Smart Parking for Smart Growth Reforming Parking Policies for TOD: A Regional Perspective

1. Smart Parking for Smart Growth Reforming Parking Policies for TOD:A Regional Perspective Rebecca Long November 9, 2012

2. Why is MTC interested in parking policies? • Land Use Impacts • Transportation Impacts • Other Regional Impacts

3. Land Use Impacts: Parking is an expensive use of land, crowds out other uses • Excess parking requirements: • Increase housing costs, reduce feasibility of infill/TOD • Favor development where land is cheaper • Does not allow market to address current housing preferences

4. Growing market for TOD

5. Parking: Transportation impacts • More parking at home — higher auto ownership • Free parking at work — more driving • Increases congestion • Higher ridership keeps transit costs down, improves service per $, attracts more riders • MTC looking at demand management for driving along with supply: Parking is key

6. People living close to transit use it much more! Residents < ½ mile of Rail/Ferry Residents >½ mile from Rail/Ferry

7. Car Ownership by Market Segments Source: MTC, Choosing Where We Live, 2010, see http://www.mtc.ca.gov/planning/smart_growth/tod/briefing_book.htm

8. Parking: Other Regional Impacts • Economics – MTC is investing billions into region’s transit system – efficient transit is important to regional prosperity • Equity – Low income residents own fewer cars, but most still pay for parking bundled into housing costs, even if they don’t own a car • Environment – Reduce environmental impacts. Help meet SB 375 targets by encouraging use of alternatives to driving.

9. What has MTC done so far? Station Area Plans, technical analyses, ordinances, case studies, workshops • Support cities by funding station area plans • “Smart Parking Toolbox” • Model to re-estimate parking demand w/ transit, pricing • Technical analyses • Workshops & Videoswww.mtc.ca.gov/planning/smart_growth/parking

10. How Would AB 904Affect the Bay Area? • Half - mile “high quality transit” ~ 80 locations • Less than 7% of land • Allows development of TODs with less parking where itworks (not maximums) • Allow affordable housing to be built with parking levels based on lower usage

11. Are cities reducing their parking requirements? • National trend of cities reducing requirements, especially around transit & downtown • Cities making changes to improve local economies

12. So what is the problem? The solution? Parking is being reformed …but slowly and at a high cost! • Expensive and politically difficult for each city to change each station • Many cities don’t have $$$s to make changes in requirements • Cities may miss opportunities to provide lower-cost market-based housing orattract small businesses in downtowns in upcoming market cycle if parking requirements are too high Solution: Adopt a broader approachwith lower “default” requirements , but preserve local options

13. For more Information contact: Valerie Knepper MTC Planning vknepper@mtc.ca.gov 510.817.5824 Metropolitan transportation commission www.mtc.ca.gov/planning/smart_growth/parking/