More Cities are Shifting to Demand-Based Curb Parking

An article by Nathaniel Meyersohn on CNN highlights the need for cities to more carefully manage their curb space, a move parking reform advocates have been suggesting for years.

As planners know, “Parking is a third-rail issue in politics. Drivers and business owners usually rebel at any proposed changes.” But in the wake of the pandemic, which demonstrated how curb space can be quickly and cheaply repurposed into more usable public or dining space, cities are finally rethinking the curb and how demand-based pricing can manage supply and bring in revenue.

Meyersohn adds, “San Francisco, Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Seattle and Washington, DC, are among the cities to charge market prices in recent years for on-street parking. New York City’s Department of Transportation is creating a demand-based pricing ‘proof of concept’ this year.”

Curb space is also becoming more desirable for uses other than car parking, including outdoor dining, deliveries, and bike lanes. Some cities are using ‘smart loading zones’ to let delivery drivers reserve loading spots and adjust prices based on demand, while others are introducing cargo bikes as an alternative to delivery vehicles.