Parking? Cars are the real problem

The issue of parking has come up recently; folks are concerned about providing parking for higher density housing on Donald Street, the lack of parking on the Plaza, and whether there would be enough parking if the Cheese Factory is expanded. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we need to greatly reduce the reliance on gas-powered vehicles as the default mode of transportation. 

For our planet to survive we will need to radically change our transportation system, and this will require a reduction in driving and less need for parking spaces. We need to envision a future where cars and parking do not take up so much of our city. We’ve reduced the amount of greenhouse gasses produced by our electrical grid, but we haven’t reduced the climate impact of our transportation system because we are all still so dependent on cars. Scientists are predicting that future generations will experience an uninhabitable climate if we don’t make radical changes immediately to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

Think about our children and grandchildren. What can we say to future generations about why we didn’t make the massive changes we need to make now? So we need to prepare for a future in which there are a lot more bikes, pedestrians, transit, and alternative forms of transportation, and many fewer cars. This means we will need many fewer parking spaces in the future.

— Matt Metzler, Sonoma