RULES 18 & 19 | DECOUPLE PARKING AND PRICE PARKING BASED ON ITS VALUE
- Holly Terrill
- Oct 29
- 4 min read
WALKABLE WICHITA: LESSONS FROM JEFF SPECK
BY RAMI STUCKY
Before the 1940s, parking in downtown Wichita operated like this. Some zones permitted on-street parking for specific times: thirty minutes, an hour, or even two hours. It was free and monitored by police officers who walked around marking cars with chalk. If a marked vehicle was still parked beyond its allotted time, the owner received a ticket. There were two issues with this system. First, downtown was already congested. “Traffic congestion is one of the greatest problems facing Wichita today,” wrote the Wichita Eagle on July 27, 1941. [1] A traffic count in October of that same year found that 23,851 automobiles traversed the intersection of St. Francis and Douglas in twelve hours. A similar number was seen on Broadway and Douglas. [2] (For comparison, those intersections saw 34,001 and 51,063 cars in 2017, respectively.)
Second, business owners tended to abuse the free parking system. A Chamber of Commerce study in 1940 found that 67 percent of cars parked in restricted areas belonged to owners and their staff rather than to customers, upon whose patronage their business depended. [3] “You doubtlessly know that many of these people make it a practice to park their cars in the area in the morning and move them periodically during the day from place to place at such times as to avoid parking overtime and thereby pay a fine,” wrote a group of concerned storeowners critiquing the free-parking. “Each time these cars are moved, they take up valuable parking space all day long, which should be made available for customers or business people in the downtown section.” [4]
The solution that was ultimately implemented? A new technology called the parking meter. “Price parking based on its value,” argues urban planner Jeff Speck in Walkable City Rules: 101 Steps to Making Better Places. “When driving is too cheap, roads get too crowded. When parking is too cheap, parking gets too crowded. And when people park too much, a bunch of bad things happen: people circle in search of spots; they double park; or they get frustrated and drive back home without shopping. Next time, they drive to the mall instead,” he notes. [5]
Several downtown business owners protested the introduction of parking meters, fearing that it was a “double tax” on their customers. [6] Yet, several, among them the owners of Petrie Clothing Store, Kuhl & Son, Jones-O’Neal Shoe, Shelly Electric, and Adams-Bennett Music, were in support. [7] Even those in opposition inadvertently made arguments for the introduction of meters. Dave Walker of Walker’s Dry Goods Company expressed his disapproval, arguing that “there already is too little parking space for the citizens in the heart of the downtown district.” [8] Yet, this is the exact problem with parking meters fixed. They open up parking for customers and discourage people from monopolizing spots for free.
Installation of the meters began in July 1946. [9] Shortly after, the Wichita Beacon published the thoughts of several Wichitans on the new paid parking plan. Some found it inconvenient. However, most found it beneficial. One resident summarized how, “in the past, it was almost impossible to find a space downtown.” But now, she “likes them and the majority of the auto owners I know are also in favor of the meters.” SD Love of 1732 McKnight Drive explained their appeal: “It is a very good deal for the shopping public; saves much driving around, and because of the rapid turnover, spaces are usually available at desired points.”
Even business owners liked them. An insurance salesperson who worked in the Wheeler, Kelly, Hagny building pointed out that “you can always get a place to park downtown now.” GM Garner, a Standard Oil company employee, estimated that with the introduction of paid parking, “it takes only about one-half the time to find a place to leave the car.” Some even speculated about the appeal to their customers. Leslie Branson, who owned a jewelry establishment on North Main, said that their out-of-town customers were much more pleased after the introduction of the meters. [10]
In the early 1990s, the City of Wichita reverted to free parking in most of downtown. Although initially meant to be a trial, it has essentially been that way since. [11] However, in 2025, the City of Wichita will once again revert to paid parking. The rationale is to bolster city finances and also limit the number of “cars parked in front of businesses for long periods of time.” [12] During a meeting on August 26, 2024, at Norton’s Brewing Company, businesspeople and residents gathered to discuss the new plan. Most in attendance opposed the new plan.
However, two business owners on Douglas–one of a hair salon and another of a coffee shop–complained about the fact that their customers could not find regular parking. The coffeeshop owner noted they only owned a few private spaces, and customers had to jockey for spots on the street. Staff at the hair salon speculated that residents of the surrounding apartments were permanently parked in front of the business. [13] Paid parking will help address these concerns.
[1] “Federal Assistance Is Sought as Increased Population Puts Heavy Strain on Traffic Ways,” Wichita Eagle, July 27, 1941, 12C.
[2] “Parking Problem to Be Acute When New Cars Arrive,” Wichita Eagle, September 10, 1945, 3.
[3] “Suggest Test of ‘Parking Meters’ Here,” Wichita Beacon, April 23, 1940, 14.
[4] “Write Letter in Favor of Meters,” Wichita Beacon, July 5, 1940, 5.
[5] Jeff Speck, Walkable City Rules: 101 Steps to Making Better Places (Washington, DC: Island Press, 2018), 44.
[6] “Poll Merchants on Parkometers,” Wichita Beacon, July 25, 1940, 5.
[7] “Write Letter in Favor of Meters.”
[8] “Fear Meters Will Harm Business,” Wichita Beacon, July 1, 1940, 3.
[9] “Automatic Parking Meters Installed,” Wichita Eagle, June 30, 1946, 17.
[10] “Varied Ideas about Parking Meters Found,” Wichita Beacon, July 9, 1946, 4.
[11] “RIP Meters,” Wichita Eagle, September 7, 1993, 6.
[12] City of Wichita, “Why Paid Parking,” Downtown Parking Information, n.d., https://www.wichita.gov/1559/Park-Wichita.
[13] Nortons Brewing Company, “Town Hall Meeting: Q&A about the Downtown Parking Initiative” (125 N. St. Francis, August 26, 2024).
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