• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

TOWERS

Austin city life since 2007.

  • News
    • Condo Projects
    • Neighborhoods
  • Listings
    • Austin Condo Guide
  • Newsletter
Search
You are here: Home / News / When It Comes to Parking, Austin Could Learn a Thing or Two From California
Search suggestions: condos for sale • rainey street

When It Comes to Parking, Austin Could Learn a Thing or Two From California

James Rambin September 23, 2022 Comment

Another day of free parking at the Brodie Oaks Shopping Center. Photo by James Rambin

Yesterday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2097, a bill eliminating parking requirements statewide for new housing and commercial developments located within a half-mile of major transit stations. It’s likely the most significant parking reform legislation ever passed, removing the parking mandates that often represent a significant burden to the cost and feasibility of housing construction.

CA is making housing cheaper & easier to build by eliminating parking requirements for new housing near transit and daily destinations like jobs, grocery stores, & schools.

Thanks to the work of @laurafriedman43, we’re prioritizing people and the planet over cars. pic.twitter.com/nCURn94kqy

— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) September 22, 2022

It’s one thing for a single city to update its parking requirements to bring transit-oriented planning in line with what’s increasingly understood to be best practices for encouraging affordability and denser urban growth, but an entire state committing to this transformative policy shift is something else — a sign that the narrative is truly shifting on the high cost of free parking. You may not like to hear it, but just this once, it’s time to California our Austin by adopting a similar policy change here.

We’re not holding our breath for Texas to copy this legislation statewide, but with Project Connect’s massive transit investment set to take shape over the next decade, Austin is uniquely positioned to adopt parking reform now as the first critical step toward unlocking transit-oriented development adjacent to the numerous rail stations planned along our major corridors. While we’d prefer to abolish parking minimums citywide, the California approach of tying their removal to transit proximity seems like an equitable compromise, and one that could potentially pass here without much fuss — and not to sound too dramatic, but we’re running out of time.

An ocean of free parking at Barton Creek Square Mall. Image: Wikimedia Commons

What’s the rush? At the rate of Austin’s ongoing development, we’re already seeing numerous parcels located near future Project Connect stations pursuing residential and office projects under the parking requirements of the current code, and every building raised within walking distance of a planned train station without this consideration will someday represent a policy failure. Parking reform in Austin wouldn’t require the seemingly insurmountable headache of updating our ancient Land Development Code, and with Project Connect’s expansive layout in mind, the removal of these mandates within a half-mile of transit like California’s new policy would free up a huge portion of the central city. 

Under California’s legislation, parking minimums would be removed within a half-mile of every station on this map. Image: Project Connect

We’ve hollered about this issue for years, trying to make Austinites understand that parking is never truly free, and that the removal of these minimums wouldn’t force developers to remove all parking in new buildings but rather allow projects to build how much they need on an individual basis — which makes a lot more sense than requiring, say, a bar to have 100 parking spots. But even though we’re never going to stop hoping for the abolition of parking minimums citywide, the transit-based approach illustrated in California’s new policy already feels transformative enough. It’s time for Austin to copy their homework before it’s too late.

Editor's Suggested Posts

In 2022, It’s Time for Austin To End Parking Minimums Citywide

In 2022, It’s Time for Austin To End Parking Minimums Citywide

South Congress Could Relax Its Obnoxious Residential Parking Rules

South Congress Could Relax Its Obnoxious Residential Parking Rules

Let's All Say 'Good Riddance' to Downtown Austin's Republic Parking Lot

Let's All Say 'Good Riddance' to Downtown Austin's Republic Parking Lot

Related

Filed Under: News Tagged With: city life, design, transportation

About James Rambin

James is an Austin native and fifth-generation Texan, but tries not to brag about it. Email him anything at james@towers.net.

300 Bowie Street #703
Austin, TX
Photo of 300  Bowie Street #703, Austin, TX 78703 (MLS # 1326444)
$699,980
31
  • Lot Size
    101 sqft

  • Home Size
    983 sqft

  • Beds
    2 Beds

  • Baths
    2 Baths

View Virtual Tour
Previous Post: « This Downtown Demolition Application Could Tell a Tower-Shaped Story
Next Post: Downtown Austin’s Seaholm Intake Celebrates First Phase of Renovations »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  •  Schedule a showing

FEATURED Listings

44 East Avenue #2205
Austin, TX
Photo of 44  East Avenue #2205, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 8345255)
$1,475,000
29
  • Lot Size

  • Home Size
    1,232 sqft

  • Beds
    2 Beds

  • Baths
    2 Baths

555 E 5th Street #725
Austin, TX
Photo of 555 E 5th Street #725, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 9482800)
$545,000
20
  • Lot Size
    88 sqft

  • Home Size
    817 sqft

  • Beds
    1 Bed

  • Baths
    1 Bath

View Virtual Tour
48 East Avenue #2210
Austin, TX
Photo of 48  East Avenue #2210, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 5004162)
$1,569,500
38
  • Lot Size
    17,904 sqft

  • Home Size
    1,277 sqft

  • Beds
    2 Beds

  • Baths
    2 Baths

300 Bowie Street #703
Austin, TX
Photo of 300  Bowie Street #703, Austin, TX 78703 (MLS # 1326444)
$699,980
31
  • Lot Size
    101 sqft

  • Home Size
    983 sqft

  • Beds
    2 Beds

  • Baths
    2 Baths

View Virtual Tour
619 Tillery Street #B
Austin, TX
Photo of 619  Tillery Street #B, Austin, TX 78702 (MLS # 4009706)
$839,619
30
  • Lot Size
    3,050 sqft

  • Home Size
    1,796 sqft

  • Beds
    3 Beds

  • Baths
    3 Baths

austin condo report

Featured Buildings

  • 360 Condos
  • Austin City Lofts
  • The Independent
  • The Shore Condos
  • 70 Rainey

Footer

LEGAL NOTICE

TREC Information About Brokerage Services (pdf)

Texas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection Notice


TOWERS realty

Austin Condos For Sale

Agents

Downtown Buildings

Luxury Towers

  • Four Seasons Residences
  • W Hotel & Residences
  • The Austonian
  • 5 Fifty Five at Hilton

Most Popular

  • The Shore
  • 360 Condos
  • Seaholm Condos
  • Spring Condos
  • Milago Condos

New Construction

  • The Independent
  • 70 Rainey
  • Austin Proper
  • Fifth & West

Loft Style

  • Austin City Lofts
  • Brazos Place
  • The Sabine
  • Plaza Lofts
  • Avenue Lofts
  • Brazos Lofts
  • Brown Building

Resources

  • Austin Condo Guide
  • Condos For Sale
  • Condo Buyer FAQ
  • Property Search

Featured

Archives

Newsletter · About · Contact Us · DMCA · Privacy Policy · SLAPP · Copyright © 2007-2022 TOWERS.net · All Rights Reserved
 

Loading Comments...