Paper Details

TRB 91st Annual Meeting (January 22-26, 2012)

Event Number:	336
Event Title:	Parking: Getting the Supply Right
Event Date:	Jan 23 2012 1:30PM- 3:15PM
Event Location:	Hilton, Columbia Hall 7
Event Description:
Event Agenda:

Parking Utilization in Affordable Housing: Results from San Diego, California (12-0694)

Multi-family housing parking requirements are an important aspect of transportation policy because they affect vehicle ownership rates, travel choices, and mobility options. These local ordinance requirements also shape land use outcomes such as density, and social outcomes such as housing affordability. This paper explores parking requirements for affordable multi-family housing, which is of particular interest because it is a form of housing that is cost sensitive and often subject to neighborhood opposition. The proposition developed here is that parking requirements should have a logical relationship with 1) observed parking utilization levels and 2) goals concerning transportation, land use, and housing. This paper reports on parking utilization analyses conducted for a variety of income-restricted affordable housing types in the City of San Diego, California using household surveys and overnight occupancy counts. Overall, parking utilization is found to be slightly less than one-half the rate of all rental units in San Diego, but it varies with affordable housing type (e.g., family versus senior housing), location (reflecting differences in transit availability and walkability), and bedroom count. The paper concludes by discussing methodologies for measuring local utilization and suggests alternative approaches for affordable housing parking requirements.

Authors
     Willson, Richard William, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
     O'Connor, Terri E., Wilbur Smith Associates
     Hajjiri, Samir , City of San Diego