ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIPS OF PARKING TO BUSINESS IN SEATTLE METROPOLITAN AREA

THE ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS TRENDS IN SEATTLE WITH CHANGES IN PARKING, TRAFFIC AND MASS TRANSPORTATION CONDITIONS IS PRESENTED IN THIS STUDY. TRENDS IN RETAIL ACTIVITY ARE INDICATED BY FRONT-FOOTAGE INFORMATION FROM LAND-USE SURVEYS, BY REGUALR AND SPECIAL TABULATIONS FROM THE U.S. CENSUSES OF BUSINESS AND BY THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD INDEX. PROPERTY VALUE CHANGES ARE REVEALED FROM SPECIAL STUDIES OF ASSESSED VALUATION AND TAX LEVIES. BUILDING PERMITS SHOW THE PROPORTION OF OFFICE BUILDING AND RETAIL STORE CONSTRUCTION IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. TRAFFIC AND PARKING CONDITIONS IN SEATTLE'S DOWNTOWN AREA WERE DERIVED FROM SPECIAL BREAKDOWNS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE ORIGIN-AND-DESTINATION AND PARKING SURVEYS OF 1947. MUCH OF THE PARKING INFORMATION WAS BROUGHT UP TO DATE AND OTHER FIELD SURVEYS HAVE ACCUMULATED DATA WITH REGARD TO TWO IMPORTANT SUBURBAN SHOPPING CENTERS, THE UNIVERSITY DISTRICT AND NORTHGATE. THE USE OF MASS TRANSPORTATION AS A MEANS OF RELIEVING PARKING AND TRAFFIC CONGESTION IS ALSO CONSIDERED. /AUTHOR/