Boulder staff propose eliminating minimum parking requirements, new TDM ordinance and on‑street changes under AMPS update

City of Boulder planners on Wednesday presented a package of code and policy changes under the Access Management and Parking Strategy (AMPS) meant to reduce required parking, increase demand‑management funding and adjust on‑street parking rules.

In a roughly 30‑minute presentation to the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB), Lisa Hood, planner with Planning and Development Services, said staff “continue to recommend eliminating minimum parking requirements citywide for all land uses” and to pursue complementary changes including a new TDM ordinance and targeted on‑street management adjustments.

The AMPS update responds to the city council’s 2017 AMPS report, recent state legislation limiting local minimum parking mandates for multifamily housing near transit, and local goals on transportation and climate. Hood said the proposed off‑street changes would apply only to new development and redevelopment when properties seek permits, not retroactively.

Chris Haglund, principal project manager for Transportation and Mobility, described a proposed three‑tier approach for a TDM ordinance that would focus requirements and monitoring on larger projects. “Tier 2 would be the largest, most significant projects with the biggest impact on surrounding areas,” Haglund said, and would be subject to vehicle‑trip targets, monitoring and both annual and remedial financial guarantees that the developer or subsequent property owner must maintain.

Haglund said annual guarantees would fund on‑site programs — for example transit passes, vanpool subsidies or other measures — and remedial guarantees would provide funds if a property exceeds its trip target and requires additional measures to return to compliance. He said financial guarantee rates would be based on size, estimated employees or residential units and the estimated cost of required TDM elements.

Sam (Samantha) Bromberg of Community Vitality outlined proposed changes to the Neighborhood Parking Program (NPP). Recommendations include evaluating paid parking or other limits for non‑resident parking near schools and commercial areas; reducing guest/visitor permit availability in overcrowded zones; considering a limit of one permit per household; escalating fees for households requesting multiple permits; and limiting residential permits on mixed‑use blocks to balance curbside needs.

Staff told TAB they will study permit pricing, financial recovery, and options to fund a neighborhood “TDM wallet” — a program that could use paid parking revenue or vendor platforms to provide local transit passes or shared‑mobility credits to residents. Darcy, the TAB staff liaison, said the TDM wallet concept would reuse technology similar to the city’s Commutify effort but at a neighborhood level.

Bicycle parking standards also drew discussion. Hood said Boulder’s current numeric requirements are high compared with peer cities but staff will revisit design standards to better accommodate larger e‑bikes and cargo bikes and to improve long‑term, secure parking placement. Hood and others said EV charging requirements are covered in the city’s energy conservation code and will remain there rather than being duplicated in zoning code.

TAB members pressed staff on enforcement and retrofit options for existing development. Staff said the AMPS changes are scoped to meet a state deadline for off‑street parking changes and that retroactive citywide enforcement of bike‑rack design or other features would be a separate, potentially complex effort requiring additional staff, legal review and funding.

Why it matters: Eliminating parking minimums and pairing that with funded, enforceable TDM programs would shift costs from building parking structures toward programs that reduce vehicle trips, aligning land‑use rules with Boulder’s transportation and climate targets. The proposals also aim to reduce on‑street parking impacts in neighborhoods and provide a predictable funding path for ongoing TDM services.

What’s next: Staff will take TAB and council feedback to finalize thresholds, monitoring methods and financial guarantee levels. Hood said the AMPS work will return with more detailed proposals, including a financial analysis of permit pricing and final language to present to council in upcoming months.

Quotes in this article come from TAB staff during the Jan. 22, 2025 meeting.