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d� � <br /> Who is Responsible for Providin� Parking? <br /> Many people look to their local governments (otherwise known as "they") to provide ample <br /> downtown parking. Technically, however, the responsibility to provide parking in all areas of the <br /> City falls on the private property that generates the need for the parking in the first place. <br /> Article 30, Section 1 of the Zoning Ordinance says... <br /> 30.1 Purpose. <br /> The purpose of this article is to require that all uses of land in the City which normally terminate or <br /> generate vehicle trips provide on that land, or reasonably close, adequate space on which to park <br /> and load the vehicles involved, in order that the public streets may be used primarily for the <br /> movement of traffic and not the storage of vehicles. (Ord 1130, eff. 7-10-64: Ord 1130.272, eff. <br /> 11-15-90) <br /> In most areas of a city this works. Downtowns are more challenging, though. Downtowns work <br /> and are appealing because there is so much to do in such a small area. So, by definition, there <br /> isn't a lot of room for parking in a downtown. Also, in the auto age downtowns provide an extra <br /> appeal because they are oriented to the pedestrian (while most other areas of our cities aze <br /> oriented to the automobile). Keeping our downtowns pedestrian-friendly requires us to devote <br /> less space to auto storage than we might in other environments. <br /> Having such an area, which is compact, walkable, and lively is highly desirable to much of the <br /> population and is an important part of any city's land use "portfolio," just as industrial zones, <br /> auto dealerships, and regional retail is also important. So it is therefore in the City's best interest <br /> to work together with merchants and property owners to find a solution to the Downtown <br /> parking issue, rather than just telling them to build it all themselves. <br /> Conventional Apuroaches to Creating Parking Are Not Good Enough <br /> While we must work together with merchants to ensure that Downtown's parking supply is <br /> adequate, we must develop creative ways to do it. The conventional approach used in most cities <br /> in the United States is inadequate and inappropriate for downtowns, and is particularly <br /> inadequate for powntown Redwood City. <br /> What is the conventional approach? First of all, curb parking is made free to attract customers. <br /> Then, to relieve congested curb parking, cities create on-site parking requirements in their zoning <br /> ordinance. This means that when houses, shops, or offices are built, parking must be built along <br /> with them. How much parking? Well, frankly, a lot. Usually, the amount of parking needed <br /> during the busiest hour of the busiest day of the year is estimated for various uses and is then <br /> required as the minimum parking requirement. The intent is to accommodate all parking needs <br /> on the site of the project. It is assumed that this parking will be free and will not be shared with <br /> neighboring properties, meaning efficiency is minimized and demand is maximized. <br /> This approach does not create attractive, walkable environments, but it can work if land is <br /> plentiful and cheap. However, this approach is antithetical to downtowns. Downtowns work <br /> pa�e 2 <br />