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D <br /> THE HISTO Y OF RPPs <br /> <br /> ,III Municipal action to minimize neighborhood problems, caused by commuters parking <br /> on-street and storing their vehicles for extended periods of time, has been <br /> implement d in many communities over the past three decades. Most often this <br /> action h s resulted in the creation of a Residential Preferential Parking <br /> district. <br /> The pred cessor to the development of RPPs began in the 1950's when many <br /> communiti s began to ban on-street parking at night. In conjunction with this, <br /> Milwaukee Wisconsin, was the first city to sell monthly permits to residents <br /> that exem ted their vehicles from the restrictions. Since the 1970's, special <br /> parking p rmit programs for residential neighborhoods have become fairly common <br /> as a tool to restrict nonresident parking. <br /> The major legal precedent supporting the creation of RPP districts was estab- <br /> lished in a Virginia County ordinance that had established such a program, but <br /> the State reversed this decision saying it denied "equal protection" under the <br /> 14th Amen ment. However, the U.S. Supreme Court on October 11, 1977, reversed <br /> this deni 1, thus upholding the local measure, and granted all governments the <br /> right to et zone boundaries and appropriate regulations for RPP programs, pro- <br /> vided no ser groups are denied total access. <br /> In part, he court stated that: <br /> "To reduce air pollution and other environmental <br /> effects of automobile commuting, a community reasonably may <br /> restrict on-street parking available to commuters, thus <br /> encouraging reliance on carpools and mass transit. The <br /> same goal is served by assuring convenient parking to <br /> residents who leave their cars at home during the day. A <br /> community may also decide that restrictions on the flow of <br /> outside traffic into particular residential areas would <br /> enhance the quality of life thereby reducing noise, traffic <br /> hazards, and litter. By definition, discrimination against <br /> nonresidents would inhere in such restrictions." <br /> This ru ing has consistently served as the legal guidepost for communities <br /> wishing to implement Residential Preferential Parking Programs. Since this <br /> decisio was handed down by the Supreme Court, many communities throughout the <br /> United tates have successfully implemented these types of programs. <br /> 1County Board of Arlington County, VA., et al., v. <br /> Rudolph A. Richards, et al, 434 U.S. 5, 7, 98 S. Ct. 24, <br /> 54 L. Ed. 2d 4 (1977) <br /> 5 <br /> <br />