Portlanders for Parking Reform

Better Parking Policy For The City of Roses

TonyJ

Portland Considers More Minimum Parking Requirements

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Three years ago the City of Portland took a step backward and implemented arbitrary parking minimums for new transit oriented multi-family construction containing 30 or more units.  These zoning changes didn’t apply in densely populated Northwest Portland because that area of town is governed by the Northwest District Plan (NWDP).Northwest Portland Parking

Parking has long been a scarce resource in NW Portland, as anyone who has ever lived, worked, or visited businesses or friends there (by car) can attest.  After many years of planning and negotiation, the district is expanding its permit zones and adding meters (although the meters won’t be enforced during the peak evening entertainment hours).  Somewhat ironically, the parking management programs finally being implemented there are likely to be obsolete as soon as new overnight permit programs are approved and when performance parking policy is created, hopefully, later this year.

Unfortunately, rather than continue to refine the nascent permit and meter policy in the district, there has been a quiet project to implement the same minimum parking requirements for new buildings with more than 30 units in NW Portland.  When rents in Portland are rising at alarming rates, displacement is rampant, and the city struggles to add supply to house newcomers to the city, this is another step in the wrong direction.   Portland is set to require more housing for cars when it lacks the will to require housing for people on limited incomes [while mandatory inclusionary zoning is banned, the city could, today, require affordable units as a pre-requisite for any developer bonuses].

On March 8, 2016 the Planning and Sustainability Commission will hear this proposal.  Portland Shoupistas encourages testimony, both written and in person, opposing the imposition of new parking requirements.  NWPD should be fast-tracking more modern and effective parking management, such as market rate permit prices, limiting permit supply, and longer meter hours, to deal with parking congestion.

The public is invited to provide testimony on this proposal in person at the public hearing in front of the Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC).

Planning and Sustainability Commission Public Hearing
Northwest Parking Update Project
March 8, 2016 at 12:30 pm.
1900 SW 4th Avenue, Suite 2500A (second floor)
Please call 503-823-7700 or check the PSC calendar (http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/35452) for the scheduled time.

Testimony may also be submitted before the hearing in writing via the following:

By U.S. Mail:
Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission
1900 SW 4th Avenue Suite 7100
Portland, OR 97201
Attn: NW District Parking Update

By email: psc@portlandoregon.gov

 

 

Impromptu Meetup and Parking Articles of Interest

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Update!  Velocult has a musical performance, we will attempt, instead to meet across the street (roughly) at Moon and Sixpence -2014 NE 42nd .

Impromptu meeting tomorrow (Saturday January 30th) at 8pm at Moon and Sixpence.  A fellow Shoupista and I will be going over some infographics he is working on, and I want to get some feedback on a slideshow presentation I am working on.

Feel free to join us!

A great Mother Jones article on parking is finally online: http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/01/future-parking-self-driving-cars
The City of Vancouver is seeking applicants to its parking advisory committee: http://www.cityofvancouver.us/cmo/page/city-seeks-applicants-parking-advisory-committee-10
Parking is to driving as smoking is to lung cancer?  Maybe so say some researchers: http://www.citylab.com/commute/2016/01/the-strongest-case-yet-that-excessive-parking-causes-more-driving/423663/

Eight Reasons To Support Parking Reforms

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A Parklet in San Francisco
1300 Fulton St. Parklet in SF

Why is parking policy, such a seemingly mundane and boring feature of our lives, worth spending time and energy on?

Simply stated, there are few local opportunities for change that can have as wide and effective of an impact on such a list of problems as parking and each one, on it’s own, is reason enough.

Here are only eight of the reasons we should support parking reform, post your own in the comments:

… it leads to more affordable housing;

… it creates more walkable downtown districts;

… it preserves pedestrian friendly commercial corridors and neighborhood business nodes;

… it supports local businesses by encouraging turnover for customers;

… it reduces emissions and preventing traffic injuries from drivers cruising for a spot;

… it encourages no-car living in transit rich areas;

… it frees up valuable space for nature, recreation, and active uses;

… it provides a stable and equitable funding source for street repairs and beautification, safety improvements, and alternative modes of transportation.

