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Curb Managment

Parking reform is a public health issue

April 14, 2020 By Mike Kwan Leave a Comment

It can be easy to feel gloomy and maybe a bit helpless from news of the coronavirus pandemic. While we continue practicing social distancing, donating to local food banks, etc., could we also set the stage for a healthier and more equitable city, with less parking? Here are some ideas that cities are adopting:

Open streets for pedestrians

It’s difficult to abide by the 6 foot rule to follow social distancing guidelines when many sidewalks barely allow two pedestrians to pass by each other with a foot of space in between. In fact, most sidewalks themselves may be hazardous, as some studies show that people should abide by at least a 20 foot rule.

To create safe walking conditions and perhaps allow a little exercise (recommended with a mask or face covering if possible), city leaders can consider slowing cars on streets or temporarily closing them. In Oakland, an emergency measure will slow down 74 miles of streets to vehicular traffic to give pedestrians, joggers and cyclists more room for social distancing. The widespread street “closures” also allow plenty of neighborhoods throughout the city to benefit, and not single out any particular streets for more foot traffic.  Philadelphia, Denver, Minneapolis and other cities also have similar measures but on smaller scales. In Washington D.C., some parking spaces (unofficially) have been temporarily replaced by a “pandemic extended sidewalk”, giving pedestrians a lot more comfort room.

pandemic sidewalk1Photo by flickr user angela n.

Could temporary efforts such as these convince enough people that it’s worth trading a few parking spaces in exchange for more permanent pedestrian-friendly spaces? 

Support active modes of transportation

With the decline in public transit ridership due to transit workers who have tragically been infected or died from the virus, and the heightened risk of infection on buses, more people are choosing active modes such as walking and biking.

Cities around the world such as Berlin, Bogotá, Budapest and Mexico City have quickly installed new bicycle lanes. In the US, some cities have introduced street closures, but some have also introduced pop-up cycling to encourage exercising. 

Whether the pandemic will help us focus more on making streets more accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists is an open question. New York City recently revealed massive budget cuts of $1.3 billion that would have supported street safety and bicycle lane projects. These cuts have a disparate impact on the most vulnerable, the “essential workers”, who must travel long distances to work as grocery workers, hospital workers, delivery workers, etc. in the middle of this pandemic. With limited travel options, workers have a challenging dilemma: taking expensive car trips or taking the train or bus which may be packed with riders. For some populations, car ownership may actually increase as people choose cars over transit, but for the many Americans struggling to make ends meet, cars will increasingly become a financial burden. However, cities can encourage more residents to choose biking if adequate infrastructure (probably replacing parking) is put into place. In New York City, bicycles are a lifeline for those who continue commuting to hospitals, for delivery workers and others who are seeking exercise.

The pandemic has made clear that we must support the most vulnerable communities who are at a greater risk of infection, because their health is the public health. In New York City, where African Americans and Latinos have double the rate of infection as whites, having an alternative mode of transportation that is safer and low-cost could lower infection rates. A recent study showed that people (mostly minorities) that have been exposed to higher levels of particulate air pollution (from car fumes and especially highways) are more likely to die from COVID-19 infection than patients with clean air.

But if the city builds more lanes, will residents use them? According to the NYC bikeshare company Citi Bike, customers have already taken 67 percent more rides compared to the same period last year.

How else can parking reform affect public health?

By supporting more active modes of transportation (at the expense of parking spaces), we help lower air pollution, which is also a co-factor of coronavirus deaths. A Harvard study found that a small increase in exposure to particle pollution is associated with a 15% increase in the COVID-19 death rate. A high level of pollution may also explain the higher death rate in Northern Italy (12%) compared to the rest of Italy (4.5%). 

More than ever, it’s important that we take care of our mental and physical health. So it’s important to note that obesity is another cited factor of COVID-19, which may explain the higher death rate in the United States compared to other countries. In New Orleans, where the death rate is twice as high as New York City, doctors and health officials say that the higher rates of obesity, diabetes and hypertension among New Orleans residents make residents more vulnerable to the virus. While some of the data may be preliminary, obesity is also cited as a factor for above-average death rates in France and in Mexico. By investing in more safe and spacious pedestrian sidewalks and walkways (instead of prioritizing parking and streets for cars), cities can create opportunities for residents to adopt more active lifestyles instead of being constantly sedentary at home (while following social distancing guidelines), and to get fresh air (especially if indoor air quality may be poor).

