Transit Oriented Parking Reform in Virginia

Arlington County, Virginia has begun a process to reduce parking requirements for large residential developments near transit stations.

1 minute read

April 22, 2017, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Virginia

Rob Crandall / Shutterstock

The amount of parking required near WMATA stations in Arlington, Virginia could soon drop, reports Andrew Dupuy, in "a move that reflects a growing understanding of how excess parking promotes urban sprawl and traffic congestion and drives up housing prices."

The Residential Parking Working Group has been working at the requet of the Arlington County manager to examine parking ratios for multi-family buildings built under special exemptions along certain corridors in Arlington County.

"Key recommendations [pdf] from the working group, which county officials say carry significant weight, include greatly reduced minimum parking requirements (MPRs) based on proximity to Metro, as well as reduced parking requirements in affordable housing units and for buildings where bike parking spaces, Capital Bikeshare stations, and car-sharing parking spaces are provided," writes Dupuy.

The article includes more detail on the recommendations, with breaks its reduced parking minimums into two tiers based on the size of the development and the proximity of the development to a WMATA station. Dupuy concludes the article by endorsing the recommendations for their benefit to affordability and walkability in Arlington County.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017 in Greater Greater Washington

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation