Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Parking Madness 2016

Parking Madness Elite Eight: Wilkes-Barre vs. Louisville

The final spot in the Final Four is up for grabs today, as we conclude the second week of the 2016 Parking Madness tournament. So far, parking craters in Dallas, Niagara Falls, and Federal Way, Washington have advanced to this elite stage of the competition.

In today's matchup, a waterfront parking crater in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, goes up against an amalgamation of downtown parking lots in Louisville, Kentucky, big enough to fit a few football fields. Does either have what it takes to win the Golden Crater?

Wilkes-Barre

Screen Shot 2016-03-09 at 4.21.57 PM
false

Reader Brian Ferry submitted the Wilkes-Barre entry, noting that this area is prime downtown riverfront property. But a lot of the buildings are abandoned -- including the beautiful Irem Temple -- and the prevalence of parking reflects the downtown's struggles.

Louisville

Screen Shot 2016-03-09 at 4.52.41 PM
false

This contender, in the great city of Louisville, comes from Branden Klayko at Broken Sidewalk. From the sky it seems like we might be looking at the parking lot of a struggling mall that's lost all of its tenants except for a Sears auto repair shop holding on by a thread. But in fact, this is just south of the city's downtown, in an area known as SoBro. Ironically, Klayko says, it's home to the headquarters of the regional transit agency.

This isn't Louisville's first appearance in Parking Madness. A different Louisville crater made it to the second round in 2013. Like Duke, Louisville seems to be in the mix every year.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Civic Panel Dings Adams For Cutting Bike and Bus Lanes Out of Fifth Av. Redesign

Mayor Adams's scaled down redesign of Fifth Avenue isn't a "real solution" to safety issued on the packed retail corridor.

July 14, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: E-Bike Regulations Edition

Monday is a big day for the future of e-bikes in the Big Apple. Plus more news.

July 14, 2025

‘Preventable’: Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Two on Third Av. Corridor Eric Adams Refuses to Make Safer

A motorist struck and killed two men on a strip where Mayor Adams recently shelved a safety redesign amid a backlash from local business interests.

July 11, 2025

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025
See all posts