Note: This pilot credit was closed for new registrations as of March 1, 2012.
The Location and Planning Technical Advisory Group (LP TAG) believes that the current version of LEED parking credits (i.e. SSc4.4: Alternative Transportation – Parking Capacity) does not sufficiently motivate project teams to supply leadership-type reductions in parking supply. Meeting local zoning requirements often results in an excessive amount of parking.
With that in mind, this pilot credit removes reference to zoning requirements (replaced instead with reference to a separate standard, the ITE Transportation Planning Handbook) and requires reductions below what many local zoning requirements would allow. The LP TAG believes that this is a progressive update to the parking credits, as it requires project teams to seek variances from local code in much the same way that teams would seek variances for green roofs and waterless urinals.
The reduction in parking supply is a significant design strategy to reduce land consumption, development costs, and impermeable surfaces; support increased density and pedestrian-oriented urban design; reduce vehicle miles traveled; and incentivize alternative modes of transportation.
Credit Submittals
General
- Register a username at LEEDuser.com, and participate in online forum
- Submit the feedback survey using the link on the USGBC.org credit page; supply PDF of your survey/confirmation of completion with credit documentation
Credit Specific
- Indication of the PCC use classification used by the project
- Total number of spaces that PCC recommends for the project’s use classification
- Total number of spaces provided by the project and percent reduction below PCC recommendation
Additional Questions
- For your project’s location, are the thresholds given above, at, or below local zoning requirements?
- Do you believe it is appropriate to have separate thresholds for locations surrounded by density or diverse uses (LTc2) and/or with low automobile use (LTc3)? Why or why not?
- If you had to seek a local zoning code variance, how difficult or easy was it to do so? Did you mention pursuit of this LEED credit? If so, how did it affect the process?
- Do you believe that ITE’s Transportation Planning Handbook (and the PCC ratios it contains) is the appropriate standard to reference? If not, what other standard do you recommend?