Good afternoon Chairman Singleton and members of the committee. My name is Zoe Baldwin, and I am the NJ Director for the Regional Plan Association, the nation’s oldest independent metropolitan research, planning and advocacy organization. I’m here today to speak in favor of S3605, which would reduce residential parking requirements around transit stations; thank you for advancing this timely legislation.
New Jersey is one of the most transit-dense states in the nation. We also have some of the most ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals which will require increased transit use to be successful. But the key to maximizing the efficiency and efficacy of our transit network lays in the land use decisions we make around our rail stations and bus hubs.
S3605 starts to tackle this core issue by making it easier to create transit-friendly neighborhoods that are walkable, bikeable, and safer all around.
Reducing parking minimums also promotes social equity. Parking requirements often inhibit the development of affordable housing and raise rent prices. According to the American Planning Association, the cost of parking can increase the price of rent by 17 percent. That means that tenants who might not even own cars are literally paying the price of this outdated building standard.
Finally, it is worth noting that our current Residential Site Improvement Standards (RSIS) present a one-size-fits-all approach to parking that fails to meet the needs of modern downtowns. The RSIS establishes a minimum parking space requirement per unit of housing based on bedrooms and unit type. These requirements apply to all new housing in the state, whether the development is proposed in Salem County where there are 195 people per square mile, no trains and very few bus lines, or Hudson County where there are nearly 16,000 people per square mile and an abundance of transit options across several modes.
S3605 proposes three tiers of parking reductions that vary depending on proximity to transit, which is a much more appropriate and context-sensitive approach to development.
Again, I hope you vote in favor of S3605 today. It’s a great step forward in the effort to operationalize New Jersey’s equity and environmental goals, and a much-needed update to the RSIS. Thank you for this opportunity to testify, and I’m happy to answer any questions.
