Curb 301:
Moving Forward
from Parking
to Curbside Management
It is vital that all entities embrace the importance of reassessing their transportation system to prioritize service to disadvantaged communities. Our industry has crafted several examples of policies to address equity in transportation service. Now we must transition from policy to effective implementation. The equity portion of our website provides examples of progress in this area here.
As entities move towards implementing equity initiatives, ensuring access for users of all abilities must be integrated into managing curb space. With consistently evolving competing demands of the curb space, progressive pricing strategies and prioritization techniques must be viewed with an “equity lens.” Disadvantaged community members rely greatly on non-automobile modes of transport to essential services, emphasizing the need for priority access.
World class curbside management programs possess policies and implementation steps to prioritize curb space access for disadvantaged communities. The programs also balance access for users of all abilities with progressive pricing strategies to manage competing demands.
Equity /
Community Enhancement
As entities move from traditional parking authorities to progressive curbside management programs, the program’s mission should align with the city’s broader goals of urban sustainability. This goal ties directly to the critical curbside management element Measuring Success. Sustainability includes such elements as lowering vehicle emissions, encouraging non-auto modes, installing progressive stormwater management and green infrastructure, and accommodating electric vehicle charging needs.
World Class entities possess a jurisdiction-wide sustainability plan and connect the modal and pricing prioritization hierarchy to the plan.
Sustainability
A curb space hierarchy entails establishing default and street specific modal priorities for managing curb space. Fairly allocating space to the competing demands requires (1) an entity-wide default modal priority and (2) a process for prioritizing curb space at specific sites and as part of project planning and daily operations. The site / project level prioritization should reflect the street’s modal priority (curb running bike or transit lanes, commercial loading demands, etc.), tenant needs, and curb users’ docking / parking desires.
World class programs’ curb spaces function as part of the Complete Streets network, reflecting the modal priority of the streets and tenant desires, as well as ensuring equitable access for all users. The program changes its modal priorities based upon real time use and context, balancing commercial loading needs, traditional parking, curb running travel (transit, bike, peak period general purpose) lanes, and shared mobility modes.
Curb Hierarchy /modal prioritization
FP's guide introduces a streamlined curbside management allocation process for City practitioners, designed to integrate with planning, design, and operational procedures. It supports land development application reviews, project planning, Complete Streets design, traffic safety studies, small area plans, and routine curbside management assessments. The process enables the optimal allocation of curb space in alignment with the broader objectives of each study or assessment.
To use this guide, follow the nine steps that represent the new curb space allocation process.
World class programs integrate the FP process into planning, design, and operational procedures including:
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Curbside Analysis
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Small Area Planning
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Multimodal Project Planning
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Complete Streets Design
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Development Review
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Safety Studies
Apply FP's
Curb Space Allocation Process
Curb space has value - the industry has monetized it for decades to manage parking demand and generate revenue for street owners. With new competing demands, this space has dramatically risen in value over the past five - ten years. In parallel, technology has advanced, providing tools to curb space owners to manage and enforce compliance in this space in real-time. Curb space owners can now prioritize curb space with regulatory measures or pricing strategies, using variable pricing to implement mode and parking prioritization strategies.
World class programs develop and apply pricing strategies to regulate curb space access, with strategies reflecting the entity’s values and priorities. The strategies vary by time of day using real time demand data by location, and mode to align with their values and priorities.
Pricing Prioritization
Complementing the critical need for an organizational structure that integrates planning, design, operations, and maintenance of curb space, this element addresses the policies and procedures associated with reviewing land development applications, project planning, and urban street safety studies. FP's Allocation Process details the methodology.
World class entities, at a minimum, include curb space staff as part of the land development application review and project planning teams, as well as have established a curbside management safety assessment process to evaluate the safety of curbside operations. Example safety assessment components include (1) code compliance with buffers abutting intersections, access points, and fire hydrants; (2) evaluation of curb space activities to minimize conflicting movements and eliminate site distance obstacles; and (3) evaluation of curb space realm design to ensure accommodation of direct access by emergency vehicles.
interdepartmental applications
As entities mature from traditional parking programs to progressive curbside management programs, few entities are equipped to move forward without resource support. The evolution for each of these 20+ elements requires desire, funding, leadership support, and manpower. Recognizing this need and supplementing entity resources is a sign of a progressive program.
World class entities have planned procurement of resources based on the capabilities and limitations of the entity. The resources assist the entity in creating and sustaining a progressive curbside management system.