Thread by @ncoxbarrett

The Best Thing in Dallas Urban Policy returns today: ZOAC meetings on Parking Reform!

Not been following along with rapt attention and bated breath? Here's a refresher on where we've been the past 9 months:

One fun thing on the agenda today: Parking Benefit Districts (PBDs). PBDs make charges for parking palatable by making motorists paying guests instead of burdensome interlopers competing for scarce space.

And we're off! Who can't be excited about this?

Staff Udrea, Dallas Parking Sage, is here to share her research on Parking and Transportation Management tools used in other jurisdictions.

It turns out there are ways other than driving their own car to get places.

TDM is recognition that while everyone wants to get to destinations as swiftly and comfortably as possible, there are other considerations that might be equally more important.

*equally or more important. Translation: everything has tradeoffs and maybe mandatory abundant and free parking is not worth what you're giving up? (it's not)

Old paradigm is bad, parking requirements are the woooooorrst.

This seems like a problem? What is the Dallas Streets dept doing about this?

Mmmmmm, sweet sweet PBDs. We need @ChadWestDallas and other CMs to create these in the Dallas City Code so we can make this parking reform stick

This should happen before (or at least concurrently with) the Transportation Department finishes its ROW/curb management recommendations.

Staff is saying we need lots of data collection. This is important for managing pricing, transportation investments, and more.

ZOAC Macgregor asks how the TDM/PBD type districts relate to the purview of the ZOAC?

Good question as the mandate is to discuss the parking requirements and this may fall a little outside this.

That said, Chair Murphy says ZOAC can make recommendations that other related areas be taken as follow-up activities. Thus, these kinds of discussions are useful for context about further work to be done.

Staff concurs that these concepts are for informing the discussion of parking requirements and the degree and means of incorporating these things into the zoning code.

ZOAC Bagley expresses some concern about how this affects areas that aren't served by transit or other transportation options.

Public Comment! Jon Hetzel of Madison Partners and President of Deep Ellum Foundation: Discusses how PD 269 (Deep Ellum) was a key part of making that area successful.

Hetzel continues: There is no such thing as "free parking" and taxes/insurance and other costs of required parking adds up to rent.

Hetzel says he hears concern from people: Where will people park? Quotes Yogi Berra "Nobody goes there, it's too crowded" it's the same thing with parking.

Also some say this is just a giveaway to developers who will pocket the additional profits. Which ignores the way real estate development works.

CPC Member LeDouglas Johnson asks how would we cover the additional manpower needed for enforcement. Is this handled privately?

Staff Udrea says City Parking Enforcement division is currently upgrading from a complaint based, business hours only, enforcement to 24/7

Note: Typically enforcement of parking should be self-sustaining. Parking fees go first to administrative costs (including enforcement) then "profits" to community benefits. If parking fees aren't enough to cover these costs, why are we charging at all?

Wrapping up now. Staff says they are going to regroup and see if they need to go back and cover anything they missed, saying they've gotten ahead and skipped some steps.

Note: Really??? We've been been meeting for what, over a year?

Chair Murphy pushes back a bit, saying she wants to keep moving forward.

ZOAC Rieves asks how many people are asking for the Board of Adjustment for the reductions currently available (admin reduction or variances).

Note: This is less helpful than you might think as the time, money, effort, and risk of asking makes it not worth the effort of asking.