San Francisco Approves 'Parking Flexibility Ordinance'

"The Board of Supervisors yesterday unanimously passed an ordinance removing some of SF’s 1950s-era parking mandates," reports Aaron Bialick.

"The 'Parking Flexibility Ordinance'…will make it easier for building owners and developers to avoid building car parking when it would impinge on the street environment for walking, bicycling, and transit. It would also count parking spaces against density limits, unless they’re built underground," adds Bialick.

Earlier coverage by Bialick provided more detail on the legislation, which, according to the article, "would waive parking mandates in certain situations, including when parking spaces require drivers to cross a curbside bike lane, transit-only lane, or a sidewalk that’s at least 25 feet wide. The additional flexibility will allow existing parking spots to be converted to other uses and let developers forego building new ones."

This isn't the first time San Francisco has managed to ease parking minimums. A 2011 ordinance eased restrictions in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood. Both the current ordinance and the 2011 ordinance were drafted with the help of the Livable City advocacy group. In a sign of how progressive San Francisco is sometime capable of being, the ordinance was "passed unanimously, without discussion, by both the full Board of Supervisors and the committee."