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LA Councilwoman Nithya Raman supports end to parking mandates near public transit

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman voiced her support Tuesday for a state Assembly bill that would stop local governments from imposing or enforcing minimum parking requirements on developments near public transit, which she said could help make housing more affordable.

“Eliminating parking minimums in transit-rich areas, as this bill does … has the potential to significantly decrease the cost of each unit and it has the potential to reduce our dependence on automobiles at the same time. This is a win-win for the city of Los Angeles,” said Raman, who represents Council District 4, which includes portions of the San Fernando Valley and the Eastside of Los Angeles.

According to Meea Kang, an affordable housing developer who currently serves as a director for the Council of Infill Builders, on-site minimum parking requirements can cost between $30,000 and $75,000 per space, which is passed onto the developers, renters and homebuyers.

“These decades-old minimum parking requirements make it cost-prohibitive for new development to be feasible,” she said.

Assembly Bill 1401 was introduced by Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, and would eliminate minimum parking requirements for developments near public transit or within areas with low vehicle miles traveled.

If adopted, the bill would change the California Government Code to stop local governments from imposing parking requirements if the property is located within one-half mile walking distance of public transit, which is defined as a high-quality transit corridor or a major transit stop.

“Cars and parking have a huge environmental cost, as our largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in California is our transportation sector. That’s the one area where California has been going in the wrong direction with more and more emissions,” Friedman said.

Friedman argues that the more parking is added to a city, the more difficult it is for people to live without a vehicle because residences are spaced farther apart to accommodate parking lots.


Source: Orange County Register

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