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Finding a place to park your car
By Qian Yanwen |
November 12, 2009, Thursday
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THIS year Hangzhou adds another 190,000 autos that pollute, worsen traffic congestion - and need parking places. The city is tackling the parking shortage. Qian Yanwen takes the wheel. Hangzhou may be heaven on earth, but finding a parking place can be hellish business.
The city has been trying to create new parking spaces, free up existing space and help manage the problem with fees - now it needs more public opinion.
It issued parking rules in July last year and is considering more changes based on a survey to be taken this month.
It is estimated that Hangzhou will create around 10,000 new parking places by the end of this year; organizations and social institutions may add another 20,000, for a total of 30,000.
That's, however, far from enough.
This year the number of autos on city streets increases 190,000, including 89,000 private cars.
"Public resources for parking are limited, so is the room on roads. It is mission impossible to find another 10,000 spots next year," says Hangzhou Party Secretary Wang Guoping. "We have to find a way out, and it should come directly from public opinion."
In September this year, Hangzhou's Bureau of Statistics conducted a parking-space survey among 15,000 residents aged 18 to 60 in five districts.
Results show that people are positive about the new policies but want more improvement and "scientific management" of parking resources.
Eighty percent called for measures to control the number of autos crowding the streets.
Responding to the public and addressing challenges, Party Secretary Wang summed up 12 concrete problems, after hearing from the traffic department, administration of commodity prices and others.
This month a new questionnaire will seek public views through interviews and online surveys. The new survey is based on the 12 issues identified by Wang.
Whether to control the number of autos is the foremost problem. Cars are common and some families have more than one. Some suggest restrictions or extra fees on buying a first car, a second or a third.
Options range from auctioning license plates (as in Shanghai) to asking buyers to identify parking places beforehand (as in Beijing).
The latest policy implemented in July last year lowered the parking fees to 6 yuan (88 US cents) per hour for key zones designated as Level 1; to 4 yuan for Level 2 and to 2 yuan for Level 3.
But charging differential fees is unreasonable, the urban management says, since it is as difficult to park in Level 2 and 3 as in Level 1 zones. It proposes either setting an average fee or establishing just two zones instead of three.
Party Secretary Wang says parking fees will be based on the revenue and expenditures of the parking lots.
According to current rules, public parking is free for 15 minutes after 8pm, but some car owners just park their cars in the space overnight.
This year all that free overnight parking amount to more than 4.6 million yuan.
The general thinking by authorities is that public parking fees should be charged as soon as the car is parked, eliminating free overnight parking.
In many residential communities, underground parking lots are emptied during the day as people drive to work, while roads are overcrowded, due to the large parking price differentials.
One government proposal calls for residents to alternate parking underground and on streets and for fees to be regulated.
Other suggestions include charging rush hour tolls on the more crowded roadways, opening more free parking lots owned by government organizations, increasing parking penalties and lowering costs for public transport.
The government is waiting to hear from citizens before making the next move.
The city has been trying to create new parking spaces, free up existing space and help manage the problem with fees - now it needs more public opinion.
It issued parking rules in July last year and is considering more changes based on a survey to be taken this month.
It is estimated that Hangzhou will create around 10,000 new parking places by the end of this year; organizations and social institutions may add another 20,000, for a total of 30,000.
That's, however, far from enough.
This year the number of autos on city streets increases 190,000, including 89,000 private cars.
"Public resources for parking are limited, so is the room on roads. It is mission impossible to find another 10,000 spots next year," says Hangzhou Party Secretary Wang Guoping. "We have to find a way out, and it should come directly from public opinion."
In September this year, Hangzhou's Bureau of Statistics conducted a parking-space survey among 15,000 residents aged 18 to 60 in five districts.
Results show that people are positive about the new policies but want more improvement and "scientific management" of parking resources.
Eighty percent called for measures to control the number of autos crowding the streets.
Responding to the public and addressing challenges, Party Secretary Wang summed up 12 concrete problems, after hearing from the traffic department, administration of commodity prices and others.
This month a new questionnaire will seek public views through interviews and online surveys. The new survey is based on the 12 issues identified by Wang.
Whether to control the number of autos is the foremost problem. Cars are common and some families have more than one. Some suggest restrictions or extra fees on buying a first car, a second or a third.
Options range from auctioning license plates (as in Shanghai) to asking buyers to identify parking places beforehand (as in Beijing).
The latest policy implemented in July last year lowered the parking fees to 6 yuan (88 US cents) per hour for key zones designated as Level 1; to 4 yuan for Level 2 and to 2 yuan for Level 3.
But charging differential fees is unreasonable, the urban management says, since it is as difficult to park in Level 2 and 3 as in Level 1 zones. It proposes either setting an average fee or establishing just two zones instead of three.
Party Secretary Wang says parking fees will be based on the revenue and expenditures of the parking lots.
According to current rules, public parking is free for 15 minutes after 8pm, but some car owners just park their cars in the space overnight.
This year all that free overnight parking amount to more than 4.6 million yuan.
The general thinking by authorities is that public parking fees should be charged as soon as the car is parked, eliminating free overnight parking.
In many residential communities, underground parking lots are emptied during the day as people drive to work, while roads are overcrowded, due to the large parking price differentials.
One government proposal calls for residents to alternate parking underground and on streets and for fees to be regulated.
Other suggestions include charging rush hour tolls on the more crowded roadways, opening more free parking lots owned by government organizations, increasing parking penalties and lowering costs for public transport.
The government is waiting to hear from citizens before making the next move.
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