Austin Could Eliminate Parking Minimums for Bars

Austin could remove parking requirements for bars, taking a small step toward abolishing parking mandates citywide, reports James Rambin in Towers. “A resolution amending city code to eliminate non-accessible parking requirements for cocktail lounge land uses is on the agenda for this Thursday’s council meeting, introduced by CM Velásquez and co-sponsored by a downright bipartisan coalition of CMs Vela, Kelly, and Mayor Kirk Watson.”

Critics of parking requirements for bars argue the rules “effectively subsidize drunk driving” and encourage people to drive to bars. Additionally, the cost of building parking spots can be prohibitive for small bar owners. “It’s a small tweak that could subtly become one of the most broadly transformative land use changes Austin’s seen in years — but due to the wide-ranging effect of removing these parking minimums, we can already imagine the opposition.”

For Rambin, creating more opportunities for small neighborhood bars means more Austinites can “drink and socialize within walking distance of their homes, removing cars from the equation entirely.” As Rambin points out, “that ought to be a policy goal in a state where nearly 30 percent of traffic fatalities involve impairment from alcohol.”