New Study: More Parking=More Driving!

I just love when research comes out that proves something that seems common sense. I know it's part of the scientific method--you can't just make a claim without the proof--but still, it's comical to me.

So, University of Pennsylvania just put out a study: Guaranteed Parking = Guaranteed Driving! (PDF) Who knew?

"The study (by University of Pennsylvania planning professor Rachel Weinberger), "Guaranteed Parking, Guaranteed Driving", compares parking and commuting habits in Park Slope, Brooklyn and Jackson Heights, Queens. The study finds that despite having the same car ownership and very similar access to public transit to the Central Business District, Jackson Heights residents are 45% more likely to drive to work in the Central Business District and 28% more likely to drive to work in general.

The study concludes that Jackson Heights car owners are more likely to drive to work because of guaranteed, off-street parking spots to return to at the end of the day."

I would never have guessed this! Who would have ever thought that as you build more parking lots, it encourages people to drive more? No one could have seen this coming!

:-P