Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

The city of Portland is really blazing trails with parking-free housing near transit corridors. As we reported before, many Portlanders have seized on the opportunity for more affordable housing and chosen to live in developments without any car parking.

false

Still, many Portlanders who live in transit-oriented developments own cars, and those cars can take up a lot of space. The question, says Chris Smith at Portland Transit, is how to craft policies that help people drive when they need to, without owning their own cars:

One interesting tidbit from the research that has been conducted about residents of recently built apartments: they use cars a lot less than the average citizen, at least for commute trips. Only 36% said they commute by single occupancy vehicle. That compares to 59% city-wide.

But 72% of these households are NOT car-free, which says they are owning cars for purposes other than commuting.

That's an interesting policy problem, as car storage (parking) may impact neighborhood livability as much or more than actual car use. What kind of policies might keep car ownership more in line with (commuting) car use? ZipCar, Car2Go and GetAround, where are you?

Elsewhere on the Network today:  The Greater Marin says that, contrary to what is often assumed, urban form is the result of policies, not necessarily preferences. Biking Toronto calls it a "travesty" that the Jarvis Street bike lane will be removed by city officials tomorrow. And Stop and Move comments on a Honda ad campaign that makes sleep-deprived driving seem like a normal, socially acceptable thing to do.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday’s Headlines Got DOGE’d Again

Amidst uncertainty about future federal funding, Amtrak is cutting $100 million and 450 jobs.

May 9, 2025

Friday Video: Where Was the First Public Bus Route in the World?

...and which surprising historical figure helped launch it?

May 9, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: ‘Normal’ is Not Correct, Someone Died Here

After a crash, the debris is quickly cleaned up and everyone moves on (usually too quickly). But these two experts are asking us to all slow down.

May 8, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Are Not Gonna Pay a Lot for This Truck

President Trump's tariffs, along with rising insurance costs, are driving down Americans' interest in owning a car.

May 8, 2025

How One Suburb is Using Transit to Transform Into a True City

A Washington State suburb may be poised to evolve into a true transit-oriented hub – and offer lessons for other bedroom communities, even during an anti-transit era.

May 8, 2025
See all posts