ThreadATL’s Post

Veteran Housing Corp agrees! All local, state, and federal government agencies need to rethink and update every parking code, rule and regulation relating to parking requirements for multifamily affordable housing so that it encourages the use of public transportation and promotes transit friendly developments! #affordablehousing #parkinginnovation #parking #parkingsolutions #zoning #transit #publictransportation #bicycles #regulations

Yesterday marked the day that Pavement parking becomes enforceable in Edinburgh. Pavement parking has been banned in London since 1974, and although discouraged, it was legal across the rest of the UK. On 11th December 2023 it became illegal to park on the pavement in parts of Scotland. Fiona Hyslop, the Scottish Government minister for transport is quoted as saying: ‘We’re highlighting the danger that illegal pavement parking poses to pavement users, and in particular those with mobility issues or visual impairments, or parents pushing prams and buggies.’ Although launched in December, I suspect we won't see the full impacts until early to mid 2024 as enforcement is rolled out. Our research has shown that a deterrent isn't effective until it is enforceable. I have been musing as to what the various impacts on the private parking industry in the UK might be. The prohibition of pavement parking is likely to result in a surge in demand for off-street parking. Consequently, private parking facilities may witness a positive impact as individuals explore alternative parking solutions. Changes in parking patterns could occur due to the ban, as motorists may avoid parking on pavements and choose to park in legal spaces instead. Private parking facilities may need to adjust their pricing or availability to accommodate changes in motorist behaviour. The enforcement of pavement parking bans can present significant challenges that require careful consideration. To ensure compliance and avoid any potential conflicts, private parking operators should work in collaboration with local authorities. Additionally, local authorities will need to allocate appropriate resources to effectively monitor and enforce these regulations. The impact on revenues of private parking operators can vary depending on the specific circumstances they face. It is important to note that increased demand for legal parking spaces can lead to a rise in revenues. However, if there is a lack of enforcement or if alternative parking options become more appealing, the revenue could be unchanged or be negatively impacted. The ban may lead to infrastructure changes, such as additional parking spaces or adjustments to existing facilities, to accommodate increased demand for local authorities and private parking operators.

Wherever Charles Marohn travels in America, he finds a similar type of road, lined with strip malls, fast-food joints, gas stations, car dealers and dying malls. Marohn calls these arterial roads “stroads”—a mix of a neighborhood street, where people want to live and shop, and a road, which is designed to move traffic quickly between two places. Stroads are trying to do two things at once, he says, and failing at both. They repel pedestrians and bicyclists. But they also fail to move traffic quickly the way a road should, says Marohn, a civil engineer turned writer and speaker, and the founder of the nonprofit Strong Towns, which advocates for more livable and resilient urban development. Cars can rev up to 45 mph or so but frequently must brake for red lights, a frustrating and dangerous stop-and-go. He blames traffic engineers for ignoring the way roaring traffic tends to decrease the value of adjacent neighborhoods and commercial districts, making them less safe and attractive to people who want to reside, stroll, shop or dine in calmer surroundings. That, he says, destroys the economic value of land and wastes public funds spent on ill-conceived roads. WSJ: How do you sum up your message about how streets should be designed to improve towns and cities? MAROHN: A street is about building a place. And so the focus has to be on the place, not getting through the place. And a road is about moving vehicles, moving traffic quickly. So the focus for a road isn’t on the place, it’s on the movement. It’s a difference in emphasis. Are you emphasizing building a place? Or are you emphasizing getting somewhere? WSJ: Does that mean that ideally we would end up with things that are either streets, where cars are moving at a leisurely pace and pedestrians and bicycles are comfortable, or else freeways? MAROHN: There would be some nuance between the two, but, ideally, yes. You’re having the best function when you are one of those two bookends. If you’re moving in an automobile at 10 to 15 mph through a place, that place is going to be really great. You’re going to have a lot of stuff going on.  If you’re moving 60-plus mph, you’re on a great road. That is going to have a lot of financial return on our investment. That moves goods and services and people. When you get into that middle area, where you’re traveling 30 or 40 mph, you’re really not going anywhere at a speed that is meaningful, but you’re also not building a place that can actually function or sustain itself financially—a place that anyone really wants to be in. WSJ: But do we need at least a few of those medium-speed streets to connect up the two ideals? MAROHN: I don’t think we need them. Given where we are at today, we’re going to have them for a while, and it will take time if we dedicate ourselves to phasing them out.

