We are extremely happy to hear about Supervisor Jane Kim’s legislation to ELIMINATE minimum parking requirements citywide. While it’s the kind of legislation that may not get the most clicks, this is real, tangible policy that will make housing cheaper to build, incentivize alternative transit options, and push forward climate change goals.

Right now, our parking requirements obscure the true cost of parking and inflate demand. The consequences of these requirements are far-reaching. When it comes to construction costs, these parking minimums drive up the cost to add an extra amenity that people may not even use. It means that city residents who use cheaper and more sustainable forms of transit end up subsidizing the price of parking for their neighbors who drive. It wastes valuable land that could be used for housing people instead.

But costs are the least of the problems when it comes to cars. For one, cars are extremely dangerous. More pedestrians have been killed in California than any other state. And on a larger scale, cars are a large part of climate change. Cars and trucks account for nearly 20% of all US emissions. If San Francisco is to get serious about fighting climate change, we need to start reducing our car usage and start moving towards more sustainable forms of transit. Our reliance on cars is, quite literally, killing our neighbors and our planet.

Not every city is blessed to have a transit system that allows its residents to get around without a car. San Francisco has a great network of buses, trains, light rail, and bikeshare, and many of our residents already do quite well navigating the city car-free. San Francisco should take initiative when it comes to our driving and transit policies, and we thank Supervisor Kim for her leadership on this issue!

Signed,

YIMBY Mobility