I read the word anywhere to be just that anywhere. Regardless, I still think it is a mistake. Surface level parking has a place in Tulsa's downtown. Do I wish there was less of it? Absolutely, but don't discount the need for doing business downtown to be convenient.
Here's an example, if I want to get carry out for the family dinner from Joe Momma's Pizza I can park on the street, the American Parking lot across the street or the pay parking lot on 2nd between Detroit & Elgin (I'll discount the parking between Dwelling Spaces & Lyons as those are reserved for those businesses and the junkyard behind El Guapo) while I run inside for a few moments to get my pizza. If I have to deal with the time and expense of structured parking and walk a block or two how likely am I to get carryout? If the street parking is available, which many times it is full, it is free for my dinner pick up and very convenient. If not available and the product is good enough will I be willing to pay and walk across the street? Probably, which as an aside American Parking has recently upgraded their pay technology and enforcement on the large Blue Dome lot. Point is, having convenient ground level parking is essential for those patrons of downtown businesses that just want to run in.
The whole point is, surface parking serves a purpose in the urban area. Would I like to see a good portion improved, yes, but don't take a hardline, no surface parking ever mentality. It gets nothing accomplished.
So instead of having a lot that has businesses and or residences (pizza customers) the lot is available for you (pizza customers) to drive in and drive out.
So instead of having a lot that has businesses and or residences with customers walking past, not just the pizza place, but other businesses, like mine,,, we have a lot where someone can drive into the pizza place, and drive out not walking past other businesses.
So instead of having a lot with businesses and or residences increasing the pedestrian friendly nature of downtown, we have a lot that decreases the pedestrian friendly nature of downtown thus taking away potential customers.
So instead of having a lot with businesses and or residences adding density (aka customers), and to the pedestrian friendly nature of downtown which would help transit be effective (more customers),,, we have lots which hurt the creation and implementation of transit which then also takes more pedestrians (customers) off the street walking past numerous businesses/restaurants.
(but at least YOU, get your pizza, screw everyone else and their lifestyle preferences and businesses)
You can't have it both ways in one area. Urban (pedestrian/transit oriented) and Suburban (car oriented) style developments will fight each other. In a city where most development is suburban/car oriented, if you want to get areas that are truly urban, pedestrian/transit oriented, then you have to zone for that type of development.
It's fine that people drive to downtown and park at street parking to do a quick errand, and we could increase the number of those parking spaces dramatically.
It's also fine that people drive into downtown and park at the numerous parking garages to work,live, go to an event like a concert or ballgame, stay at a hotel, spend the day shopping/sightseeing,etc. and so on... but those people are far more likely to then walk past other businesses and restaurants and thus create more customers than those popping in for a pizza or quick errand and parking right by that pizza place or errand, then leaving.
98% or more of my customers are people who are in downtown for some other reason than just to park by my front door and pop into my place only. And being in my shop each day I can see that the best way to get more customers is to, not have more parking nearby (which there is ample plenty already), but to get the remaining empty buildings near me filled with businesses, shops, restaurants, and residences and to remove the pedestrian friendly killing gaps nearby by having them replaced with even more businesses, shops, restaurants, residences, etc. which will then help create more pedestrians who will drop into my shop. Love that 2% that parks right nearby and pops in and out don't get me wrong, but there is no way in an urban, downtown model, that I can grow my business by primarily focusing on customers like that. My main concern is the people coming into downtown who are there for longer periods, perhaps going to some other business, and then having them walking past mine... or conversely, coming to my business and then walking past my friends businesses down the street. The more pedestrian friendly businesses and activities nearby the better for all of us. Less, hurts all of us.
Our business is also a paying supporter of the new downtown "trolley" service which runs around downtown past oooodles of parking structures. What I would like to see is not that it runs by the same, or more, number of surface parking lots that it does now, but LESS parking lots, aka, more businesses, restaurants, shops, interesting things to see and do, residences, etc. thus giving people even more reason to avail themselves of the "trolley" and stay downtown for longer periods = more potential customers for both me and the pizza place.
Come sit at my shop with me one day for only a few hours perhaps. Watch people walking by and driving by. Talk to the customers that do come in. Then tell me what you would rather see nearby. Surface parking lots and or more of them, or more shops, businesses, restaurants, lofts, etc. I am not in a suburban strip mall.