Notice on the Issuance of the “Guiding Opinions on Strengthening and Improving Urban Parking Management”

Public Abe, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development: “Guiding Opinions on Strengthening and Improving Urban Parking Management”

General Office of the Ministry of Public Security

General Office of the Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development

File

Public Transport Administration [ No. 345 of 2019

To the Public Security Departments (Bureaus) of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government; to the Housing and Urban–Rural Development Departments (Commissions) of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government; to the Public Security Bureau and the Housing and Urban–Rural Development Bureau of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps; to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport; to the Tianjin Municipal Commission of Transport and the Municipal Administration Commission; to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Transport; and to the Chongqing Municipal Administration Commission:

To thoroughly implement the spirit of the Central Urban Work Conference, address the challenge of urban parking, and enhance the modernization of urban road traffic management, in accordance with the “Action Plan for Enhancing Civilized and Smooth Urban Road Traffic,” jointly issued by the Ministry of Public Security, the Central Office for Spiritual Civilization, the Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development, and the Ministry of Transport… In accordance with the requirements of the “Notice on the Implementation of the Guiding Opinions on Strengthening and Improving Urban Parking Management (2017–2020)” (Public Security General Letter [2017] No. 16), the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development have jointly formulated the “Guiding Opinions on Strengthening and Improving Urban Parking Management.” These are hereby issued; please, in light of local conditions, ensure their thorough implementation.

General Office of the Ministry of Public Security General Office of the Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development

June 10, 2019

On Strengthening and Improving Urban Parking Management

Guiding Opinions

To implement the spirit of the Central Urban Work Conference, deepen the Action Plan for Enhancing Urban Road Traffic Civility and Smoothness, improve the urban road traffic environment, alleviate urban parking shortages, elevate the quality of green travel, and promote high-quality urban development, the following opinions are hereby put forward regarding strengthening and improving urban parking management:

I. Guiding Principles

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, upholding the people-centered development philosophy and grounded in the urban transportation development strategy, we are committed to building a parking management system that is well‑regulated, orderly, safe, and convenient for the public. In close alignment with initiatives such as the Action Plan for Enhancing Civilized and Smooth Urban Road Traffic and the effort to establish model green‑transport cities, we will, in accordance with the overarching principles of government leadership, market guidance, social co‑governance, and public participation, rigorously standardize parking enforcement, accelerate the development of parking and charging infrastructure, make better use of existing parking resources, innovate in the application of parking‑information technologies, strengthen parking‑space management in key areas, and fully leverage the role of urban communities. Through these efforts, we aim to forge a governance framework based on joint construction, joint governance, and shared benefits, elevate the modernization of urban parking management, promote the coordinated development of urban transportation and the economy and society, and enhance the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security.

II. Basic Principles

(1) Uphold government leadership and collaborative governance. Establish and improve a city‑level parking management system and mechanism under the leadership of municipal people’s governments; refine parking management policies, clarify responsibilities, and foster a governance framework characterized by unified government coordination, close interdepartmental collaboration, deep community engagement, and collaborative co‑governance.

(2) Adhere to a tailored approach and differentiated supply. According to In accordance with the principle of “primarily providing parking through building‑integrated facilities, supplemented by off‑street public parking, and further supported by on‑street parking,” and in alignment with the functional zoning of the city, the scale of parking infrastructure is determined on a case‑by‑case basis. On the basis of adequately meeting basic parking needs, this approach seeks to achieve a gradual, orderly reduction in on‑street parking spaces in the central urban area.

(3) Adhere to demand-side regulation and price-based guidance. Encourage the public to adopt green modes of transportation and alleviate parking pressure in key areas, on priority road segments, and during peak periods. Leverage market pricing mechanisms to, in accordance with… Adhering to the principle of “on-street parking fees higher than off-street, ground-level parking higher than multi‑level, above‑ground higher than underground, busy‑area rates higher than peripheral areas, and peak‑hour rates higher than off‑peak hours,” we will promote the development of parking pricing schemes that vary by zone, road segment, time period, and vehicle type, thereby effectively managing travel‑related parking demand.

(4) Adhere to information-driven approaches and resource sharing. Integrate parking resource data and information, advance the development and deployment of parking information management platforms and internet-based parking guidance systems, and enhance the level of informatization in parking management and services. Promote temporal‑spatial reallocation of parking resources, staggered‑time sharing, and fee‑based utilization; pilot time‑limited parking in high‑demand areas with a “park-and-go” policy to improve parking turnover rates.

