Monday, October 6, 2008

San Francisco Might Do Fees Right

A new fee system is being considered for development that would reward developers that build near transit. Previously, it depended on level of service at traffic lights. But that doesn't cover negative externalities:

San Francisco officials want to change the formula, basing impacts on the number of new automobile trips generated — something routinely calculated by developers. The result, proponents say, could encourage building in transit-heavy, walkable areas.

City officials began looking into changing the formula several years ago after determining that time spent at stoplights didn’t take into account carbon emissions, pedestrian safety and noise, said Rachel Hiatt, transportation authority senior planner.

As they say in the article, I believe it will change the way development happens in the city but I wonder if it will increase the resistance to transit projects because they might bring more developers.

3 comments:

crzwdjk said...

You know what else will change development in the city? Allowing supermarkets without parking lots. It's not the commute that needs to be moved away from cars in the city, it's everything else, and that's kind of hard to do when the nearest supermarkets are either far, or surrounded by giant parking lots, or both. And if you're wondering how a parking-less supermarket could work, just look at NYC, where they are plentiful.

Pantograph Trolleypole said...

Yeah parking requirements are crazy too. The Safeway parking lot on Market and Church is a complete waste of space. Especially at a place that is so transit rich. With the 22, J, K, L, M, N, F all passing through.

njh said...

Car parks are the death of america.