Planners: Get out of your car

From today's Examiner, "As condo high-rises bring thousands of new residents downtown, San Francisco policymakers are hoping to get those inhabitants to be more like New Yorkers — city dwellers without cars."

"The commission on Thursday recommended a maximum of three parking spots for every four units of new housing downtown, while [Supervisor Chris] Daly’s legislation calls for one spot for every two units. The legislation would also ban freestanding parking garages downtown."

But, "“New residents competing for already scarce spaces in downtown and Mid-Market will deter visitors,” said Patricia Breslin, director of the Hotel Council of San Francisco."

This is another example of poorly thought-out legislation. Currently there is a minimum number of spaces required in new construction. What Daly is suggesting is a maximum number of parking spaces (one spot for every two units) along with other strict requirements. Why not just allow builders the option to build without the parking requirement? Why swing the pendulum so far in the opposite direction? And if there is no allowance for freestanding parking structures, what about all of the people who commute from outside of SF where there is no public transportation option?

This one needs a lot more work...