FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2021
CONTACTS: Council Member Cam Gordon: [email protected], 612-385-3648 Council Member Steve Fletcher: [email protected], 651-238-8944
Minneapolis City Council Passes Nation-Leading Parking Reform
New law eliminates minimum parking requirements, creates alternative transportation incentives for new developments
MINNEAPOLIS - Today the Minneapolis City Council unanimously adopted a zoning code ordinance that fundamentally changes the City’s approach to regulating parking and transportation needs in new developments. This ordinance makes Minneapolis one of the few cities in the country, and the largest in the Midwest, that has done away with minimum parking requirements citywide and creates more stringent auto parking maximums. This ordinance is a key policy called for in the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which the Council adopted in late 2019.
“Transportation is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in Minnesota,” said Ward 2 Council Member and ordinance co-author Cam Gordon. “As more people are choosing to live without owning a car and are seeking to build, buy or rent housing that may not have off-street car parking provided, it makes no sense for us to continue requiring parking spaces for cars in all new developments. The City has declared a climate emergency, and this ordinance backs that up with concrete action.”
The ordinance increases bicycle parking requirements and will apply new Travel Demand Management (TDM) requirements to many more buildings, including every residential building with fifty or more units. TDM options for developers will include offering free or reduced-price transit passes to building tenants, providing shared vehicles for tenants, and implementing improvements that support pedestrian activity.
“We want more people to be able to live, work, and play in Minneapolis without a car -- it’s better for our climate, it’s healthier for people’s lives, and it makes Minneapolis a more affordable place to live by reducing the cost of transportation,” said Ward 3 Council Member and ordinance co-author Steve Fletcher. “By removing minimum parking requirements and instead encouraging a variety of strategies to increase walking, biking, and transit use, we will not only reduce the cost of new housing but also spur the creation of more walkable neighborhoods.”
“This parking reform is a major milestone in City’s efforts to expand opportunities for different housing types across the city, reduce the cost of housing and make good on our climate justice promises,” said Council President Lisa Bender. “I commend my colleagues for their leadership on this issue and thank the planning staff who have proposed thoughtful adjustments to parking policy for many years.” “I am extremely proud of the City Council for the leadership they have shown today. They are demonstrating what real climate action looks like at the local level,” said Chris Meyer, a Minneapolis Park Board Commissioner and member of the Planning Commission. “By incentivizing public transit, biking, and walking, today's ordinance changes will help meet our city's climate goals, provide us cleaner air to breathe, and make it easier and more affordable for people to get around without a car.”
“These reforms are a victory for climate and housing justice advocates,” said Neighbors for More Neighbors Parking Reform Task Force member Linnea Goderstad. “We need urgent action to address climate change and our housing crisis, and these reforms are a step that will allow us to make a real impact on both.”
The ordinance advances several Minneapolis 2040 goals, including climate change resilience and a clean environment by reducing reliance on cars and supporting the growth of electric vehicle infrastructure. It also promotes the goals of affordable and accessible housing and complete neighborhoods by improving the feasibility of development at varying scales in locations throughout Minneapolis.
Learn more about the ordinance here. ***MEDIA ADVISORY for TODAY, FRIDAY, MAY 14***
Today, Friday, May 14 at 4:00 P.M. outside of the Minneapolis Public Service building, Minneapolis City Council Members Cam Gordon, Steve Fletcher, and Council President Lisa Bender will discuss this zoning ordinance in detail.
WHO:
● Minneapolis City Council Members Cam Gordon, Steve Fletcher, and Council President Lisa Bender ● Minneapolis Park Board & Planning Commission Member Chris Meyer ● Linnea Godderstad, Neighbors for More Neighbors
WHEN: Friday, May 14 at 4:00 P.M.
WHERE: Outside the Minneapolis Public Service building, 505 South 4th Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415.
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