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Reducing Congestion through Parking Policies. Allison Yoh Presentation to the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee February 24, 2008. Moving Los Angeles: Short-Term Policy Options for Improving Transportation. Study completed in Dec 2008 Strategies within 5 years
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Reducing Congestion throughParking Policies Allison Yoh Presentation to the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee February 24, 2008
Moving Los Angeles: Short-Term PolicyOptions for Improving Transportation • Study completed in Dec 2008 • Strategies within 5 years • Resulted in 13 strategies for managing congestion, including parking
Congestion costs Los Angeles $9.2 billion annually in wasted fuel and time L.A. Congestion Is the Worst in the Nation Annual delay per peak-hour driver in largest U.S. metropolitan areas Washington, DC Annual hours of delay
Manage demand and raise revenue through pricing Improve alternative transportation Maximize the efficiency of existing road capacity Our Findings Suggest the Need for Several Policies that Complement One Another Recommended Policy Framework
Most Available Strategies BecomeLess Effective Over Time Other Routes Congestion New / EnhancedCapacity Congestion Other Times Other Modes This is often called “triple convergence”
Why Pricing Is Critical • Pricing raises the cost of driving and discourages the over-consumption of road and parking capacity • Pricing makes drivers pay the true cost of auto travel more efficient use of existing capacity • Proper pricing provides a signal when it is efficient to build more parking • Pricing raises revenue for needed investments
Parking-Related Recommendations • Eliminate curb parking during peak hours • With active enforcement, can improve arterial travel speed by 10 percent (Kumar 2007) • Variable curb-parking rates • Can reduce traffic volumes in commercial and retail districts by 30 percent on average, and by up to 90 percent in one instance (Shoup 1997) • Parking cash-out • Can shift 15 percent of employees to alternative modes (Shoup 1997)
Controversial, with Compelling Benefits • Is viewed with skepticism because it is unfamiliar • But it is extremely cost-effective to implement • May create financial difficulties for lower-income drivers who are unable to shift their travel patterns • But revenues can be used for alternatives, and • Unbundling parking can reduce housing costs • Is difficult to justify to constituents • But can be implemented widely (equitably) • And revenues can be returned to localities
Growth in Automotive Travel Has Far Outpaced Growth in Lane Miles U.S. Growth in Lane Miles, Population, VMT,and GDP Since 1970
Fuel Tax Revenue Shortfalls Limit Further Investment in New Infrastructure