City of Seattle says parking spots contributing to high rent; recommends transit passes

Some property owners in the city of Seattle may have to provide transit passes, rather than parking spots in areas well-served by transit, according to new recommendations.

Studies such as King County’s 2013 Right Size Parking study, have shown parking is often significantly over-supplied and needlessly contributing to high housing costs, according to the city.

Related: Seattle residents calling Department of Planning out on parking rules

The Department of Planning and Development and Seattle Department of Transportation sent the report to the City Council with recommendations to address residential parking issues related to new development.

Read: City
of Seattle Parking Review

“This report includes key recommended policy changes that Transportation Choices fully supports,” said Andrew Austin, Transportation Choices policy director. “It is important that as more people in Seattle choose car-free living, we refine our policies to reflect shifting preferences; doing this is one key component to addressing the affordability problem.”

Last year, Mayor Ed Murray and the council asked the departments to prepare the recommendations for consideration this spring.

The departments recommend adding residential transportation options and managing on-street parking more effectively. This includes strategies to address transportation and parking demand, such as requiring transit passes for new residential development, rather than requiring parking, in areas well-served by transit.

Parking construction can cost $20,000 to $50,000 per space, according to the city of Seattle. The city cited a Portland, Ore. study that found parking can add as much as $500 per month in rental costs to a low-rise apartment building.

The recommendations from the departments include:

•Requiring bus passes for new residential developments in center city neighborhoods and other areas frequently served by transit, along with car share memberships, bike share memberships, or similar services.

•Remove city code barriers and promote shared parking of underutilized parking spaces.

•Update city code to include improved bike parking for more types of new development and promote guidance for placing bike share stations on private property.

•Review residential parking conditions and the Restricted Parking Zone program to identify demand management strategies in growing neighborhoods.

•Promote garage designs that facilitate sharing parking among different buildings in a neighborhood. This would include providing guidance for optimal access, layout and security.

•Promote transportation options and ensure that our neighborhoods continue to be well served by transit.

The current policies and proposed recommendations also help address traffic congestion, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and aiding other city objectives.

“This report includes key recommended policy changes that Transportation Choices fully supports,” said Andrew Austin, Transportation Choices policy director. “It is important that as more people in Seattle choose car-free living, we refine our policies to reflect shifting preferences; doing this is one key component to addressing the affordability problem.”

The study found that about three-fourths of new developments provide parking. About 12 percent of 19,000 housing units have been built without parking, according to the city.