GSV of my area: https://goo.gl/maps/c1cedWhiRXobJqdCA

[jeffandnicole]

North Wildwood, NJ:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1h8x4dJ7V4LmJMmYA

[SSOWorld]

See Philadelphia. https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9335879,-75.1678143,357m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e1 - on S Broad St.

Also the Tourist Trap Wall SD.  https://www.google.com/maps/@43.992374,-102.241802,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVt92dqW8zXsOxOWEQSegfQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[wanderer2575]

MDOT (Michigan) doesn't like center median parking. 

• There used to be parking lots in the center median of Woodward Avenue (M-1) in downtown Ferndale, but MDOT finally objected many years ago and they were removed.
• Lincoln Park wanted to add a parking lot in the center median of Southfield Road (M-39) in the late '80s, but again MDOT objected.  Instead of dropping the idea, the city acquired that stretch of road and now the southern terminus of M-39 is a dangling end at Lafayette Blvd. instead of connecting to M-85.  https://goo.gl/maps/rAdjUaCEYh4PahdE8

[catch22]

Central Avenue in Mackinaw City, MI:

https://goo.gl/maps/e52CXfcgh6D45VmG7

[catch22]

MDOT (Michigan) doesn't like center median parking. 

• There used to be parking lots in the center median of Woodward Avenue (M-1) in downtown Ferndale, but MDOT finally objected many years ago and they were removed.
• Lincoln Park wanted to add a parking lot in the center median of Southfield Road (M-39) in the late '80s, but again MDOT objected.  Instead of dropping the idea, the city acquired that stretch of road and now the southern terminus of M-39 is a dangling end at Lafayette Blvd. instead of connecting to M-85.  https://goo.gl/maps/rAdjUaCEYh4PahdE8

Also on Michigan Avenue (US-12) in downtown Inkster, for a short distance east and west of the Inkster Road intersection.  Once urban renewal had nuked most of the older buildings in the 1960s (and essentially killed any concept of "downtown") there wasn't much need for parking anymore and it was removed.

Here's a old article from 1967 about redeveloping the cleared land, and it mentions the pending boulevard parking removal.

http://inkstermichigan.blogspot.com/2019/07/inkster-clears-33-acre-tract.html

[Rothman]

DC at the end of Pennsylvania Ave was like this last I was down there.

[Hobart]

There's angle parking on Broadway in Milwaukee, south of St. Paul Avenue.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.03451,-87.9071282,139m/data=!3m1!1e3

[CoreySamson]

Lake Jackson, TX has this all over the place:

https://goo.gl/maps/Qb3iME7xdGqeErqc6
https://goo.gl/maps/pFoEQKdCNdYsG6b67
https://goo.gl/maps/5q4r6dn4zB3FCnn59
https://goo.gl/maps/uGx3GYiAJTfqrhSMA
https://goo.gl/maps/E4nLc7jQ3CK8uiQG8

Five distinct downtown streets (in a town of 25,000) that all have median parking. Some are nice brick, some have a nice median (and a gazebo!), and some can be entered in either direction.

[webny99]

Also the Tourist Trap Wall SD.  https://www.google.com/maps/@43.992374,-102.241802,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVt92dqW8zXsOxOWEQSegfQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

First thing I thought of when I saw this thread. 

[Bitmapped]

Remsen, IA has parallel parking in the middle of the street in addition to angle parking on the sides: https://goo.gl/maps/eQ2pCF49JKQ3FYUE8

[Big John]

Madison WI: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0758967,-89.3855663,104m/data=!3m1!1e3

[HighwayStar]

See Philadelphia. https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9335879,-75.1678143,357m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e1 - on S Broad St.

Also the Tourist Trap Wall SD.  https://www.google.com/maps/@43.992374,-102.241802,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVt92dqW8zXsOxOWEQSegfQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Beat me to it for Philly. Though I will add that there are several other streets besides Broad that have that going on, Oregon Avenue comes to mind.

Also I am pretty sure Wall SD has a sign (one of their many signs that start about the time you enter South Dakota) that highlights the "free parking" available, as if you could charge for parking in a state like South Dakota.

[HighwayStar]

The "ultimate" configuration of this would be to have a 3-4 foot sidewalk median with parallel parking on both sides of it, thereby maximizing parking. But I am not aware of anyplace that has such a formal system.

[Scott5114]

Purcell, Oklahoma: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.0122979,-97.3633959,3a,37.8y,80.92h,85.89t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sBj7DyWaRu1itbTLmr5yD1Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[CtrlAltDel]

Also I am pretty sure Wall SD has a sign (one of their many signs that start about the time you enter South Dakota) that highlights the "free parking" available, as if you could charge for parking in a state like South Dakota.

I'll play your game.

[HighwayStar]

Also I am pretty sure Wall SD has a sign (one of their many signs that start about the time you enter South Dakota) that highlights the "free parking" available, as if you could charge for parking in a state like South Dakota.

I'll play your game.

Obviously the city center of Sioux Falls is not what I meant but sure. 

[ibagli]

Newark, Ohio. The brick island is new. It used to look more like the block behind this view. The new spaces are also longer than the old ones now that there aren't two lanes of traffic squeezed in on each side.

[webny99]

Also I am pretty sure Wall SD has a sign (one of their many signs that start about the time you enter South Dakota) that highlights the "free parking" available, as if you could charge for parking in a state like South Dakota.

I'll play your game.

Obviously the city center of Sioux Falls is not what I meant but sure. 

I am guessing any rural signage about free parking is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but the irony is that Wall is the one place where they probably actually could charge for parking given the volume of tourists.

[froggie]

DC at the end of Pennsylvania Ave was like this last I was down there.

Only the block between 3rd St NW and 1st St NW...and that parking is restricted to Senate personnel.

The "ultimate" configuration of this would be to have a 3-4 foot sidewalk median with parallel parking on both sides of it, thereby maximizing parking. But I am not aware of anyplace that has such a formal system.

5 foot minimum to meet ADA.


One not mentioned yet:  Goodyear Blvd in Picayune, MS.  The closest I know of to HighwayStar's "formal system", though it's only a narrow 2ft curb median in the middle instead of a sidewalk.

[webny99]

A much bigger-picture thought related to the above...

I've often wondered why more parking lots don't have a 3-4 foot center aisle for pedestrians between each row. This would improve safety in theory, as it would separate cars and pedestrians. You could even have the cart returns reversed, with an entrances on the pedestrian aisle side instead of the driving aisle side. But my guess is the safety improvement just isn't worth the reduced parking space or I'm sure it would be done more often.

[froggie]

^ Part of that has to do with zoning laws and parking minimums.

[jeffandnicole]

To expand on that: Commercial properties are required to have a certain number of spaces per square footage of the building: ie, 5 spaces per 1,000 square feet.  This generally leans towards very large parking lots where the further away spaces are never used. If they were to put in center aisles, that would be even more space needed for parking lots. I've seen it done, at least down a few rows of parking, but it's rare.

[1995hoo]

Louisiana Avenue in DC near Union Station: https://goo.gl/maps/b1aygW4wKcrYffAZA  The parking is restricted, though I don't know to whom.

I hate driving through that block, though I invariably do when I go to Union Station (as recently as two days ago to get the Acela to New York). It's a busy area and it's a high-pedestrian area and the parked cars in the median add to the number of things to which you have to pay attention, but it's by far the most direct route for me to go from I-395 to the Union Station parking garage, so I suck it up and deal with it.

[froggie]

Louisiana Avenue in DC near Union Station: https://goo.gl/maps/b1aygW4wKcrYffAZA  The parking is restricted, though I don't know to whom.

That's also Senate-restricted parking.