The City of Ann Arbor has removed mandatory parking minimums, joining other cities around the country. The city council voted 10-1 to eliminate them at last night’s meeting.
When a business or development builds in Ann Arbor, they are required to provide a certain number of parking spaces, even if they don’t need them. After last night’s city council meeting, the market will decide how much parking is needed.
Erica Briggs is a council member from the Fifth Ward.
“This eliminates the minimum number of parking spaces that are required, and it's across all uses. And this is an exciting trend we’re following with many cities across the United States.”
According to Briggs, by eliminating unnecessary parking, developments are able to save money, which makes housing and businesses more affordable. She says by reducing the amount of asphalt and using less space for parking, the city can be more walkable, which is good for the environment.
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU todayto keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org