Background

On May 4, 2023, City Council directed staff to eliminate minimum off-street vehicle parking requirements from City Code Title 25 (Land Development) through Resolution No. 20230504-022. The goal of the resolution is to promote more sustainable transportation options like biking and walking, reduce community-wide transportation emissions, and increase housing affordability.

Staff recommendation

City staff recommend eliminating minimum off-street vehicle parking requirements for all land uses while ensuring the provision of accessible spaces in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). For a detailed description of proposed changes to city code, see the staff report linked on this page.

The proposed code amendment supports goals in adopted plans, including the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan and the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan (ASMP). The ASMP calls for reducing parking requirements and finds that parking requirements have created more off-street parking than is necessary in many areas of the city. These additional spaces encourage people to drive when trips can be taken by walking, bicycling, or transit, and also reduce the amount of space that can be dedicated to more productive uses. Replacing these car trips with more sustainable modes of transportation could lead to less traffic, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Parking spaces are also expensive to build and maintain. A surface parking lot costs up to $10,000 per space to construct, and a structured parking lot costs up to $60,000 per space. Removing parking requirements could reduce the cost of building if builders choose to provide fewer parking spaces, making new housing more affordable.

What are the current minimum parking requirements?

The current code requires a minimum number of off-street parking spaces for different types of land uses. These requirements are found in the Land Development Code in Appendix A - Tables of Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements.

What have other cities done?

Peer cities including Nashville, Raleigh, Minneapolis, and San Jose have partially or completely removed minimum parking requirements.

Review and Adoption Timeline

August 29th, 2023: Briefing to the Planning Commission, no action

September 20th, 2023: Recommended by the Codes and Ordinances Joint Committee on a 5-2 vote

October 3rd, 2023: Recommended by the Urban Transportation Commission on a 8-0 vote

October 10th, 2023: Recommended by the Planning Commission on a 9-0-1 vote

November 2nd, 2023: Approved by City Council on a 8-2 vote

Case Manager Contact

Dan Hennessey, Transportation and Public Works Department, Dan.Hennessey@austintexas.gov, (512) 974-1305