Parking Madness: San Jose vs. Lansing

It’s early going in Parking Madness 2018 and we’re still getting to know the field of 16 competitors. Today we’re pleased to introduce two landmark parking craters, either of which could advance deep into the tournament.

Yesterday, we showed you parking horrors in Houston and Jacksonville. Voting is still open in that match.

Today’s competition features two parking crater archetypes: A Bay Area transit station, and a state capitol in the cradle of America’s automotive industry.

San Jose

An anonymous reader nominated the area around San Jose Diridon Station, which is served by Caltrain, Valley Transportation Authority light rail, Amtrak, and several bus routes. Our submitter writes:

The areas directly to the north and east of San Jose’s main train station are parking lots. While this crater does not seem as big as others, it is right next to the second busiest train station on the west coast. Not only the 2nd busiest station of California’s west coast, but the entire west coast of the Western Hemisphere.

This area may not be such an awful parking crater for long, since it’s slated for development under San Jose’s Diridon Station Area plan. We think it’s only fair to let this stupendous waste of land next to a busy transit hub compete in the tournament while it’s still in such lamentable condition.

Lansing

This is downtown Lansing, Michigan. Reader Rick Brown sends this description — you can orient yourself here.

Yes. Most of these lots are for State of Michigan employees or visitors, particularly those between Kalamazoo and Ottawa Streets, west of Pine Street. The series of buildings between Allegan and Ottawa west of the capitol itself are all state offices and the one north of the circle on Washtenaw is the State Historical Museum and Archives.

It’s fitting that the capitol of the state most associated with the auto industry has been flattened by fields of car storage. But Lansing is hardly unique in that regard — plenty of other capitols are overrun by parking for state employees too.

Vote below to send one of these craters on to round two.