[Carfreeliving] Newsom opposes alternative transportation

[Dave Snyder]

You can't have it all. With Newsom's strongly worded opposition to 
the limits on parking in new downtown development, he has finally 
showed he hasn't changed his attitude on transportation since he 
voted against the Polk Street bike facility and drove an SUV to work 
on Bike to Work Day.

Without limits on parking, new residences downtown will bring choking 
traffic congestion, rendering more difficult if not impossible the 
range of livable city transportation proposals TLC supports: lane 
reductions on 2nd St., 5th St., Montgomery, Sansome, Battery, and 
others, to put in bike lanes; car restrictions on Market Street to 
put in bike and transit improvements; uncongested streets for transit 
and emergency vehicles; and affordable housing for people without 
cars. His language in support of car-sharing and bike parking is 
meaningless without parking restrictions.

Perhaps the Mayor knows better, but is doing a political calculation 
that SOS and BOMA are stronger than that Bike Coalition, TLC, Walk 
SF, and other groups that support the parking restrictions. TLC will 
lead the effort to change that political calculus. Unfortunately, TLC 
has just 160 members. If you're reading this and not a member of TLC, 
please join today. I'll post the Mayor's letter below, as well as a 
link to Supervisor Daly's comments on the topic:
http://chrisdaly.org/site/bdsupvrs_page.asp?id=36899

Thanks,

Dave



January 10, 2006

Dear Supervisors:

I write to share with you my position on parking restrictions in our 
city's C-3 (downtown) zoning
district.  As you know, an ordinance addressing this issue is pending 
at the Land Use Committee (file
number 051453).

As I explained in an earlier letter on this subject, dated December 
7, 2005, I strongly support our
city's Transit First policy.  Along those lines, my administration is 
actively working to strengthen
public transportation and promote non-automobile forms of 
transportation.  Elements of the
current legislation appropriately advance these goals, including the 
'unbundling' of parking so that it
must be leased or sold separately from dwelling units and minimum 
requirements for carshare and
bike parking in all new developments.

However, as a whole, I believe the current legislation overreaches. 
Its unprecedented limitations on
parking in new residential housing downtown threaten housing 
production and housing
affordability-particularly much-needed family oriented housing. 
Furthermore, with several major
retail developments opening soon downtown and our restaurants and 
hotels rebounding from
economic difficulties earlier this decade, these parking restrictions 
threaten critical economic growth,
job creation and much-needed tax revenue.

While I must oppose the current legislation on this issue, I fully 
support alternative legislation
sponsored by Supervisor Alioto-Pier.  This ordinance makes several 
meaningful changes to the city's
parking policies- including provisions mentioned above-while avoiding 
the restrictions that
threaten housing production and affordability, and our local economy. 
Additionally, the legislation
includes several innovative provisions to encourage non-auto 
transportation, including minimum
requirements for car share and bike parking in developments 
citywide-not just downtown-and
incentives for minimizing parking through density bonuses.  I believe 
this approach moves our city
forward on our Transit First path without creating barriers to 
housing production and continued
economic growth.

Thank you very much for your consideration.


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