[Carfreeliving] Newsom opposes alternative transportation

[Brinkman, Cheryl]

Does the mayor have any studies that show SF is suffering from a lack of
parking?  Anything showing that business has dropped off due to people
not wanting to deal with parking and that housing won't be built without
loads of parking?
 
 
What is SPUR's position on this one?  

 

  _____  

From: Dave Snyder [mailto:dave at livablecity.org] 
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 11:57 AM
To: Carfreeliving at livablecity.org
Subject: [Carfreeliving] Newsom opposes alternative transportation


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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