MTC Parking Toolkit

Parking policies play a key role in shaping development patterns in communities throughout the Bay Area — and have a major impact on the quality and feasibility of transit-oriented development.

Parking in Planning

Excessive and under-priced parking can drive up the cost of development and undermine the use of other travel modes — especially walking and transit — even in areas with high-quality transit and pedestrian amenities provided at considerable public expense.The cost of providing parking in transit oriented developments (TOD) is very substantial, often amounting to $30,000 – $60,000 for construction of structured parking, but the costs are typically hidden in building costs, purchase prices and rent. 

MTC is conducting a long-term parking study and is working with select Bay Area jurisdictions that have an interest in exploring innovative parking policies around transit hubs and town centers.

Parking Toolkit

As a resource for local governments, MTC developed a training toolbox for jurisdictions interested in designing their own locally appropriate parking policies to support TOD and infill. The handbook achieves the following:

• Showcase innovative parking strategies to support smart growth, transit-oriented development and infills
• Serves as a guide for communities interested in planning and implementing parking policies
• and programs that are supportive of smart growth and TODs.
• Focuses on downtowns, neighborhoods and transit station areas where major investments have been made to provide regional and local transit accessibility.
• Assists communities in identifying supportive parking policies to maximize the value of public investments and discourage the solo use of the automobile for travel.

Visit MTC's website to learn more about parking.