TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager, through the Planning and Building Department, develop a parking management options plan with public input that can be used as a condition for approval for a parking standards variance for new developments or adaptive reuse projects in the downtown area in order to move toward a more pedestrian and transit accommodating residential community.
DISCUSSION
New developments or adaptive reuse projects in the heavily parking impacted downtown area should be required to provide an alternative parking and transportation management plan for project residents in order to reduce the parking and traffic impact on the surrounding community.
A transit-oriented development (TOO) allows residents to have convenient access to public transportation options. But if a development is not situated within convenient distance to a public transportation line, other efforts can be made to promote alternative modes of transportation.
The alternative plan could include options such as a car-sharing program that allows residents to share access to vehicles without the cost or hassles of ownership. A popular car-sharing program is offered by FlexCar, in which members can reserve, drive, and return vehicles conveniently for an hourly rate that covers gas and insurance. Other transportation management options include the installation of a secured bike rack parking system, membership to Bikestation Long Beach, a lowemission shuttle system to transport residents to nearby transit centers, partnerships with Long Beach Transit for bus passes, and more.
In order to ensure that the City is maximizing on opportunities to reduce negative parking and traffic impacts on the community, I would like to request that the Planning and Building Department develop a parking management options plan for new developments or adaptive reuse projects in the downtown area in alignment with Smart Growth principles. Such a parking and transportation management plan could...
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