A crucial compontent of this plan to ease congestion is finding ways to increase "parking density." Pagel explains that before the meters, many employees of Washington Avenue businesses would park directly in front of their jobs. Understandable, perhaps, but Pagel says those spaces would be put to much better use by customers, preferably if there are several people in each car. When he explains it in terms of economics, it starts to make sense.

"Parking spaces is an inventory item just like any warehousing organization would have, so by putting a price on it, you tend to bring in the people that have the most spending capital for the development of commerce in the area," he says.

Furthermore, the city is exploring other ways to restructure the Washington parking model. It's encouraging Washington-area employees to park in the lots on the eastern end of the strip and utilize the Wave shuttle-bus service, and also enabling more bicycle usage and working with Metro on restructuring its bus routes that serve the area.

"A lot of the infrastructure is already there, and over time I think we'll see more infrastructure get built into it," Pagel says.

He returns to economics as a way of illustrating the Washington PBD's situation. Here he's talking about parking, but his words just as easily describe the corridor's recent economic downturn - demand has cooled somewhat as several places such as Pearl Bar and Sawyer Park have closed. Ironically, the area is already less congested.

"We go back to this concept that parking is an inventory item," Pagel says. "When supply is high prices are low, and when supply is low prices get higher. What that does, then, is creates incentive.

"When a business finds a way to make wild gross profit margins, the other competitors tend to jump in and start offering similar services until the availability of supply overcomes that," he adds. "So we're hoping, again, that this creates an opportunity to create some inventory."