Update: Poughkeepsie in Final Two of USA’s Ugliest Parking Lots

An online competition of the worst parking lots in the country puts Poughkeepsie in the championship round. Can they win the whole thing?

Streets Blog has returned with “Parking Madness,” their annual contest that shames the very worst parking areas across the nation. This year, the tournament is centered around parking lots that are near transit stations.

Poughkeepsie was an underdog in the competition that quickly gained momentum after defeating the metro station in Queens near Citi Field. With its enormous lot and parking garage attached to the Metro North station on Main Street, the Poughkeepsie parking lot quickly became a favorite. Submitted by a reader, the lot was chosen as being one of the worst in a city that is already “decimated by parking lots.”

There is a silver lining in Poughkeepsie potentially winning this shameful contest. A plan to redesign the downtown area, including the parking lot near the Metro North station is currently in the works. The hope is that winning the title of worst parking lot in the country might bring some publicity to the project.

Voting is currently underway for the finals which puts Poughkeepsie against Denver's Mile High Stadium. The Denver lot is criticized for being an enormous slab of asphalt with no walk-able areas. Because of its proximity to the downtown area, many feel that designers missed the mark by not making access to shopping areas and other pedestrian friendly locations nearby.

As of Monday morning Poughkeepsie was winning the finals by just a few percentage points. Voting will remain open until 2pm on Monday. Check back to find out if Poughkeepsie wins the "Golden Crater" award.