ABSTRACT
Cities hope to break even or perhaps even come out financially ahead on the parking spaces and facilities they operate, but public parking operations function primarily as a service to motorists and downtown businesses. Without the metered on-street spaces that many cities maintain and the parking lots and garages operated by some, the scarcity of available parking places would discourage downtown visits. Early arrivers—often the employees of downtown businesses—would capture prime unmetered spots directly outside their workplaces and would have no incentive to relinquish them, thereby depriving potential customers a chance at convenient parking. Winding endlessly through city streets in search of an elusive parking spot would persuade many prospective customers and clients to do their future business elsewhere.
