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Originally Posted by biggus diggus
Interestingly on this topic I wonder if any of us have actually been in the parking garages for new construction in Phoenix. Are these garages being used near capacity? If so then I'd say the spaces are needed. In San Francisco many people don't have cars so I would agree the parking requirements are outdated and useless, but in Phoenix I don't feel like that's the case. Even in Chicago in South Loop and West Loop (two neighborhoods full of new construction) new buildings have more parking than you'd think necessary but it's being utilized.
I guess my point is that if they need it in a city which is heavily reliant on public transportation, we certainly need it here.
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A survey of parking utilization would produce interesting data, but its applicability would be limited by the fact that when parking is abundant with little or no obvious cost to the end user, it can create its own demand. To measure the true "need" for parking (in other words, the inelastic demand) would require 1) unbundling parking from rent paid by residential tenants; salaries paid to employees; and the cost of goods, meals, and services purchased by retail customers 2) letting developers build parking based on their perception of market demand rather than government mandate.
As for comparison with other cities, remember it's not just San Francisco that has moved away from minimums. As you state, that's a city with greater transit penetration and higher walk appeal. Minneapolis has somewhat better transit than Phoenix, but is still often seen as a car-oriented city. Hartford and Buffalo are definitely more car-oriented than Phoenix. If they can scrap parking minimums, I think Phoenix can do the same, at least within footprint of the light rail corridor, without bringing on carmageddon.
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