Debate with my dad about downtown parking made me flip my view

My dad has lived in Bothell since 1998 and he's always saying we need more parking lots downtown. I used to agree with him 100% because finding a spot on a Friday night is rough. But last week he said "they just keep building more apartments and no one thinks about where people will put their cars." Something about hearing him say it that way made me think about how more parking lots just bring more cars, not less traffic. I started reading about how cities like Redmond are doing the opposite and adding bike lanes instead. So which side is right for Bothell, more parking or less? Has anyone else talked to a longtime resident and totally changed what they thought?

3 comments

3 Comments

hall.nina10d ago

Flipping your view on parking is easier than flipping a car around in one of those tiny downtown lots (trust me, I've tried).

jakel3610d ago

Nah, @hall.nina you're not wrong about those downtown lots being tight. But I gotta push back a little on the parking view thing. It's not just about being stubborn, it's about having to circle for 20 minutes after a 12-hour shift. When you work nights, you're already running on fumes. The last thing you need is to spend another half hour hunting for a spot because someone decided to redesign the lot with fewer spaces. I get the bigger picture about more green space and bike lanes, I really do. But until they fix the transit options for people who have to be there at weird hours, flipping my view feels like giving up a practical solution for an idealistic one.

the_tara10d ago

Wait, hold up. So you're saying you actually drove around for 20 minutes after a 12-hour shift just to find parking? That sounds absolutely brutal. I can't even imagine being that exhausted and then having to play bumper cars in a tiny lot just to get home. That kind of experience would make anyone dig their heels in, honestly. It's like your dad's whole argument is built on those nights, not some abstract "we need more concrete" thing.