A Transit-Oriented Parking Reform Proposal in San Diego

Lisa Halverstadt reports on a plan proposed by San Diego Mayor Kevin Falconer in November that would eliminate parking requirements for new developments within half a mile of transit hubs. "[The] plan would also compel projects near transit to add amenities such as bike storage, subsidized transit passes or other options," according to Halverstadt.

The thinking behind the proposal mimics other efforts at parking reform around the country. The city hopes to lower housing costs, provide more units with access to transit for residents who want or need to ride transit, and reduce car trips for the sake of greenhouse gas emissions.

City officials are already pushing back on criticism that San Diego lacks sufficient parking for current residents and workers in the city.

Before they crafted the proposed policy, the city hired local transportation consultant Chen Ryan Associates to study parking policies in peer cities as well as parking patterns in 35 of San Diego’s so-called transit priority areas.

Alyssa Muto, the city’s deputy director of environment and mobility planning, said that research revealed the demand for parking in areas near transit was largely below even the lowest levels the city studied – a result that opened the door to the proposal to remove parking requirements altogether in those zones.