Paid parking (Parking Management) is utilized in the downtowns of most cities our size and larger. Downtowns, also known as Central Business Districts, are densely populated, housing various organizations and their employees within a centrally located part of the city. These organizations are usually tenants in high rise buildings, making it possible to house many people in a small geographic area. This results in high demand for a limited number of parking spaces, and those spaces must be shared by the employees of multiple organizations, by customers, by downtown residents and tourists.
In Shreveport and in other downtowns across the globe, there are those that see the benefits of Parking Management and those that see no benefit. According to Parking Industry Insights (“A premier learning destination for parking facility managers across Canada”), free parking is not ‘free’ and Parking Management plays a very important role in managing a limited resource.
Some of the cost, or negative impacts of free parking include people occupying prime parking spaces (those closest to a building) all day, limiting access for customers and other employees. This also makes it less likely that you will be able to find a space near your destination, causing you to circle and circle to find somewhere to park. As more drivers search for parking, more emissions are released and there are more opportunities for accidents and/or road rage. There are also monetary costs associated with parking that must be paid by all of us, via taxes, if there is no paid parking program to cover those costs.
Paid parking provides needed turnover to help give more people the chance to do business, shop, dine, visit, and play in downtown. It helps to ensure that traffic flows smoothly and safely while reducing pollution and the risk of accidents. It enables those who use parking to generate the revenue need to pay for maintenance, enforcement, equipment, and other parking related expenses. Cities like Wichita, KS and Palo Alto, CA are currently implementing or considering paid parking plans designed to address the same parking issues experienced in Shreveport and other downtowns.
Parking in Downtown Shreveport can conveniently be paid through coinage at the meter, or by using the Parkmobile app. We hope through our efforts to manage downtown on-street parking that your visit will be enjoyable and your parking convenient and accessible.
