ANC1B Committee Supports Reduced Parking Minimums

The Transportation Committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street voted, 4-2, to endorse the reduced parking minimums in D.C.'s proposed zoning update. The vote took place at a meeting on February 20. The recommendation will now go to the full ANC for approval.

Logo from the zoning update blog

Cheryl Cort, Policy Direction of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, told the committee about the new parking minimums. As the law stands now, developers of new residences are generally obligated to have one parking space for every three residential units. If the proposed zoning update becomes law, the parking minimum will be one space for every six units in areas well-served by public transit.

"Well-served by public transit" is defined as less than one-half mile from a Metro station or a quarter-mile from major bus lines (e.g., the 16th and 14th Street lines).

This minimum is a change from an earlier proposal, which would have eliminated parking minimums altogether in areas well-served by public transit.

"One space for six units is below where the market is producing parking," Cort said.

The proposed change would also eliminate downtown parking minimums entirely, and require buildings with 50 parking spaces or more to have at least one space for car-sharing services.

See an information sheet about the proposed new parking minimums from the Coalition for Smarter Growth here.

The full ANC will probably consider the committee's recommendation at its next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, March 6, at 7pm, at the Reeves Center (14th and U Streets)