(5) Uphold a strategy of achieving breakthroughs in key areas and governing in accordance with the law. Strengthen parking management in key areas such as older residential neighborhoods, hospitals, and schools; refine parking‑traffic coordination; standardize the placement of parking facilities; and unlock the full potential of existing parking resources to address parking challenges to the greatest extent possible. Establish and improve a coordinated enforcement mechanism for parking violations, make full use of technological tools, intensify law‑enforcement and regulatory efforts, gradually achieve comprehensive coverage of parking‑related enforcement, and work diligently to eliminate parking‑related disorder.

III. Main Tasks

(1) Improve and refine the parking management system, and streamline the institutional mechanisms for parking management.

1. Improve the legal and regulatory framework for urban parking management. In accordance with relevant laws and regulations, and in light of local parking management realities, fully leveraging local legislative authority, we will promote the formulation of local parking management statutes and systems and establish mechanisms for the construction and operation of parking facilities, thereby providing legal support and safeguards for the law-based governance of parking issues.

2. Promote the implementation of the government-led system of division of responsibilities. Proactively report the current status of parking development to the government, advocate for the establishment of a government‑led coordination mechanism for parking management, designate a lead department for parking administration, and clearly delineate the responsibilities and tasks of relevant agencies—including housing and urban–rural development, land and planning, transportation, development and reform, public security traffic management, urban management, and civil defense—so as to ensure coordinated implementation of assigned duties.

3. Establish and refine a mechanism for the construction and operation of parking facilities. Accelerate the industrialization of the parking sector and deepen… The “delegation, regulation, and service” reform streamlines procedures for investment, construction, and operational management, thereby attracting broad participation of social capital in the urban parking sector. Innovative financing and investment mechanisms for parking facilities are being introduced, encouraging financial institutions and private enterprises to provide funding support, and exploring the promotion of public‑private partnership (PPP) models for developing public parking infrastructure. Efforts are being made to ensure that parking facilities are planned, constructed, and put into use in tandem with the development of urban land parcels. Oversight of parking facility usage is being strengthened, with strict enforcement against illegal operations—such as unlicensed or unauthorized business activities, unlawful marking of parking spaces, arbitrary misappropriation or occupation of parking spots, unauthorized enclosure of land for charging, and localized, on‑site fee collection.

4. Punish illegal parking in accordance with the law. Publicly disclose no-parking zones, road segments, and time periods, and employ a combination of measures—including police patrols, enforcement vehicle video recording, and surveillance camera capture—to promptly address illegal parking. Leverage breakdown‑assistance vehicles to swiftly tow away illegally parked vehicles, thereby increasing the time‑cost of such violations. Record repeated instances of illegal parking by the same driver at the same location in the transportation‑related credit information database and make this information publicly available in accordance with the law, imposing joint punitive measures for失信 (untrustworthy) behavior.

(II) Promote the orderly development of parking facilities and optimize the structure of parking supply.

5. Scientifically formulate a special plan for parking facilities. Based on the urban master plan and the comprehensive urban transportation system plan, a specialized parking facilities plan shall be prepared, an annual implementation schedule shall be formulated, and an evaluation, feedback, and monitoring mechanism shall be established. The specialized plan shall be grounded in the current status of parking facilities and demand forecasts, and, in accordance with the fundamental principles of differentiated supply and demand management, shall clearly define parking management policy orientations and objectives, the layout and scale of parking infrastructure, the sequencing of construction projects, and corresponding measures, while being promptly incorporated into the overall development plan. The specialized plan shall comply with the “Urban Parking Planning Code” ( GB/T 51149, the “Urban Parking Facility Planning Guidelines,” and relevant requirements for the construction of charging infrastructure.

6. Develop reasonable parking provision standards. In light of urban development conditions and trends, organize the research and formulation of local standards for the provision of parking facilities in new, renovated, and expanded urban construction projects. Taking into account urban parking development strategies, traffic management policies, and other relevant factors, and based on the functional characteristics and parking demand of different types of construction projects, rationally determine the corresponding parking facility allocation ratios. Furthermore, in response to evolving urban transportation dynamics, conduct periodic assessments of the implementation of these parking facility allocation standards, make timely adjustments as needed, and promptly disclose the results to the public.

