“We Ditched Parking Mandates, So Should Austin!”
Every few months, another of Austin’s peer cities eliminates parking mandates
Over 30 cities have made the jump, including 12 since January 2022.
Major Or Close Cities To Austin
Portland, OR
Raleigh, NC
Richmond, VA
San Francisco, CA
San Jose, CA
South Bend, IN
St. Paul, MN
Anchorage, AK
Bandera, TX
Bastrop, TX
Bend, OR
Buffalo, NY
Lexington, KY
Minneapolis, MN
Other Cities
Alameda, CA
Albemarle, NC
Ann Arbor, MI
Branson, MO
Bridgeport, CT
Burlington, VT
Cambridge, MA
Canandaigua, NY
Corvallis, OR
Culver City, CA
Dover, NH
Dunwoody, GA
Ecorse, MI
Emeryville, CA
Gainesville, FL
Hartford, CT
Hudson, NY
Jackson, TN
Mancelona, MI
River Rouge, MI
Salem, OR
Seabrook, NH
Tigard, OR
West Allis, WI
Bold = Eliminated parking mandates in 2022/2023
Cities Similar to Austin That Have Eliminated Mandates
Cities Are Reaping The Rewards From Eliminating Parking Mandates
These are just some of the benefits that these cities have experienced so far.
Buffalo, NY
As a result of eliminating parking mandates, within 4 years Buffalo built 1,000 new homes that wouldn’t otherwise have existed.
Seattle, WA
In areas near transit, in 5 years without parking mandates, 59% of new homes were in buildings that would previously have been illegal.
Minneapolis, MN
A rent reduction of $200 a month in new apartments after eliminating parking mandates.
Fayetteville, AR
In downtown Fayetteville, eliminating parking mandates allowed the now popular Feed & Folly restaurant and rooftop bar to occupy a building vacant for decades.
San Diego, CA
Within a year of eliminating mandates near transit, a fivefold increase in applications for affordable housing projects.
All of Oregon
Special mention!
New rules in January 2023, reforming parking mandates statewide, are already producing historic levels of building applications for new apartments, hospitals, and care homes across Oregon.
What Cities That Eliminated Parking Mandates Are Telling Austin
“Removing parking mandates creates housing, new investment, and neighborhood character. Austin City Council should vote for this.”
Andreas Addison
Council Member, Richmond VA
“We eliminated parking mandates. Let the market decide - not abstract government rules - how much parking there should be.”
Connie Schroeder
Mayor, Bastrop TX
“When we helped Bastrop and Bandera remove their mandates, we asked: What do you want to become? Write your rules around that, not the other way around.”
Jordan Feldman
City Designer, Simplecity Design
“If parking mandates disappear, parking doesn’t disappear. Homeowners and local builders can still decide how much parking they need.”
Chris Hawley
Senior Planner, City of Buffalo, NY
“There may not be a closer peer city to Austin than Raleigh. If Raleigh can eliminate parking mandates, Austin can do this too.”
Jason Hardin
Urban Planner, City of Raleigh, NC
“Austin’s former City Manager Spencer Cronk was on our staff when we eliminated parking mandates. It was an important step to a more walkable, bikeable city.”
Steve Fletcher
Frmr Council Member, Minneapolis, MN