We can reduce the spread of infection, improve public health and prepare us for the next pandemic, if we rethink how much parking and space we devote to cars. Already there are signs that employers are rethinking how we commute and that cities are rethinking the curb. Will cities adopt more permanent changes to their streets as a result of COVID-19? Only time will tell.

Filed Under: Curb Managment

Parking Reform After Coronavirus

March 23, 2020 By Tony Jordan 3 Comments

Obviously, in the middle of this crisis, with lockdowns in place and ICU beds filling up, parking policy (like most things) isn’t important. We have much bigger fish to fry: maintaining a functioning health care system and supporting millions of people thrown off the payrolls are at the top of the list.

But we will make it through this, and when we do, the post-Coronavirus world is going to be very different. It’s too soon to say exactly how. But there are a few good hunches we can work on that indicate parking policy and parking reforms will still be important on the other side of the tunnel.

Empty Parking Lot

Cars aren’t going away

Whatever degree of normalcy we return to, we can be certain that plenty of people will continue to drive. Given the likely concerns about personal space and contact, it’s likely that people might choose to drive more. Even in walkable neighborhoods, people may choose to consolidate more trips to avoid going out as much, meaning that loading a car with groceries once a week might be preferable to making several trips on foot or by bicycle.

Curb management will be critical

While we can expect that many people will continue to drive, their behavior won’t be the same as it was before. More people will be picking up or dropping off goods. Folks may linger less. Who knows when mass events, movies, and concerts will resume at previous frequencies. 

Perhaps we will see more options for people to reserve business-district parking spaces. Some services might move toward appointment-only access to reduce mingling and waiting. Many restaurants are offering curb-side pickup; we have yet to see how cities will accommodate queues and high-turnover parking on restaurant rows.

Deliveries, deliveries, deliveries

Amazon and online grocery shopping are booming, accelerating trends we’ve seen for some time. Making space available for delivery trucks and other services will take on a renewed importance. Cities should consolidate and streamline delivery services however possible, perhaps by working with companies to create more cargo hubs and hygienic package pickup locations (think:generalized Amazon Lockers).

To charge or not to charge?

We’ve already seen some cities reducing parking rates and limiting enforcement. Some of this is just compassionate common sense. If a city’s goal is to keep people inside, it is counterproductive to enforce non-safety-related parking restrictions. But there are different considerations when it comes to paid on-street parking and public garages.

 Performance-based parking management means adjusting prices for demand. If demand is way down, due to a pandemic or a recession, then it makes sense for parking rates to fall as well. Unfortunately, most cities with demand based parking rates only adjust rates a few times a year. This is insufficient to manage demand in times of rapid change, like recession and recovery. Also, if there’s no mechanism to raise rates again when/if demand resumes, then cities should be wary about reducing it in the first place.

While the crisis is on-going and we are asking people to practice social distancing, efforts to bring more customers to business districts would be counter-productive. One approach cities could take would be to allow a 15 minute grace period on metered streets while demand is very low to accommodate pick-up and drop-off, but otherwise maintain parking rates as normal.

Municipal parking structures won’t pay for themselves. If they can’t be repurposed into something more helpful or productive in these times, then they should be closed or continue to charge. 

Repurposing the Right-of-Way

I hope cities are stocking up on green and red paint. 

As cities focus on the needs of connecting essential workers to jobs, this may be an opportunity to repurpose the right-of-way for bike lanes and transit priority. If we want people to maintain safe spacing we will need to expand transit service (and this is worth the investment) and give more space to people biking on busy routes. Do it while no one’s parked there!

Rethinking Commuting

Telecommuting is here to stay. Even if most office workers go back to work, the time and trouble companies will have invested in telecommuting and meeting won’t go to waste. Once your employees know that they CAN sometimes work from home productively, it will be harder to prevent them from doing so.

Cities should consider the possibility of requiring a certain percentage of the workforce to telecommute, perhaps on certain days of the week, both to manage congestion and to justify good policies like parking cash-out, parking maximums and reduced parking minimums. Rapid shifts in mode split, needed years ago and finally here, should not be taken for granted. Every effort should be used to preserve the progress made. It’s a potential silver lining to this tragedy.

Don’t give up hope

These are scary times and the future is uncertain. Take care of yourselves and don’t give up hope. 

If parking reform is something that sparks joy for you, learn more about the Parking Reform Network. When the world starts moving again, we’ll be ready to shape it in ways that provide for more equitable transportation, more affordable and abundant housing, and serious climate action.

Filed Under: Curb Managment, Opinion

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