Walkability, character more valuable than extra parking

Visiting renowned cities across the world, travelers often echo a common complaint: “Paris and London are beautiful, but they could really use more cars cluttering the streets.”

Actually, no one has ever said that — because abundant parking does not make a place great or attract visitors. And trying to make room for every single car can often destroy what makes a city special.

There are plenty of places to visit in the Capital Region if ample parking is your main priority. However, there are a very limited number of historic, walkable streets and neighborhoods still remaining, and we must protect them to preserve the soul of our cities.

Center Square — perhaps Albany’s most prized historic neighborhood — was the site of an animated public meeting on Feb. 1, when over 100 people assembled at Albany’s Lark Hall to learn details and provide input on infrastructure improvements planned for Lark Street.

Using funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the city aims to improve pedestrian safety with new crosswalks, curb extensions and new lighting. While significantly scaled back from the original proposal in 2019 — omitting important features like wider sidewalks, better bus stops, and raised intersections — the plans would still be a positive development for Albany’s most treasured street.

Despite the proven safety benefits of these enhancements, the proposal still faced objections. Private flyers posted around Center Square criticized the loss of parking spaces to accommodate the curb extensions and new crosswalks.

This response was not surprising; parking concerns are often an obstacle to making our streets safer. Similar complaints were made about the Madison Avenue bike lanes and road diet, but years later, people are managing to find parking just fine.

I live in Center Square, and I understand the struggle of finding street parking. But there is not a shortage of park

ing spots in the neighborhood. A parking analysis for the proposal determined that there is more than enough street parking in the area to meet demand. While I have to park several blocks away occasionally, there is always parking nearby.

Some of the people bemoaning the loss of parking were from outside the city and claimed the loss of merely nine spots will dissuade them and others from coming to enjoy the many great shops and restaurants on Lark. This claim is not reasonable, considering the street’s busiest days are when the street is completely closed to cars for street festivals like Art on Lark.

Instead of trying to accommodate drivers from outside the city, we should place the needs of local residents front and center. A person who lives nearby and walks on Lark daily will spend more money at local businesses than a person who might visit only once a month.

The 20th-century urban renewal projects that displaced thousands and decimated parts of downtown Albany almost destroyed Center Square. Thanks to the efforts of community members coming together to fight the freeway that threatened the very essence of Albany, Lark Street remains a vibrant and bustling corridor. However, we should not simply be satisfied with the status quo; we should seek to build on what makes Center Square great by continuing to improve walkability and pedestrian safety for residents and visitors alike.

The current proposal, though incremental, is a good first step. City officials should build these improvements without delay and continue working to make Albany’s most vibrant and walkable street even better.