Property owners should be able to make decisions regarding how many parking spots to provide in new developments, but in Orange County today, they can't. The lack of flexibility caused by parking mandates are a severe restriction to the different types of housing that can be built in Orange County. This has led to a lack of housing supply, higher rents, higher traffic and urban sprawl in rural and natural areas.

The Orlando metro area is one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. By 2050, Orange County’s population is estimated to increase by 700,000, exceeding 2 million residents. Therefore, we need to prepare for this growth in a smart and responsible way, which means innovating and forward-looking solution like ending parking mandates near 1/2 mile of transit countywide.

Parking Mandates are an outdated zoning law that creates barriers for small businesses, affordable housing, walkability, public transit and fighting against climate change. Already we are facing the impacts of parking mandates, worsening traffic, worsening flooding, a higher rents, hotter temperatures, and development in rural and natural areas. The high cost of building excessive parking - $5,000 per spot and $25,000 per spot in a parking garage - has increased construction costs for housing thus raising rent and preventing small, local and affordable housing developers from building.

Already, Minneapolis has ended parking mandates, seeing a decrease in rent by 17% saving people about $200 a month or $2400 a year in rent. San Diego saw an increase in affordable housing built by 6 times the next year after parking mandates were lifted near 1/2 mile of transit. As well, many cities across the country have seen that ending parking mandates has helped boost their economy by removing costs for small businesses and small local developers. In order to create vibrant and affordable communities, fight the climate crisis and prepare for population growth, we must eliminate parking mandates immediately in Orange County.