Only half of Dutch can easily find parking in their neighborhood

Fewer than half of Dutch residents (47%) can easily find a parking spot on their street or in their neighborhood. A quarter regularly struggle to find a place, AD reports from a survey by road users’ organization ANWB. Remarkably, residents don’t automatically want more parking space in their area. They consider plenty of greenery and space for nature at least as important as sufficient parking.

The ANWB surveyed over 1,000 people in urban areas in the run-up to the city council elections on Wednesday. Half said they can usually find parking, a quarter called it a struggle, and the rest don’t think about it much, usually because they have a dedicated parking spot.

Parking is particularly tricky in the evening hours. Almost 40 percent struggle to find a spot then, compared to 23 percent during the day. A quarter of respondents have occasionally adjusted their daily schedule to guarantee a parking spot.

Availability is also not the only factor. Over a quarter of respondents said they sometimes avoid parking spaces because they feel unsafe. About 30 percent of this group said they don’t park their cars in certain spots out of fear of theft or vandalism.

While parking affects almost every resident of a municipality, most residents feel that the local government often makes decisions over their heads. Only a fifth of residents feel involved in changes in their neighborhood, such as the removal of parking spaces or spaces being reserved for electric cars.

“Residents really want more input into local parking policy,” ANWB traffic expert Stefan Westerman told AD.

That input does not automatically mean a push for more parking spaces. Almost 40 percent would prefer municipalities to invest revenue from parking fees into greenery, public space, and the livability of the neighborhood. Only around 20 percent want to use that money for extra parking.

“Residents consider greenery in the neighborhood at least as important as parking spaces,” Westerman told the newspaper. “Those are truly two important themes for municipalities when designing neighborhoods.”