Strategies like dynamic parking prices, bus-lane enforcement, and accessible infrastructure can make curbs equitable and efficient.
These days, the quest for curb space is a Darwinian struggle for survival. Parking, bus stops and lanes, bicycling, freight delivery, and ride-hailing services compete in a kind of insane dance with no choreographer.
At least it can appear that way, although in reality most cities have taken rudimentary steps to coordinate the many uses of the curb. This long-ignored piece of concrete has become anything and everything—prompting Sabrina Sussman, Zipcar’s public partnerships manager, to tweet that “2018 is the year of the curb.”
The conversation has shifted into high gear, argued Sussman. “What we’re seeing this year is really strong calls for action from cities,” along with “mobility providers recognizing that they do in fact need continuous support and access to the curb.”
“Cities that have either made parking free to cheap, or undervalued that as an asset,” she added, “are now in a place where they’re having to think really hard about how you make that transition,” to a 21st century space with a plethora of uses.
To succeed requires juggling three elements: equity, environmental sustainability, and financial needs. Long-term curb management thus means that cities have to reflect on their values and make tough decisions.
Equity means cars can’t always be prioritized
Efficient use of curb space benefits everyone. Yet parking is often prioritized, limiting other uses. This is often justified by the misperception that car parking is good for business.
Curb Appeal, from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), points out this perception is often wrong. In downtowns, transit, walking, and biking often bring far more customers to businesses than do cars. So, on one Los Angeles Street, only 7 percent of patrons arrived by car while “46 percent arrived by transit.” On a Brooklyn street, 33 percent of customers came by bus and on a San Francisco street “90 percent took transit or walked.”
Clearly, the business incentive should be to facilitate multiple modes. Yet cars often take the lion’s share of space.
NACTO also found that a metered parking space may only serve 15 vehicles a day while a bus stop can serve 1,000 riders. Sussman pointed out that “one Zipcar means a reduction of up to 13 personally owned vehicles.”
NACTO recommends allocating curb space equitably, particularly in dense areas, so that public transportation can move smoothly and traffic can be improved.
Access for those with disabilities is also important. “In most cities, curbs are not up to par with Americans with Disabilities Act standards,” said Sarah M. Kaufman, assistant director of the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation. It’s important to have “more and better ramps, and consistent ramps” as well as sidewalks with room for wheelchairs.
While people with disabilities have primacy on ramps, as a person who often rides a bike, I can attest to the usefulness of ramps for other wheeled vehicles that may need sidewalk access. Shopping carts also come to mind. Such ramps are part of a complete pedestrian-accessible city.
Pushback from businesses afraid of losing customers often slows such changes. Yet, in reality, maximizing access benefits everyone. Given the costs of today’s curb anarchy, businesses can even become advocates for better curb management.
Curb management 101
Equitable curb management is a huge aspect of complete streets, Meghan Mitman, a principal at Fehr & Peers Transportation Consultants, said. “I consider curbside management to be complete curbs,” she said. Rather than separate agencies or companies handling curb space in a vacuum, the key is comprehensive management.
For Sussman, every city and every situation is different, requiring a unique mix of policy tools. Of course, there are some broader trends. Following the disruption that ride hailing initially brought, the trend across cities has been toward greater coordination. “Newer entrants into the mobility sphere have learned some lessons, observed some best practices,” said Sussman, moving the balance toward collaboration.
Managing curb behavior can be as simple as allocating specific space for specific uses, such as bike lanes and bus stops. Varying charges for use of curb space, based on demand, is another strategy for improving flow.
This is useless, however, without enforcement. Double parking, for instance, still routinely blocks buses and bike lanes. Fortunately, technology is providing some new tools. Sussman pointed to technology from license plate recognition to digital tracking. “Automated enforcement, which is consistent, predictable, and unbiased, is demonstrated to improve the efficiency of the entire street,” according to NACTO.
Regulating delivery vehicles is also critical. When necessary, businesses may be willing to pay more for peak-time delivery, but most freight should be relegated to early and late hours when little else is going on. NACTO recommends allocating space for brief parking in front of some buildings for freight delivery, with drop off points in less prime locations a few blocks away for longer stops. Trading off proximity for certainty may benefit everyone.
“Everyone drives around looking for that unicorn space” to park cheap said Steve Davis, an associate at Fehr & Peers. Pushing the freight price up during peak times will keep such treasured spaces available, ensuring delivery of “critical time-sensitive freight that might be worth paying that premium.” Other freight can then be delivered during off-peak hours, leaving the curb free for other uses during key periods.
Kaufman also recommended “more efficient modes” of delivery, such as electric cargo tricycles now being used in Hamburg, Germany.
Here’s a great example of curb management from Paris: express bus lane, higher grade bike lane, and wide sidewalk for pedestrians. (Photo by Jenna Fortunati)
Making curb management flexible
Current curb management uses pricing to manage “high demand during peaks or during special events” such as sporting events, said Davis. Making curb parking as expensive as other parking reduces the incentive for “circulating around looking for parking.” This means trading time for money. While many cities still have shortchanged time, this is beginning to change. Curb prices can be raised to reflect true market value.
We are only at the beginning. A more sophisticated model allows a changing array of uses throughout the day. NACTO’s Curbside Management webpage shows a predominance of freight delivery up to 6 a.m., buses and other means of dropping off employees at about 7:30 a.m., parklets springing up at mid-day, passengers returning in the evening along with dining, and freight again predominant at night.
Changing pricing based on the length a space is needed is one way to “incentivize shorter stopovers for greater economic turnover,” said Sussman. The first hour might be relatively inexpensive, but the longer a space is used, the more it would cost per hour.
Such techniques can help manage the flow of curb space. Yet they are only steps toward full dynamic pricing, which changes continuously based on supply and demand. For this to happen, computer technology needs to map out the best times and places for various activities
San Francisco, Calif. has taken a bold step forward, pricing on-street parking and city-operated garages according to actual use throughout the day. The intention is to keep parking at 60 to 80 percent occupancy; if occupancy is too high, parking prices rise by 25 cents. Sensors on meters help regulate the price.
Technology is also moving into more and more hands, so while most spaces now use meters and boxes, said Sussman, smart phones are becoming more viable.
Finally, technology is making mapping of cities practical, even routine. Technologists are “trying to map” city streets, similarly to way you would use Google maps or Waze to navigate from point A to point B,” said Ingrid Ballús Armet, an engineer at Fehr & Peers. “You can see where the curbside use is throughout the city and you can find parking or loading that you’re looking for.” As of yet, we have only an inkling of how a full network of smart technology may help turn chaos into a tightly choreographed ballet.
Philosophy matters
Curb management says as much about a city as tax policy says about a nation. What does a city value? What does it prioritize?
This is where community values come in. While communities will have different opinions regarding transit versus car predominance, environmental and equity goals should be considered. Preferring individual cars also has a local impact on air quality and a global one on climate change.
Solutions for allocating curb space may end up combining demand pricing with mandates or nudges for equity and sustainability. Buses and bike lanes may be given absolute priority in certain spaces, while, for instance, van and car pools may have reduced prices.
In a period with little federal guidance, it is largely up to individual cities to keep the larger good in mind.
Photo of Victoria, BC by Owain James for Mobility Lab.