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indymike

Let's be honest. Lack of parking and paid parking kills businesses.

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Demonstrated not to be true in Toronto, Canada:

* https://medium.com/sidewalk-talk/the-latest-evidence-that-bi...

On two separate streets (Bloor above, Queen below):

* https://www.fastcompany.com/3067515/why-local-businesses-sho...

Making it easier for cyclists and transit users has often been found to increase business:

> Despite longstanding popular belief, bicycle lanes can actually improve business. At worst, the negative impact on sales and employment is minimal, according to a new study. Researchers studied 14 corridors in 6 cities -- Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Memphis, Minneapolis and Indianapolis -- and found such improvements had either positive or non-significant impacts on sales and employment. Essentially, adding improvements like bike lanes largely boosted business and employment in the retail and food service sectors.

* https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200422151318.h...

Meta-review:

* https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/01441647.2021.19...

I live in Indianapolis and we added bike lanes and more parking at the same time. The real driver in retail sales has been the increase in residential units downtown. Mass transit in Indy was and still is terrible ... It takes 1.5 hours to go 6 miles.

Yeah, a work/shop/live area near me instituted paid parking 5 years ago, after 25 years of being free. It had some serious negative effects on business and they rolled back the paid hours to just weekdays and just 9-5 for the garages, but it still has not recovered. Many of the businesses have moved out, although others have moved in. Some customers just park in the nearest free spots, clogging up other commercial or residential parking, and walk.

It's been 5 years and places are still closing as their leases expire. The place never really recovered and people are still complaining about it.