[carlospwk]

A question for all those in favour of street parking: If parking right in front of the store is so vital for business, why don't they do it in shopping malls? Why do you have to park your car somewhere else and then walk to the stores?

I've never even gotten an answer, just silence.

[asdff]

I don't know what bizzaro world those people live in where they will actually find a parking spot in the front of their destination. A given block has what like 10 spaces for cars? In a city with thousands of road users your odds of finding a parking spot that's truly convenient to the destination are going to be so low. I bet most everyone currently parking on the street is parking in some compromised somewhat inconvenient spot. That's why I find the strongest voices of people keeping the street parking are usually the abusers: that neighbor who has some hardly functional car they roll out three feet to take up two spots while they are away with the other car, and roll back when they get home, or that mechanics shop that parks customer vehicles out there at 4am when the spots are actually available and holds them in perpetuity or to use them for their own employees convenience.

[sacrosancty]

Where I live, small shops often have 5 or 15 minute parking time limits directly outside so there's usually a space available when I want one, despite the rest of the street being full.

Sounds like your city needs to write and enforce its parking rules better.

[asdff]

There are loading zones and such but still, how many spaces are going to be like this? What are the odds you roll up and there is a car there already taking advantage of that spot? Now what, you sit on your hands for 14 and a half minutes? Street parking is never a guarantee, and banking on it usually ends in frustration. Getting that convenient spot in the right place right at the right time when you happen to be there circling to park is always a stroke of luck if your area is somewhat busy.

[sacrosancty]

Then you carry on to the next shop which sell all the same things and is also on your way to where you were going. It works extremely well in my area.

[carlospwk]

5 to 15 minutes? What if you want to have lunch?

[gravypod]

I am assuming these spots are for takeout so you can quickly go in and buy something.

[rootusrootus]

> A given block has what like 10 spaces for cars?

I suppose it depends on the particular city block size, but we use angled parking and certainly get a lot more than 10 cars in a given block.

[rootusrootus]

Malls are dying off. Maybe that's why.

We managed to save our local mall before it completely died, and now it thrives. They turned it mostly inside out, there's still halls inside but all of the popular stores now face outward so you can park right in front of them.

[nelsondev]

Shopping malls often have attached parking garages?

[asdff]

In denser areas they do, but honestly most new development malls are looking like that now a days with huge garages and an effort to maximize the developable land. I think Easton in Columbus, OH is a fair example of one of these newer malls with garages, and outside of a big city too way out in the exurbs not too far from cornfields. There are some lots but as the area has been infilling they've been adding garages.

[carlospwk]

Why?

[shukantpal]

Probably because customers aren’t going to malls for a short trip and taking 5-10 mins extra to park isn’t a big deal compared to them going to a small shop for 5 mins and getting out of there.

[carlospwk]

I don't know why you've come to that conclusion? I do the exact opposite. I got to malls to buy something specific, but there's no reason to spend anymore time there than necessary. City centres are the opposite.