parking barriers to smart growth abag technical session: smart growth strategies and techniques for...

$: Parking Barriers to Smart Growth ABAG Technical Session: Smart Growth Strategies and Techniques for Parking February 25, 2004 Jeffrey Tumlin Nelson\Nygaard$
Parking Barriers to Smart Parking Barriers to Smart GrowthGrowth

ABAG Technical Session: ABAG Technical Session:

Smart Growth Strategies and Smart Growth Strategies and Techniques for ParkingTechniques for Parking

February 25, 2004Jeffrey Tumlin

Nelson\Nygaard

Parking Barriers to Smart Growth Jeffrey Tumlin

Why is Parking Important?

Parking supply and management is the difference between smart growth and sprawl:

We need to manage and supply parking in line with broader goals

Parking consumes land

Parking is expensive

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How is Parking Regulated?

Most local jurisdictions levy minimum parking requirements

Key aim: avoid spillover

Usually based on standards in neighboring jurisdictions, or derived from ITE Parking Generation


Effects of Minimum Parking Requirements

Cost

• Makes Smart Growth less financially feasible

• Housing less affordable

Land unavailable for other uses

Impacts on design and pedestrian friendliness

Generates traffic

Ample, free parking provides little incentive to use alternative modes


How Much is Enough?

No right answer

No such thing as set “demand” for parking:

• Pricing

• Availability

• Transportation choices

Supply is a value judgment based on wider community goals

Don’t confuse supply and availability


Parking Barriers to Smart Growth

1. Developers forced to provide more parking than unconstrained demand, due to:

• High minimum parking requirements

• Inflexible parking requirements

2. No incentives/requirements for developers to manage parking to support Smart Growth goals

Two Scenarios Where Parking Hinders Smart Growth


Three Broad Approaches for Local Jurisdictions

1. Tailor minimum parking requirements to match demand

2. Incentivize or require parking strategies to reduce vehicle trips and promote smart growth

3. Abolish parking requirements – let the market decide

Choice depends on local context and planning goals


Tailor Minimum Parking Requirements

Parking demand varies with geographic factors:

• Density

• Transit Access

• Income

• Household size

Cities can tailor parking requirements to meet demand, based on these factors


Local Examples

Mountain View and San Jose – parking reductions for transit oriented development

San Rafael – reduced parking requirements downtown

Menlo Park and Milpitas – reduced parking requirements for high-density housing

Palo Alto and Marin County – studies to tailor parking requirements to meet demand



Advantages:

Avoids spillover problems

Reduces impacts of minimum parking requirements

Disadvantages:

Complex to introduce effectively

Does not constrain parking demand

Sees parking requirements as a technical exercise, not a policy decision



Constrain Supply

Overall principle: encourage less auto-oriented development

Promotes self-selection – residents with fewer cars live close to transit

Different approaches:

• Parking maximums

• Requirements/incentives for demand management

Needs to be complemented with Residential Permit Parking or other strategies to stop overspill

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Parking Maximums

Promote alternatives to the private automobile

Can tackle congestion if related to roadway capacity or mode shift goals

Maximize land area for other uses

Appropriate in areas with strong real estate market where priority is to minimize auto dependence

Examples: downtown San Francisco, Portland, Cambridge


Parking Management Strategies

Strategies to reduce parking demand:

• Pricing

• Unbundling

• Car-Sharing

• Other demand management (e.g. EcoPasses)

Strategies to reduce parking impacts:

• Shared parking

• Structured parking

• Stacked parking/parking lifts

• Design requirements (e.g. wrap parking in active uses)

Can be mandated or incentivized


Abolish Parking Requirements

Let developers, the public and the market decide

Create a level playing field

Needs complementary Residential Permit Parking strategy to combat overspill

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Role of Transit Agencies

Revise joint development policies – particularly parking replacement

Consider the total ridership potential of the project

Housing and commercial development generate more ridership per acre than surface commuter parking

Encourage projects that minimize parking and focus on the transit resources


Role of Regional Agencies

Promote best practices

Follow up studies of parking demand at completed developments

Condition major transportation investments on supportive land uses policies – particularly parking

Direct TLC/HIP funds to projects that minimize parking


For More Information

Jeffrey Tumlin

Nelson\NygaardTransportation Planning for Livable Communities

833 Market Street, Suite 900San Francisco, CA [email protected]

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