Curb Managment

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.

Photo 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.

Just like your parents’ record player and tiki drinks, curb space—a once overlooked and undervalued piece of infrastructure—is the hottest game in town for transportation planners across the country. The curb has traditionally been used for vehicle storage, with reactive regulations periodically occurring to address land use changes or specific requests. But the face of the curb is quickly being revolutionized as a growing number of uses—including bike lanes, delivery trucks, city buses, trash collection, ride-share, and personal vehicles—are now competing for this once-overlooked part of the street. Cities large and small are beginning to see the effects of this transition through increased demand for pick-up/drop-off areas, space for bikes and scooters, and retail amenities.

Given this new rivalry, how can cities effectively plan for the curb of the future while also balancing the needs of their community? Two of our board members (Jane Wilberding and Lindsay Bayley) led a panel on this very topic at the American Planning Association’s Illinois State conference in 2018. Below is a summary guide to getting the most out of your curb, based on strategies and processes they have employed in cities throughout the country.

1. Determine your priorities. With curbside space becoming increasingly coveted, more and more requests to accommodate individual needs will come in. A disabled parking space here, a no standing zone there, valet spaces, the list could go on and on. And it can be difficult to know who should be prioritized where. Establishing a unified hierarchy of user groups will give cities a means to address these requests and guide how curb space is allocated, as well as if–and when–it is appropriate to deviate from the norm. This can also be where equity priorities are established.
2. Know your system. Where are the loading, residential parking permit, or 15-minute standing zones in your community? Do the signs on the street match the code? Are signs legible to incoming visitors? Having a grounded understanding of what is on the street creates a foundation that cities can use to accurately project needs, alter regulations, and (most importantly) determine what is not known and should be surveyed in the future.
3. Survey appropriately. Surveying the behavioral needs and nuances of today’s curb is key to realizing opportunities for tomorrow. Turnover surveys, system-wide utilization surveys, intercept surveys; there are a plethora of options that provide valuable and distinct insights. Selecting the correct survey will empower cities with effective data to unlock and optimize their curbs true potential.
4. Designate holistically. The designation process begins next. Designations need to provide access to key user groups, while balancing the needs of the overall community. It is essential to resist consenting to the squeaky wheels by thinking about the health of the neighborhood, district, or corridor you are working in at a larger scale. A solution for one individual often creates issues for others, thinking more holistically will benefit the group by balancing their needs. Hint: this is where the hierarchy developed in step one comes into play.
5. Price in accordance to demand. When curb space is filled with parked vehicles, it is generally because it is priced too low. Low prices result in low parking turnover which prevents people from accessing stores or residences. For example, a packed curb on a downtown street means fewer people can access stores on the street, hurting the businesses and decreasing tax revenue. The ideal parking occupancy is around 85%, translating to about 1 or 2 empty spaces per block for drivers to park in. While often seen as a hassle, pricing the curb is a powerful and important tool for economic development and accessibility.
6. Provide supportive and educational enforcement. The goal of parking enforcement is to ensure regulations are understood and upheld by the public. Since effective curbside management has a high vehicle turnover rate, consistently monitoring these spaces is intrinsic to their success. Educating and raising awareness of the public to these regulations not only ensures they are being followed, but limits the confusion and negative perception that can often come with curbside regulation changes.
7. Implement and monitor flexible designations. Have we mentioned that the curb is changing? Cities, transportation, and technology are growing increasingly interconnected, and will continue to do so. Executing and implementing policies that are nimble, flexible, and data-driven is key to harnessing the synergy of these systems. This includes establishing curbside management polices that can be expanded, altered, or eliminated at the same pace in which our urban, technological, and transportation landscape is moving.

Bonus: update technology. There is an alphabet soup of parking technology applications out there (LPR, PGS, PARC, RFID, etc.), with more arriving each day. These technologies are making the task of parking more seamless for the user and more closely tracked for the enforcement operator. Talking to technology companies about what your community’s goals for the curb are, will ensure that the right technology is pursued. Generally, upgrades in parking enforcement and data storage should work towards gaining real-time, cloud-based technology, that is digitally stored/accessed.