Paul Barter answers with an unequivocal no. He outlines the reasons why debates over the elimination of parking minimums should be decoupled from transit, and identifies other reforms that can make parking changes palatable.
"There is a widespread belief that reform of minimum parking requirements requires excellent public transport," says Barter. "We see this in recent parking reform debates in US cities, such as Portland, Seattle and Washington, DC for example."
"But surely this is mistaken."
"If eliminating parking minimums actually FORCED parking closures and low-parking development, then maybe this link with public transport would make sense," he adds. "But reform of parking requirements is NOT about preventing developers from providing parking! It merely ALLOWS them to choose how much parking they supply. In locations where they see the need, they will keep supplying plentiful parking."
Barter goes on to identify other reforms, including reducing nuisance parking, improving management of on-street and public parking, and dynamic pricing, that will help overcome political obstacles and local resident concern over adjusting parking minimums.
FULL STORY: Parking reform does NOT need excellent transit
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research