Transportation System Plan 2018-2038

• Work with railroads and appropriate state agenci es to minimize the blockage of public streets at railroad crossings to facilitate traffic m ovem ent, especially emergency service vehicles. Passenger Rail Passenger rail service is not presently available in Medf ord. The City should encourage efforts to m ake intercity passenger rail service available to the Medford area. Park ing Management The Medford Transportation System Plan must address the state transportation planning requirem ent that local governm ents adopt land use and subdivision regulations to reduce reliance on the autom obile through the use of parking m anagem ent strategi es. As indicated in OAR 660-01209945 (5(c) requires that these regulations im plem ent a parking plan that “achieves a 10 percent reduction in the number of parking spaces per capita in the MPO area over the planning period” . This reduction can be achieved through a variety of m eans including a reduction in th e num ber of new parking spaces, redevelopm ent of existing parking spaces for other uses, or other strategies. It has long been known that the availability of free pa rking in our cities has contributed significantly to many of the quality of life problem s experienced by these sam e cities. Free parking contributes to the choice to drive rather than seek an alternative means of travel, l eading to increased congestion, air pollution, energy consum ption and a degradation of neighborhoods. Free park ing consum es substantial acreage in our city centers and suburban areas, and creat es an environm ent that is often hostile to transit riders, bicy clists and pedestrians. The challenge in m eeting the required parking reduction goal is to reduce the parking supply in way s that not only help to achieve m ulti-m odal travel and quality of life goals, but which is also equitable for all parties involved. Strategies Strategies for parking m anagem ent are segregated into three categories including: on-street parking managem ent, off-street parking m anagement, and general strategies a ffecting parking supply reduction: On-Street Parking Management The use of street space for parking is a conscious choice about the use of a valuable com munity resource. This sam e space could be used for m ultiple other pur poses including vehicle travel lanes, bicy cle lanes and/or widened sidewalks that could enhance the pe destrian-friendly appearance of a street. Thus, the decision to use this space for on-street parking s hould be based on a m anaged approach that seeks to maximize overall com munity return on investm ent. A ccordingly , the following approach should be taken to managing the City ’s current and future on-street parking supply : • Prohibit on-street parking on arterial and m ajor collector streets to m aximize street capacity . • Manage on-street parking in the downtown a nd TODs to slow traffic, support businesses and facilitate pedestrian m ovem ent. • Provide on-street carpool/vanpool parking spaces in preferential locations. • In all decisions about on-street parking stri ve to achieve a balance am ong parking needs, congestion, and safety for all users including pedestrians. • Consider allowing use of available on-street parking to satisfy parking requirem ents for developm ent. Medford Transportation System Plan 1-25 Introduction and Executive Summary