The city of Uster’s previous parking space regulations were issued back in 1992. The aim of the recent revision of the regulation, which also led to its re-designation as a “parking regulation,” was to adapt it to reflect the current traffic, policy and planning situation.
Starting situation
There have been a number of changes since the city of Uster’s previous parking space regulation (PSR) came into effect in 1992. The changes relate to new attitudes toward transportation and new transportation modalities, as well as to new policy and planning objectives at cantonal and municipal levels.
City council motion
A motion in favor of revising the parking space ordinance so as to better promote sustainable forms of housing and transportation was submitted to the Uster City Council in 2015. In particular, the motion called upon the City Council to adapt the PSR to help accomplish the following objectives:
- Promote car-free or car-reduced settlements.
- Reduce the costs associated with the provision of parking spaces in new residential developments.
- Specify a maximum number of permissible parking spaces for motor vehicles.
- Increase the minimum number of parking spaces for bicycles.
- Specify the number of parking spaces for motorcycles.
PSR revision
An accommodation of these objectives in the PSR necessitated a total revision. In addition to presenting an opportunity to address longstanding deficiencies, the total revision permitted a fundamental change in the structure of the regulation. This, in turn, enabled the council to take better account of the needs of parking-space users. The regulation was therefore re-designated as a Parking Regulation because its new scope went beyond conventional parking spaces to include parking for bicycles, motorcycles and baby carriages.
Alignment with cantonal guidelines
In order to help municipal authorities with the task of drafting municipal parking space ordinances, the canton of Zurich issued a set of guidelines known as the “Guidelines for Managing Parking Space Needs in Municipalities” in 1997. As it turns out, these guidelines were also under revision at the time of the parking-space regulation’s revision. However, thanks to their close consultation with the canton, the framers of the new Parking Regulation for the city of Uster were able to take account of the pending cantonal guidelines.