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       Regarding the Nov. 29 Metro article “Montgomery council backs eliminating parking mandate near public transit”:

       The Action Committee for Transit — a Montgomery County organization that advocates communities in which it is easier to travel and more pleasant to live — strongly endorses the proposed zoning change that would eliminate parking requirements at new housing developments within a half-mile of a Metro or Purple Line station and within a quarter-mile of a bus rapid-transit station. We recommend including office conversions and areas within a half-mile of a MARC rail station and within a quarter-mile of RideOn transit centers.

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       Requiring new housing developments to provide parking spaces needlessly limits new housing and increases housing costs. In downtown urban areas, such spaces must often be underground and are very expensive to build, further driving up the costs of building and living in new housing. Developers and renters alike lose out on opportunities because square footage that could be filled with housing is instead filled with expensive parking spaces.

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       The Montgomery Planning Board said we need 60,000 new housing units by 2040 for current and projected residents, and we are not building enough housing fast enough to keep up with this growth. The county is mostly built out, and more than one-third of it is still zoned for single-family houses. Making the best possible use of space that can accommodate the 60,000 new housing units we need — including multifamily buildings — means dedicating more space for living and less space for cars.

       Those who oppose this zoning change are free to remain where they live, choose housing developments near transit with the parking they need, or choose housing outside the scope of this zoning change.

       Eliminating parking requirements promotes housing near transit hubs and encourages car-free and car-light living, all of which reduce road congestion and lower carbon emissions.

       Amy Frieder, Rockville

       The writer is president of the Action Committee for Transit.

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