Parking cashout campaign addendum

March 2021

DC Parking Cashout Campaign Addendum We Finally Won! Campaign Updates and Additional Lessons Learned Since Report Publication in May 2018 What follows is a play-by-play update on the campaign after publication of our report in May 2018, when we had failed to win passage of our parking cash-out bill. We’ve also added to our lessons-learned for legislative tactics.

Timeline -- Continuation of the Campaign:

Cheryl Cort canvassing for parking cash-out bill in Ward 4 at the first Open Streets event. With Douglas Stallworth, transit advocate.

May 2018: When we released our report, the bill was waiting for markup in committee, where the Councilmembers would discuss the bill, consider amendments, and then vote to advance it to the full Council. However, the DC Ward 3 Councilmember and chair of the Transportation Committee Mary Cheh had heard from lobbyists from major institutions like hospitals and universities, who opposed the bill because they own parking rather than lease it for their employees. These institutions claimed it would be too difficult to provide a cash-out option despite already managing and pricing parking for a variety of users. Parking cash-out legislation in other jurisdictions exempts owned parking, but we did not want to provide this large loophole. Instead, we proposed to have cash-out requirements cover owned parking, but give the employer 12 months to repurpose the parking.

June to December 2018: The bill remained stalled in committee through the end of the legislative session in December 2018 with only two of the three votes needed.

February 2019: Bill sponsors, led by Councilmember Charles Allen and Cheh, reintroduced the bill in a new legislative session. The reintroduced bill made a major concession to employers by exempting currently owned parking offered to employees.

March 2021

DC Parking Cashout Campaign Addendum Timeline continuned June 2019: Supporters were unable to secure a third vote for the amended bill in committee.

August 2019: Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd, a key swing vote needed to get out of committee, drew a prominent challenger for the June 2, 2020 Democratic primary (which decides most elections).

October 5, 2019: CSG organizes a petition canvass at the city’s first Open Streets event held on Georgia Avenue in Wards 4 and Ward 1.

CSG and volunteers collected 225 signatures, with 92 from Ward 4.

November 14 2019: Ward 4 supporters, CSG and allies meet with Ward 4 Councilmember Todd to ask for his vote for the bill in Committee.

December 19, 2019: Councilmember Todd tells CSG he will support the bill.

January 28, 2020: The Committee vote is unanimous: 4 – 0.

Despite strong eleventh-hour industry lobbying, Councilmember Todd maintained his support for the bill, and Councilmember McDuffie, after expressing concerns, also voted for the bill in Committee. To gain this support, the legislators made a number of amendments. The final bill covered employers with 20 or more employees (as originally proposed), who offered leased parking or a direct subsidy for commute parking; provided an exception for parking that is currently owned; and also allowed employers to opt for alternative compensation by increasing a health benefit, or by implementing a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan.

CSG volunteer canvasser Rashuan Bennett at Open Streets event.

March 2021

DC Parking Cashout Campaign Addendum Timeline continued March 3, 2020: The DC Council votes for the bill unanimously in both the Committee of the Whole and in the first vote of the full Council. In advance of the vote, CSG succeeded in getting more than 100 constituents to contact their Councilmembers to express their support for the bill. Councilmember McDuffie questioned numerous provisions of the bill before the votes, while the bill sponsors, Councilmembers Cheh and Allen, defended the bill and noted the many concessions made to address employer concerns.

Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd, Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, Ward 3 Councilmember and chair, Mary Cheh, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen.

April 7, 2020: The DC Council voted 12-0. The final vote occurred with an unexpected twist. The bill vote was put on the consent agenda, given that the vote was unanimous at the first two votes.

However, in a surprise move at the legislative meeting on April 7, Councilmember McDuffie requested to remove the bill from the consent agenda, citing recent complaints he had received from businesses. Councilmember Cheh defended the bill and committee process, explaining that many amendments were made to address concerns raised by employers.

McDuffie's action surprised bill proponents. CSG did not send out another action alert prior to the final vote, as originally planned, because of the gravity of the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency. More than 100 constituents had already written their councilmembers to urge support in advance of the earlier vote in March. CSG believed that the bill was in a solid position to pass given the unanimous vote on the first votes, and the bill's placement on the consent agenda.

