Other cities series: off-street parking requirements

One of our readers alerted me to a great little tool, google alerts. With a search for “walkable ” set up to send me alerts, I’m finding a lot of other cities are seeking to the same things we’re trying to do here. Armed with examples coming in from all over the country, I’ll be posting some interesting finds from time to time in an “Other cities series“. While no city is exactly like Syracuse, I’m betting we can learn a thing or two anyway.

Here’s an interesting question posed by The Tacoma Sun to City Council candidate Keven Rojecki, with his answer. I’m going to bold the terminology we should be thinking about as we strive to make our neighborhood more walkable:

Building Walkable Neighborhood Centers and Downtown

Cities such as Portland, Seattle, Bellingham, San Francisco have removed their off-street parking requirements to allow parking to be built based on market demand.  This also has the benefit of reducing sprawl, reducing pollution and allowing the construction of walkable neighborhoods.

Do you support removing the off-street parking requirement in downtown Tacoma and in Tacoma’s mixed use centers?

Answer:

Yes, with provisions that periodically evaluate the reduction in off-street parking requirements.  By reducing the off-street parking requirements the city would effectively establish a plan that promotes higher density and pedestrian friendly mixed-use centers.  The reduced requirements would encourage alternate transportation choices such as bicycles, streetcars, buses, and light rail, all which I strongly support.  If these requirements are approved, the city must move toward a multi-modal transportation system and provide capital investment in high capacity alternatives while prioritizing transportation corridors in areas near mixed-use centers.  It is essential that Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and the City of Tacoma work together to find solutions that make the reduction in off-street parking sustainable for the future and meet the intended goals of reducing sprawl and developing neighborhoods we can walk in.