Parking mandates are policies that require businesses and housing developments to build parking spaces regardless of parking demand or proximity to transit. These mandates are a costly and environmentally-harmful policy that cities across the country are finally abolishing.
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Increasing housing costs by decreasing the number of units that can be built on a lot, increasing per-unit construction costs, and forcing renters to subsidize driving.
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Stifling public transit ridership by reducing building density and walkability in commercial corridors due to requiring parking infrastructure regardless of demand.
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Reducing tax revenue for public services by requiring the construction of low-tax-revenue parking lots in space that could otherwise be turned into housing or small business storefronts to help grow the local economy.
Many American cities have eliminated their parking mandates in the last few years-- most recently Dallas, TX, one of the most car-centric cities in the country, made this change. Other cities like Minneapolis, MN and Raleigh, NC have done the same. If fully implemented, Mayor Parker's HOME plan would make some exciting steps in this direction by eliminating parking mandates in certain areas, and expanding Transit Oriented Development overlays, but more needs to be done.
Let's remove parking mandates across Philadelphia city-wide, freeing up space for housing and small businesses and making Philadelphia a friendlier place for pedestrians, bikers, and transit riders.