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Photo by Dan Wuh via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr
Last night on KCRW's Which Way, LA, the controversy over the parking meter increases was discussed. But first, let's start off with what the city's City Council Transportation Committee Chair, Wendy Greuel, was sending out yesterday:
Over the past two decades, parking meter rates have not kept pace with demand or inflation, while off-street rates for privately-owned parking lots have continued to rise. This growing disparity has created an incentive for drivers to "cruise" for hard-to-find and under-priced one-street parking, generating a large amount of unnecessary traffic in local communities.
That statement is based on UCLA Urban Planning professor Donald Shoup's theory from his book on the high cost--traffic--of free parking. What's funny is that he said on the show last night that "if the city asked for my advice, I would have done it differently."
The problem is that the city quickly decided to raise prices and limit times without much thought, causing unrest, for example, where street parking is needed more than two hours. "Only now we're talking about doing a study on how this will affect businesses, it speaks to the idea that this wasn't done in an effort to alleviate traffic concerns and was more simply about revenue," said blogger TJ Sullivan.
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I went down to Hollywood Blvd for lunch last Sunday and had to park blocks away, not because of the ridiculous $2/hour (on a Sunday!) rates, but because of the absurd one hour limit. Please tell me how one is supposed to park, walk to the restaurant, wait to be seated, orders taken and the meal enjoyed, all in one hour! Never mind the possibility of strolling around and perhaps (shock!) spend some money at the local stores. Nope.
I sure hope all those shopkeepers enjoy less traffic.
I've experienced the same exact thing, too, but for a Saturday breakfast.
Sometimes simple solutions to complex problems just create different problems. The city needs to do their homework before plopping sudden changes in parking rates and times without consideration for the types of businesses in the area. Good parking policy should promote activity and efficiency in an area, not hinder it.
I'm surprised I have not seen anything about the Larchmont parking situation here.
New meters were put in and not only were the rates upped but the time restrictions were changed, too.
Not only does one have to pay till 8 pm now on the weekends, but SUNDAYS are no longer free!
WTF?
Disgusting
This is just such a shitty move by the city. They have changed it to $3/hr right in front of my building and extended the hours to 8pm. I live in the garment district and they know that those merchants are out of there by 6pm. So the only people really being affected by the extended hours are the residents. Why are they trying to make it more difficult for people who are living in downtown and trying to be a part of the revival?!
Ready Fire Aim!