Changing Parking Meter Rates Can Provide Revenue for Road Improvements While Reducing Traffic, City Air Pollution (Smart Growth Online) Plagued by nerve-racking and time-consuming congestion, with about 30 percent of drivers just searching for curb meters -- five times cheaper than garages, writes University of California-Los Angeles Urban Planning Professor Donald Shoup in a New York Times op-ed -- central business districts could reduce their traffic, become more pedestrian friendly, and boost commerce by setting ''the right ... [News Source]