 

Portland Shoupista Meetup on February 9th

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Velocult Mural

On Tuesday, February 9th from 6-7:30 the Portland Shoupistas will hold it’s second meetup at Velocult (1969 NE 42nd Ave) .

Topics of discussion will likely include the progress on the residential permit program, the upcoming performance pricing meter policy, and community/organizational outreach.

We’ve been working on a slide presentation for Shoupistas to use when talking to their neighborhood associations or other groups, this will be a great opportunity to give feedback on it.

See you there!

Why Would You Vote To Raise Meter Rates?

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At the end of January 2016, downtown meter rates in Portland will go up $0.40 an hour.  This increase was suggested by a citizen Parking Metercommittee and was not initiated by city council or PBOT staff.  When council voted on this increase, there was much misinformation about the motivation for this adjustment.  When the rate actually goes up, there will likely be another round of stories.  As a member of the subcommittee that made the recommendation, I want to give a bit of perspective and background on the reasoning behind the increase.

The Reasoning

The City of Portland’s binding Parking Meter District Policy reads:

 “the on-street parking system in commercial districts is managed to support the economic vitality of the district by encouraging parking turnover, improving circulation, encouraging use of off-street parking, maintaining air quality, and promoting the use of alternative modes by managing the supply and price of on-street commuter parking. In managing the on-street parking system priority is given to short-term parking, followed by carpools and the remaining supply is managed for long-term use. Minimizing impacts on surrounding neighborhoods to protect neighborhood livability is a key objective of the City’s on-street parking management policies.”

The committee was reminded of this purpose statement and then provided with occupancy data and background information.

Basically, in many areas of downtown, particularly between 11am-1pm and from 6pm-9pm there is little to no on-street parking available. Some areas were at 95% occupancy. This is not good for business (which also means it isn’t good for employees of businesses). It’s not good for the environment, probably about 30% of the downtown traffic at those peak times is cruising for parking. All that extra traffic, and every turn a car makes, makes the downtown less safe for vulnerable road users.

Furthermore, pricing for off street parking in SmartParks is currently more expensive (for 3 hours) than on-street metered parking. That doesn’t make sense. When the on-street goes to $2, the SmartPark will stay as it is, making it a more attractive choice which should cut down on cruising and make more spaces available.

Another consideration is the cost of transit compared to parking. If the cost of parking is cheaper than transit, or even comparable, then there is an incentive to drive rather than ride transit. Trimet fares have gone up significantly since the last meter increase.

Those considerations align closely with the city policy I quoted above.

Will It Really Work?

The only tool we have right now is a blunt district-wide price increase. This isn’t great. In some areas of the city this will be too much because they already have a good occupancy rate. In other areas the increase will not be enough to free up spaces. The price balance with the SmartParks is important, and that might be the most effective part of this increase.

What’s Next?

Looking forward, the city is developing policy to allow for a more performance based pricing solution. There is a school of thought that if you have 85% occupancy you will have a space on every block face open. This means that someone who needs a space near a location because they are mobility challenged or have a load to carry will find one quickly. The city will lower rates in areas a little further away to encourage people who are able and have the time to park and walk a few blocks.

What About Low Income Workers?

It’s also critical to keep in mind that there are several city owned parking garages that are nearly empty after 7pm and overnight parking is only 5 dollars. One likely outcome with this increase is that the city will offer discounted monthly evening passes for low income workers. On-street metered parking is not supposed to be the place where downtown workers park, for retail in particular, it’s short sited to have your employees parking where your customers should be.

If we are really concerned for the well-being of low wage workers in Downtown, which we should be, then we should demand the additional money be put to work helping them.  I haven’t run the numbers, but I wonder if two million dollars is enough money to extend Blue Line MAX service to 24 hours a day?  Another effective program could be discounts for transit passes and/or cab vouchers for low wage workers. [Read more…] about Why Would You Vote To Raise Meter Rates?