7. Strengthen the construction and management of ancillary parking facilities. Leverage the traffic impact assessment system, and in strict accordance with relevant national regulations and local parking‑space allocation standards, review the number of parking facilities to be provided and the design of access points for newly constructed, renovated, or expanded public buildings and residential communities. Establish a supervision and inspection mechanism for parking‑space construction to ensure that developers strictly adhere to the prescribed standards when providing parking facilities, and, in compliance with applicable regulations, install electric‑vehicle charging infrastructure and reserve the necessary installation conditions. Actively promote the development of ancillary charging facilities at parking lots, and work toward establishing a well‑planned, smart, and efficient charging‑infrastructure network.

8. Promote the development of off-street public parking facilities. Increase the intensity of land, financial, and policy support for public parking facilities, fully tap and utilize both above‑ground and underground spaces, and actively promote the construction of compact parking structures such as parking garages, underground parking lots, and mechanical multi‑level parking systems. Encourage the installation of temporary parking facilities on underutilized urban sites, idle industrial areas, and marginal vacant lots, and adopt diversified measures to expand the supply of public parking capacity.

9. Standardize the marking of on-street parking spaces. It is necessary to regularly analyze how the location and quantity of on-street parking spaces affect traffic flow, adopting tailored strategies for each road and conducting site-specific studies, with a view to gradually reducing such spaces and phasing them out in a rational manner. On-street parking spaces must not encroach upon sidewalks; they should ensure the continuity and safety of both sidewalks and bicycle lanes, without impeding pedestrians’ and cyclists’ daily travel. In megacities and super‑cities, the total number of on‑street parking spaces shall not exceed a certain proportion of the overall parking supply. 8%; in small and medium-sized cities, it shall not exceed 15%.

(3) Revitalize existing parking resources and implement scientific management of parking demand.

10. Promote the opening of internal parking facilities to the public. The competent authorities for the urban parking sector shall formulate tailored management measures and systematically guide the opening of parking facilities to the public. They should promote the public access of on‑site parking lots that meet safety‑management requirements, encourage commercial parking lots and privately owned parking facilities to remain open to the public around the clock, and implement paid usage and time‑shifted sharing arrangements.

11. Rationally regulate temporary parking demand. In light of urban road functions and traffic volumes, strengthen time‑limited management of on‑street parking spaces, strictly regulate the hours and durations of parking use, and, where feasible, provide limited capacity to meet temporary parking needs. For special parking requirements—such as vehicles for persons with disabilities, taxis, urban logistics vehicles, and areas around public restrooms—designate dedicated parking spaces and, based on prevailing traffic conditions, impose strict limits on parking durations.

12. Implement a differentiated parking pricing policy. Improve the urban parking pricing mechanism and strictly standardize parking fee management. For commercial parking facilities, set parking rates in accordance with market principles and the goal of reasonable profitability, and use differentiated pricing to regulate parking demand. Public‑benefit parking facilities, such as park-and-ride lots, and on‑street parking spaces shall be subject to government‑set pricing, with tiered rates applied based on location, facility conditions, and other factors.

13. Encourage park-and-ride schemes and the use of green transportation modes. Public‑purpose parking facilities are being planned and constructed at bus hubs and rail transit stations on the periphery of the city center, with optimized park-and-ride system designs that shorten transfer distances and offer preferential parking‑and‑ride rates, encouraging motorists to switch to public transport when entering the central urban area. Meanwhile, bicycle‑parking management at urban subway and other public‑transport stations, along with improvements to sidewalk environments, is being strengthened to regulate parking秩序 and promote sustainable, green travel.

(4) Aggregate parking resource information to enhance the intelligence of parking management.

14. Establish and improve a registration system for parking facilities. Establish and improve a system for the registration of urban parking facilities, clearly defining requirements regarding registration conditions, time limits, project details, and accountability, to ensure that newly constructed, renovated, or expanded parking facilities are registered in a timely manner. Operating entities shall, in accordance with the law, complete registration procedures; those who fail to file within the prescribed time limit, submit false registration materials, or operate parking facilities without proper registration shall be subject to lawful penalties by the competent authority overseeing the parking industry.

