Description
This measure involves updating parking facility design to prioritize ridesharing vehicles by placing carpool and vanpool parking spaces near front entrances and more convenient locations. CAPCOA encourages this strategy to prioritize shared or low-emission vehicle users while discouraging Single Occupancy Vehicle parking near congested areas.
Implementation Details
- Adopt development code and design standards that require preferential parking.
- Work with employers to retrofit existing parking facilities to include preferential parking.
Mitigation Potential
Preferential treatment, free/reduced parking fees, priority parking, or parking located in convenient locations encourages ridesharing, which reduces VMT. The measure’s impact on VMT will vary on existing travel patterns and current parking inventory. While there are not quantification methods for measuring the impact of this strategy alone, this strategy is often provided as part of a package of strategies for employee sponsored trip reduction programs.
Linked Strategies
Equity Considerations
Preferential parking programs should be structured to avoid overburdening delivery drivers and service workers while reducing reliance on Single Occupancy Vehicle trips. Cities should avoid displacing loading and unloading zones or ADA parking spaces.
Funding Sources
Operations and enforcement will most likely be managed by employers or property managers. Combine with other active transportation or transit design elements/strategies to utilize those funding sources.
Implemented in TAM Area
Current TDM Implementation
The County of Marin has a preferred parking benefit for employees that carpool, allowing groups of county employees (or a county employee and a non-county employee traveling between home and work) to register with the RideGreen program to park in reserved carpool zones. Marin Commutes provides resources for employers that are interested in implementing priority parking for carpool and vanpool, along with other TDM services.
TDM Benefit Locations
This TDM measure is currently focused on trip reduction for commuters, but it could be expanded to provide the same benefit in commercial centers and other activity hubs. Areas like Downtown San Rafael, Downtown Novato, Sausalito, and Mill Valley would benefit from preferential rideshare parking, due to their high volumes of trip-generating activity.