Parking

In the race to the bottom that is Parking Madness, Streetsblog's Sweet 16-style tournament of terrible downtown parking craters, 10 cities have faced off so far.

Another day, another parking atrocity. Eight cities have already faced off in Parking Madness, where we attempt to find the worst parking crater in an American downtown. Milwaukee, Tulsa, Dallas and Louisville emerged victorious in the first half of the first round.

It's easy to see why the New York City Housing Authority's recent proposal to develop new housing on some of its property in Manhattan has aroused strong passions.

This week we're really getting into the thick of our Parking Madness tournament, the hunt for the worst parking crater in an American downtown.

Streetsblog's own "Sweet 16" of the worst downtown parking craters in America -- Parking Madness! -- continues today with two cities that grew up in the auto age.

Parking Madness, our hunt for the worst parking crater in an American downtown, continues today with two formidable contenders.

Yesterday, the City Planning Commission approved modifications to off-street parking regulations in the Manhattan Core, below East 96th Street and West 110th Street. Significant changes to the city's only parking maximums, which have helped cut down on traffic in the city's congested core since 1982, are on track for final approval from the City Council. Although the final proposal itself has not been released to the public by the Department of City Planning, the commission gave its unanimous approval.

Earlier this month we asked you: What is the worst parking crater in America? What is the ugliest parking scar draining the life from a downtown?

The Manhattan core parking regulations, most notable for setting limits on parking construction below 96th Street since 1982, have been an effective tool for reducing traffic in New York's congested center. But the rules have also been plagued by loopholes and strange inconsistencies, like the persistence of minimum parking requirements for affordable housing. Recently, the Department of City Planning proposed significant adjustments to the rules, and while community boards have weighed in, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer has yet to say anything on the issue.