Who Pays For Parking? - TransitCenter

Who Pays For Parking?: How Federal Tax Subsidies Jam More Cars into Congested Cities, and How Cities Can Reclaim Their Streets

Imagine the creation of a new government program in which federal authorities send you a check at the end of the year to reward you for driving to work alone. But there are a few catches. First, you only get the check if you work in a city—and you get a bigger check if you work downtown. Second, the size of your check depends on how much money you make. If you are a stockbroker or CEO, your check might be twice as big as that of the receptionist or salesperson working down the hall. Such a program, it is safe to say, would be unlikely to get very far. Transportation experts would decry the idea of paying people to drive—especially commuters, who tend to travel during the busiest parts of the day. They would point out that the program would cost taxpayers money and would also add to the congestion experienced by every other driver on the road during each day’s commute.
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