The Burden of Requiring Car Parking at Transit-oriented Development Sites in Silicon Valley

While people in Silicon Valley get around using various modes, and billions of dollars are spent supporting public transit, development near transit is planned primarily to account for single-occupancy automobiles. Car parking minimums set by cities often dictate this narrow scope. Yet, these requirements have all manner of negative consequences, which will be addressed in this paper. In place of these minimums, the authors outline different transportation strategies that cities and developers can implement in new developments to make communities more accessible, affordable, vibrant, and healthy. In this research, the authors analyze data on 21 transit-oriented housing developments (TOD) in Silicon Valley that have been reviewed since 2017. In this paper, the authors look back at these projects, including their parking ratios, how close they are to particular types of transit, if they are affordable or market-rate housing, and any Transportation Demand Management (TDM) measures developers committed to implementing. The authors find that developers capitalized on rules allowing them to reduce parking, and some took a proactive approach to reduce required parking by implementing TDM measures. Analysis shows that many developers want to build less parking than required. Changing parking policy can reduce the amount of parking built, lower the cost of housing, and encourage more sustainable forms of mobility. Key recommendations include: eliminating parking minimums, imposing parking maximums near transit, requiring bicycle and micromobility parking minimums, unbundling parking, and future-proofing structured parking. To offset the reduced parking and encourage other ways of getting around, the authors recommend TDM measures be required, and recognize that bicycle facilities, transit passes, and commercial/retail on ground floors encourage sustainable transportation choices and help create vibrant neighborhoods.