Thursday, October 20, 2011

Why Do Cities Require So Many Offstreet Parking Spaces?

Glut of parking spaces in city (Jeremy Smerd, Crains New York, Oct. 2, 2011)

The article reviewed today from New York City makes an excellent point- why do cities require developers to build so many parking spaces for occupants of their buildings. Many times the private parking spaces go unused, especially in large cities with excellent public transit and, in some areas, free curbside parking. Interesting too that New York put a cap on parking spaces to comply with the Clean Air Act several decades ago- a step that other cities seeking to reduce vehicles emissions and improve air quality might consider as well.



Key Quotes:

“Ancient zoning rules force developer to overbuild. But reforms could reduce number of empty parking spaces”

“The reason people live at Avalon Fort Greene is to be close to mass transit, not to own a car..the garage is not something we would have built if we were not required to.”

“Off the streets and under buildings, however, exists a glut of parking spaces, built not to accommodate demand but to comply with zoning that the city has barely updated since the auto boom more than half a century ago”

“The New York City Housing Authority has begun to turn some lots into low-income housing and senior centers, but has retained subsidized parking for residents”

“Manhattan's minimums were replaced with a cap decades ago to comply with the Clean Air Act. It was the city's first acknowledgment that garages encouraged driving”

“it is hard to compete with free curbside parking..If the spaces on the street cost as much as my spaces,” he said, “I guess I'd be full.”
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