PRINCIPLE NO. 7 Reduce Parking Ratios for Mass Transit or Shared Parking
Parking codes should be revised to lower parking requirements where mass transit is available or enforceable shared parking arrangements are made.
Notes:
Few communities require or encourage developers to reduce the number of parking spaces built based on availability of mass transit or opportunities for shared parking. Mass transit can reduce the demand for individual vehicles subsequently reducing the number of parking spaces required. Shared parking allows adjacent land uses to share parking lots if peak parking demands occur during different times of the week.
Despite the challenges of this principle, several communities have successfully used mass transit, shared parking, or both, as credits toward reducing the total number of parking spaces created. One such example is Oakland, California where a study of short and long term parking demand was conducted. By taking an inventory of existing land uses, parking, and occupancy; and by considering vacancy factors, mass transit access, low auto ownership, and operations of special use facilities, the study concluded that parking rate for office space could be reduced from 3 spaces to 1.44 spaces per 1000 gross square feet. (ITE, 1995)