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Re:Free parking isn’t free: Parking mandates hurt America’s ... by tzs on Saturday September 19, 2015 @07:58AM (#10244047)
Let's assume we do automated cars right, so that the cars have a wireless connection to some central traffic planning system that coordinates traffic for an entire city.

As traffic dies down in the evening and overnight, fewer lanes are needed. Some lanes could be deallocated from traffic use and allocated to parking use to hold cars overnight, and then put back to traffic use in the morning.

Re:Free parking isn’t free: Parking mandates hurt America’s ... by dalke on Saturday September 19, 2015 @08:23AM (#10244083)
"some central traffic planning system that coordinates traffic for an entire city"

That would be impressive uptime for both power and wireless connections. I was under the impression that autonomous vehicles would be more autonomous than that. Else what happens should something like http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/01/chicago... occur?

In any case, we're starting from the position that there are commercial parking services.

For your proposal to work, as a way to get rid of "companies like Impark" we have to assume that either that 1) street parking as you suggest will be free, ie, subsidized by the tax base as a whole, or 2) the city does not contract/sell operation of the central traffic planning system to companies like Impark.

Chicago (to mention it again), leased out its meters to a foreign corporation for 75 years.

Re:Free parking isn’t free: Parking mandates hurt America’s ... by Retric on Saturday September 19, 2015 @08:52AM (#10244137)
If the cars can read signs then all it takes is a sign that says parking lane 2am - 5am.
Re:Free parking isn’t free: Parking mandates hurt America’s ... by dalke on Saturday September 19, 2015 @09:06AM (#10244167)
Which is my option (1), free parking subsidized by the city.

If we wanted that now, we could nationalize all of the commercial parking systems. We instead often see the desire to find more revenue sources.

BTW, it won't be as simple as having a sign. Some areas already are free parking between given times, except during a declared snow emergency, or during hurricane evacuation. I'm not saying it can't be solved, only that it's not simple.

Re:Free parking isn’t free: Parking mandates hurt America’s ... by pyoung on Saturday September 19, 2015 @01:47PM (#10244975)
You don't need a real time central planning system for that. Just a few signs and some tow trucks. SF has a few streets that are traffic lanes during rush hour, and parking spots on off peak hours.