SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law this week that “will prohibit minimum parking requirements for new housing, commercial and other developments located near transit.”
KCBS Radio news anchor Kris Ankarlo spoke with Muhammad Alameldin, policy associate at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, Saturday to learn about the wide-sweeping implications of the legislation.
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“We teased it as a housing law, but really, this is as much about climate, right?” Ankarlo asked.
“Yes, definitely,” said Alameldin. He explained that parking requirements enforce a reliance on cars and that they don’t “really make sense,” if California aims to be a climate-friendly state.
Alameldin said that Berkeley, Calif., even ditched its parking mandate last year. In addition to being more climate-friendly, eliminating parking requirements could also have attractive economic impacts.
“Parking is really one of the most expensive components of new housing developments,” he said. By eliminating parking requirements, developers can even reduce the price of units by $3,600, Alameldin added. Currently, most jurisdictions require two parking spots per housing unit.
However, housing without parking is most beneficial when located nearby reliable alternative transportation. Alameldin said that in California, the plan is to build housing first, then more transit options.
“When you increase ridership for transit, you can increase the frequency of transit lines,” and those lines could become more reliable.
California housing costs have become so steep that at least one school district in the state has asked parents to offer rooms to teachers who can’t afford to commute. According to Newsom’s office, the goals of the new bill are to reduce vehicle emissions as well as to promote more affordable housing close to people’s daily destinations.
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