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Goldenrule-er t1_itepqty wrote

Reply to comment by Cattle_Aromatic in Email City Council to Abolish Minimum Parking Requirements! City Council is meeting at 5:30pm on Monday, October 24th to discuss making it easier and cheaper to build new housing by eliminating requirement for unneeded parking spaces by Responsible-Bath2778

The minimums are required because developers are incentivized to use that space for more luxury condos (greater return on investment) rather than building in the vehicle storage and in-so-doing remove the pressure on street parking which is already limited. Anyone with friends or family who've lived in Southie during the past ten years, for example, understands the value of these minimums and why municipalities institute them. Attempting to park the car you must have due to the constant unreliability of public transportation, for example, may now regularly add on significantly to your workday. If you're scoffing, add up the extra 20-30-40 minutes over time and each day depending on where you live.)

So is the idea to choke out car usage by removing the spaces which store them? I didn't understand that before. Wicked classist, (in that working-class families who need vehicles would be forced to spend a disproportionate amount of income in order to store them), but I think it would work. I mean, it's guaranteed to work. It's just remarkably prejudiced and short sighted.

#Vehicles will not disappear. They will only become greener.

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Cattle_Aromatic t1_itg5ijs wrote

Over 40% of Cambridge residents work from home. Many more are perfectly fine walking, biking or taking the T to work. The idea that it should be illegal to build apartments that cater to this majority doesn't make any sense. There's plenty of housing in Cambridge with off-street parking for those who would like it.
Parking minimums don't provide free parking - they just bake the cost of parking into the rent and everything else. They're not even primarily about "choking out" car usage - it's somewhat confusing I get it but it's a housing policy first, not a transportation policy.

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crazicus t1_itqvpjl wrote

Maybe not disappear, but vehicles have been reducing in number over the past two decades in Cambridge, even as the population and employment grows. Mode share is shifting to walking, biking, and transit, and it’s a good thing.

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