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Several hundred new residents are expected soon in the South Waterfront District. Both the Mirabella and Matisse residential towers – offering a total of nearly 500 new units – are set to be completed this year. And work on The Tamarack, an affordable housing development with 209 units, is scheduled to wrap up in 2011.

The district may be able to accommodate such an influx of residents, but not necessarily so many motor vehicles. So, to avoid future development space being sacrificed for parking lots, regional government Metro last week approved funding to create a transportation management association to guide South Waterfront residents to car-free transportation options.

The South Waterfront TMA will include residents, developers and business owners in the neighborhood and will be supported by the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the Portland Development Commission, Metro and Oregon Health & Science University. Metro has committed $150,000 over the next three years, and that total will be matched by South Waterfront residents and businesses via condo association fees and private assistance.

A Lloyd District TMA formed in 1994 was instrumental in helping reduce the amount of single vehicle trips through employee transit pass programs and outreach to local employers. While 76 percent of Lloyd District employees drove to work alone in 1995, only 43 percent do so today, according to Rick Williams, executive director of the Lloyd TMA.

“When I started, the Lloyd District was geographically isolated between freeways,” Williams said. “All of the parking was free, so it was a parking lot for downtown. We understood that we couldn’t continue to do business when we’re building a parking stall for everyone who works here. That’s the same issue in South Waterfront.”

Leslie Poirer, executive director of South Waterfront Community Relations and a member of the South Waterfront TMA, already has heard from South Waterfront employees who feel there isn’t enough parking in their neighborhood.

A streetcar line runs through South Waterfront, but many people who work in the area rely on free and metered parking available in empty lots. She faced a challenging situation recently when an empty lot was being used for parking without a developer’s permission.

“People were parking boats and RVs there without permission,” Poirer said. “We encouraged the developer to turn it into paid parking, which is what it is now. This neighborhood is not built out, so there is perceived space that’s actually reserved for future development.”

A bigger problem for South Waterfront, Poirer added, is that many people don’t know how to reach the district by car.

However, developer and TMA member Dike Dame of Williams & Dame Development said constrained automobile access could help the association reach its goal of reducing the amount of vehicle miles traveled in the area by 30 percent before 2030.

“As the district grows it will be important that improvements be made to both south and north portals to accommodate additional traffic,” Dame said. “But it also presents an opportunity to show people how they can take advantage of other options for moving about, such as streetcar, bike lanes and walking paths.”

The Lloyd TMA was able to greatly reduce single vehicle trips by offering employers transit passes at reduced rates through a partnership with TriMet. With more residential users than work commuters in its district, the South Waterfront TMA will have to pursue a different strategy, Williams said.

“South Waterfront could be the first TMA to have such a heavy residential and commercial focus,” Williams said. “They could do residential pass programs and residential bike programs. They are dealing with reverse commute decisions. My job is to get people to the Lloyd District. Their job will be about commuting in and out.”

The South Waterfront TMA in its first year will offer brown-bag speaker series, transportation safety education and a quarterly meeting for new employees and new residents to learn about the district and transportation options. It also will advocate for a bike-sharing program, electric-vehicle charging stations and additional bike parking for the neighborhood.

Poirer said South Waterfront Community Relations has been developing relationships with residents since the area began to form several years ago. Those existing connections between residents will go a long way in helping the South Waterfront TMA meet its goals, she said.

“Our residents are already very involved with committees about dog parks and community gardens,” Poirer said. “I call them my urban pioneers. It’s a really committed group and I don’t think it will be difficult to get folks excited about this project.”