From Robert Whitcomb's "Digital Diary,'' in GoLocal24.com
Building underwater parking garages might be a partial answer to the parking problems of coastal cities, such as Boston and Providence. An Aug. 22 Boston Globe story, “Could underwater garages solve Boston’s parking shortage?’’ noted that underwater parking garages “have been built, or are in the midst of being built, in at least three cities: Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Geneva.’’
The Globe went on: “In a city like Boston, where the most parking-starved areas are surrounded by water, the payoff could be significant: helping to reduce the pollution and traffic caused by drivers circling the block hunting for spots, making parking more affordable, and freeing up more street-level space for other uses.’’
Much of tight little downtown Providence is virtually at sea level and would seem a good candidate for such garages. It might seem an eccentric idea, but so did moving the rivers and Route 195 when those huge projects were first proposed.
