Together the Climate Action Plan from the City of Salem and the new Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities rules from the State call for reassessing our mania for free parking everywhere all the time.
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| In 2013, PNW cities often required 1.5 stalls for each 2 BR home (via Sightline) That is going down, but parking uses lots of space! |
As part of the "Salem in Motion" update to the Transportation System Plan, the parking reform project will hold an informal, drop-in Open House on Tuesday the 31st from 4:30pm to 6pm downstairs in the Anderson Rooms of the Library.
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| Parking Reform proposal |
At this point there does not seem to be anything new to say about it. Reducing parking requirements meets our moment, and offers a cascading chain of benefit:
- With more choice on parking, builders can create more housing on a given unit of land, indirectly reducing pressure on housing costs marketwide; or directly reduce the unit cost of new housing they are building. We can build housing for cars, or housing for people. This addresses our housing and homeless crisis.
- Required parking is a subsidy and inducement for driving. It is a policy choice and social engineering, not some natural outcome. Ending subsidies for driving will help other travel choices compete more fairly. Less parking will also help build demand for better transit, better sidewalks, and better bike lanes. More compact development will also build the property tax base for those things. (The classic Strong Towns argument on tax/acre.) This addresses our climate crisis and our road safety crisis and improves the urban fabric.
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| At our Strong Towns group, via FB |
For more:
- See previous notes here on downtown parking, many of which points apply generally, not just to downtown.
- And of course Strong Towns has lots also on the general case, and earlier this month, "5 Cities That Repealed Parking Minimums in 2022"
- At Sightline several notes compiled under, "The Costs of Parking Mandates"
- A newer group, the Parking Reform Network, also has resources.
- And a book, Parking and the City by Donald Shoup, who originated so many of the insights on parking, and others building on his work.
1 comment:
I went to the Open House and it was basically just a chance to see the same information (nothing new) and to maybe speak with staff. However, I never got that chance. The room was too small and even though few people attended staff were dominated by one or two in attendance. Many people just talked to each other.
Julie Warnke said at a recent NA chairpersons' meeting that this action is basically a done deal and with a couple more informational events (probably also under attended) the proposal will be adopted by Council this spring (April).
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