Chairman Mendelson called for an immediate vote on the bill after it was removed from the consent agenda. In the vote, every Councilmember voted for the bill -- including Councilmember McDuffie.

DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson at final vote.

March 2021

DC Parking Cashout Campaign Addendum More lessons-learned in our step-by-step legislative strategy: #15 Secure the necessary votes to pass committee (continued) by continuing to mobilize constituents, allies, influential people and organizations to whom the Councilmember responds. Be persistent. Find volunteers, who are constituents, to focus on each Councilmember whose vote is needed and have them reach out to the Councilmember and attend events where the Councilmember is present so they can speak to their Councilmember. Be persistent in asking for a meeting with the Councilmember. Work with prominent constituents or interest groups to ask for the meeting. #16 Persistently seek out opportunities to reach the Councilmembers needed for the vote. If a meeting does not move the Councilmember to support, continue to look for opportunities to persuade the Councilmember and be persistent.

Seek out knowledgeable constituents to advise your campaign on opportunities to persuade the legislator.

For example, on the advice of a prominent Ward 4 transit and bicycle activist, CSG mobilized a petition drive at the first Open Streets event in DC, which ran through Ward 4 all day on a Saturday. Ward 4 is represented by the Councilmember who was most likely to be the third vote on the committee to advance the bill. The petition canvass was a highly visible way to contact Ward 4 constituents who were likely to be supportive. The CSG volunteers collected petition signatures close to the Ward 4 Councilmember’s table at the event. CSG followed up this petition outreach effort by working with constituents to secure another meeting with the Ward 4 Councilmember. The petition effort and follow up demonstrated to the Councilmember that we were not giving up and that he had constituents who supported the bill.

Ward 5 activists meeting with Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie.

March 2021

DC Parking Cashout Campaign Addendum More lessons-learned in our step-by-step legislative strategy: Since the Councilmember had never clearly said whether he supported or opposed the bill, we were motivated to keep trying to persuade him. Also, keep track of the political dynamics that might shift a legislator’s positions. For example, during this time the Ward 4 Council race became competitive with a challenger that caused the incumbent Ward 4 Councilmember to reconsider some of his positions (the challenger was ultimately successful in unseating Ward 4 Councilmember Todd). Meanwhile, the Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans, who was the strongest opponent to the bill, resigned from the Council and Committee due to corruption investigations. #17 Keep reaching out to the Councilmembers you need for the vote. When the bill is voted out of Committee, opponents will often lobby even harder against the bill. Don’t take anything for granted. Continuously touch base with Councilmembers who are new supporters, and those who have not expressed opposition. Work with bill sponsors to quickly respond to concerns raised by opponents so that any legitimate concerns can be addressed. Ask legislative aides whom you trust to give you advice on how to persuade Councilmembers. #18 Decide which compromises are acceptable and which ones are not. In the end, the bill sponsors (your legislative allies) are likely to make compromises that you might not like. Maintain constant contact with them to ensure the compromises don’t negate the value of the bill. The legislative process should result in a bill that significantly advances the goals without weakening it to the point that it provides little benefit. You might need to fight off hostile amendments from Councilmembers who are working with bill opponents.

Amendments by trusted bill sponsors might be the best defense against other amendments by legislators who are seeking to weaken the bill. #19 Keep on a clear message that the bill is of great benefit, and has addressed key concerns. Be sure to reach out to every legislator who is voting on the bill to learn their views, and to share the benefits. Demonstrate constituents’ support and rebut opponents’ arguments. Going into a meeting with a legislator and staff, be sure to do your homework on what’s important to the legislator and how you can best appeal to them.

Keep in mind lobbyists for opponents will also be contacting many of the same legislators.

March March 2021 2021

DC Parking Cashout Campaign Addendum More lessons-learned in our step-by-step legislative strategy: #20 Have the last word. Coming up on the vote, be sure to keep taking every opportunity to engage key legislators you need for the vote. Demonstrate a strong presence so they and their staff know they can ask you questions, and that you and all your supporters are watching. If you can, ensure that you or an influential messenger is the last person the legislator talks to before the vote on the bill. #21 Reward legislators for supporting the bill. Praise your bill champions early and often. Praise legislators as they become supporters. Thank them via social media, earned media, public meetings, and other means at every juncture.

Click here to view the final bill!