There are 2 billion parking spaces in the United States. That's seven spots for every single vehicle! Given the current housing crisis, I think it's safe to say that there are not seven residential units for every single American. Soooooo, why do we continue to prioritize cars over people?! Click the link below to read more: Strong Towns Parking Reform Network

Did you know that all private parking lots or garages are required to be licensed in Denver? City regulations are geared toward informing consumers. That’s why there are rules for consistent signage showing parking fees, payment instructions and contact information for consumers who choose to dispute a fine issued by a parking operator. Last year, Denver issued new guidelines, which have reduced the number of complaints the city has received about parking operators not following the city rules and regulations. The city received 90 such complaints in 2022 but only 60 in 2023. Read the press release we issued in April that details the changes the city made: https://bit.ly/3tOI2IF

If they can do it in Austin – one of the most car-centric cities in the country – we can do it here too. Every neighborhood starts with an intention. In Baton Rouge, and the majority of cities around the country, the intention has historically been to develop commercial corridors and car-dependent destinations – hence, stringent parking minimums that require developers to spend resources servicing cars over people. In order to plan for vibrant, pedestrian-safe neighborhoods, we have to do something about these outdated regulations. In implementing the Government Street road diet, we saw that by taking away some road and parking space, the corridor was actually able to welcome more customers, cyclists, walkers, and others who add to the bustling street life. Current zoning rules limit our ability to plan for the kind of places where people actually want to visit, live, and start businesses. City councils across the country are realizing this, and taking steps to enact zoning measures that get rid of parking minimums. I'm glad to see it! The next time the subject of parking comes up in your community, remember: if we want walkable places, we can’t over-prescribe for parking space.  #parking #walkability #urbandesign

Parking CITIES  Cities are leaving parking up to the market Tayfun Coskun/Ahnadolu Agency via Getty Images The most important construction law in America: Make sure the building comes with 1) a roof and 2) parking. Whether they’re building apartment buildings or a Chuck E. Cheese, developers are typically required by US city governments to create a minimum number of car spots. But now, over 50 major cities nationwide have ditched parking mandates, per NPR, allowing developers to decide how much parking is enough. And in 2022, California became the first state to ax parking minimums for buildings near public transit. Why make parking optional? Officials are listening to critics who say parking minimums hinder new housing construction and encourage folks to drive rather than take public transit. Critics argue that: Requiring parking to be built alongside housing uses up land that could be occupied by extra dwelling units. A single parking spot can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $150,000 to construct, with developers footing the bill and often passing it on to renters. Parking lots and garages fill up precious urban real estate with soulless concrete eyesores, making cities more sprawling and less convenient. Parking skeptics also claim that the number of spots required is often arbitrary. One Minneapolis suburb mandates bowling alleys to build two spots per lane, while another one requires seven, Minnesota State Senator Omar Fateh, who wants to ban minimums statewide, told the Star Tribune. Many drivers are not on board…they claim parking minimums allow them to avoid circling every destination in a desperate search for a spot. Anti-minimum advocates say that any rescinding of mandates needs to be coupled with policies promoting public transit that’ll make it easier to ditch cars.—SK

This is generally good news, and an important step in the right direction (check out Climate Town's hilarious & comprehensive take on the issue of parking minimums) -- but it's only one piece of a bigger puzzle. We ALSO, simultaneously, need to decouple housing from profit (to ensure the lowered cost results in more housing, not just more profit), vastly expand public transit (to ensure folks have a reasonable alternative to driving), and require electrification of all the parking spaces being built (to ensure those who drive are doing it w/o tailpipe emissions). And, crucially, we need to ensure that removing parking spaces doesn't engender *unbundling* those electrified parking spaces -- multi-family residents deserve the same regulated energy pricing and Vehicle-to-Home resilience opportunities that single-family residents enjoy. Happy to talk if anyone wants to dive into this!

When you make these decisions to close off streets permanently, it impacts more than just the few successful restaurants dominating and doing well. Having discussed this issue with some of the long-time retailers and seeing all the empty storefronts, their businesses are in the toilet because people can't find parking and don't want to drive around to find it...so they leave. California Avenue is a long-time charming, eclectic street, mainly with small businesses. While car-free worked for the pandemic, a study should have been done-instead of dismissed-to determine the full impact. Maybe close just on the weekends, one lane, or some sort of compromise. Ignorant and arrogant of PA City Council. There are parts of the Mission in SF also in the same boat-car-free permanently and also feeling the pinch. It shouldn't just be the loud voices that determine the future of #SMB

Cities like Washington, D.C., are reconsidering parking minimums, as critics argue they create excess parking, encourage driving, and inflate housing costs. Instead, better on-street management and pricing parking correctly are seen as more effective solutions. https://lnkd.in/gmZ7qJAA #UrbanPlanning #Parking #CityDevelopment #HousingCosts #Transportation