San Francisco Sets the Parking Reform Bar High

"In a win for housing affordability and walkability, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted [earlier this month] to eliminate the city’s minimum parking requirements," according to an article by Angie Schmitt.

The end came swiftly for parking minimums in San Francisco. Supervisor Jane Kim proposed the legislation at the end of November, and by December 11 it had passed. The rest is history.

"The mandatory parking rules date back to the 1960s and required [PDF], for example, one parking space for every six classrooms at an elementary school. In some places, they require one parking space per housing unit," according to Schmitt.

"The reform…makes SF the latest city to dump antiquated rules that constitute a huge hidden subsidy for driving. Hartford, Buffalo and Minneapolis have all either moved to or done away with parking minimums in the last two years alone." Cincinnati, Oakland, and Seattle have also passed large parking reform packages, stopping short of ending parking minimums citywide, in recent years. Next up could be San Diego.