15. Improve and update information on urban parking facilities. Establish a city‑wide parking infrastructure database, continuously updating data on parking facility construction and management, spatial planning, space utilization, and fee structures, and making this information publicly accessible. Enhance the deployment of front‑end data‑collection devices at parking facilities, advance the development and application of vehicle‑information‑capture technologies such as license‑plate recognition, image recognition, and electronic tags, and ensure timely, accurate transmission of data on parking‑space occupancy and vehicle‑parking characteristics. Strengthen information sharing and data interoperability among parking authorities and departments responsible for public security traffic management, housing and urban–rural development, and land‑use planning, thereby fostering coordinated efforts in management, infrastructure development, and urban planning.

16. Enhance the quality of parking information services. Build a city‑wide parking management information platform to share both static and dynamic parking data, providing public‑facing information services. Actively promote the integrated development of urban parking management with the mobile internet, leveraging new technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and vehicle‑infrastructure cooperation to enable functions like parking‑information inquiry, parking‑space reservation, parking‑guidance, seamless payment, and reverse car‑finding. This will enhance the utilization rate of parking facilities, reduce time spent searching for spaces and circling around, and foster harmonious coordination between static and dynamic traffic flows.

(5) Innovate collaborative parking governance models to address parking challenges in key areas.

17. Implement comprehensive measures to address parking challenges in older residential communities. In conjunction with the development of a community governance system, we will foster a social governance framework for parking that emphasizes co‑construction, co‑governance, and shared benefits. By tapping into underutilized spaces—such as vacant lots in residential areas, underground spaces, and areas beneath overpasses—we will encourage the development of multi‑storey parking facilities where feasible, thereby alleviating the shortage of parking resources. We will also optimize traffic management within and around residential neighborhoods; subject to safety regulations and basic traffic flow requirements, we will designate time‑limited nighttime parking spaces on adjacent road segments to meet residents’ needs for overnight parking.

18. Optimize parking management both inside and outside the hospital. Scientifically establish parking‑supply standards for hospitals, fully accounting for patient‑visit demand and expanding the availability of parking facilities. Relocate hospital staff parking needs to nearby underutilized parking resources, while reserving hospital parking spaces for vehicles serving patients. Optimize traffic management within and around the hospital by implementing measures such as separate entry and exit points, one‑way traffic flow, and the addition of temporary drop‑off lanes, thereby ensuring seamless internal and external traffic circulation.

19. Implement scientific management of parking on roads surrounding schools. In response to the tidal patterns of student‑transport vehicles, schools are encouraged to utilize underground spaces, schoolyards, and other available areas to establish temporary drop‑off lanes, and to designate appropriately arranged short‑term parking spots and “stop‑and‑go” bays, thereby minimizing disruptions to surrounding traffic. Additionally, initiatives such as police‑community school‑guard posts and school‑family partnerships are being promoted, with traffic volunteers, on‑duty parents, or security personnel providing door‑to‑door pick‑up and drop‑off services. Proactive coordination with education authorities to implement staggered arrival times and flexible dismissal schedules further helps disperse the concentrated parking of student‑transport vehicles.

IV. Relevant Requirements

(1) Strengthen organizational leadership. The people’s government of the city is the primary entity responsible for parking management. In conjunction with the Action Plan for Enhancing Urban Road Traffic Civility and Smoothness, we should urge city people’s governments to establish and strengthen parking management institutions, clarify the division of responsibilities among relevant departments, improve coordination mechanisms, and ensure effective implementation.

(II) Strengthen deployment and promotion. All localities should treat urban parking management as a key initiative for improving people’s livelihoods, proactively report to their respective Party committees and governments, and actively seek policy support, institutional safeguards, and financial investment. Based on local conditions, they should formulate implementation plans for urban parking management, clearly delineate responsibilities, establish timelines and roadmaps, and meticulously organize and advance the work to ensure tangible results.

(3) Strengthen categorized guidance. It is necessary to address the challenges of parking management in different types of cities and across various urban districts by adopting differentiated requirements, tailored guidance, and precision‑targeted policies. We must uphold a model‑driven approach, identify and promote exemplary cities, strengthen focused guidance, and develop a set of replicable and scalable best practices. At appropriate times, we should share and disseminate advanced experiences and approaches, fostering mutual inspiration, cross‑learning, and collective progress to elevate the overall standard of parking management.