The three major law enforcement agencies that operate within LA County (LAPD, CHP, and the LA Co. Sheriff's Department) are working together this Labor Day weekend as a team on the "Avoid DUI Task Force." As part of the program they will operate 18 DUI checkpoints as well as "42 patrols throughout the county in search of drunk drivers," according to abc7.com. Luckily, California leads the list of states that have seen a decline in......

Photo by cwalkr71 via Flickr "It is imperative to know that when purchasing items on-line, if the price seems too good to be true, then it probably is too good and is possibly a stolen item," said an e-mail sent out this weekend by the LAPD announcing a press conference regarding hundreds of stolen tires and rims from newer model Mercedes Benz and BMWs. Two young men, ages 18 and 20, are prime suspects......

Now here's a sign of the times. Ford Motor Company has posted their 2nd Quarter results showing a $8.67 billion loss in the United States market. With gas rising, the economy struggling and a generally more eco-conscious(ish) nation, is this a surprise next move? "They will retool two more North American truck and sport utility vehicle plants to build small, fuel-efficient vehicles," according to the Associated Press.......

The Bottleneck Blog is reporting this afternoon that the "California Transportation Commission just unanimously approved the plan in Los Angeles County to convert the carpool lanes on parts of the 10, 110 and possibly the 210 freeways to toll lanes." But blogger and LA Times Road Sage also cautions those who drive regularly on those freeways to not panic...yet. The plan still has to make it through the state legislature before you'll be coughing up......

Photo by Egan Snow via Flickr After quickly championing the rights of vehicles and bicycles sharing the road in the aftermath of the Mandeville Canyon "road rage" incident, Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl has canceled this Monday's community town hall that he quickly put together last week (he even changed locations once to accommodate the expected large crowd comfortably). "At the request of the residents and of the cyclists who use Mandeville Canyon......

Yesterday, Iowa Senator Charles Grassley wrote a letter to President George Bush asking him to consider taking a stand against car idling in Washington D.C. "While people across the country are looking for ways to reduce their fuel burden by using less, the federal government doesn’t appear to be taking the same steps to reduce wasteful energy consumption and save taxpayer money," he wrote. "Each and every day, there are likely dozens, if not hundreds......

For 14 years California drivers have been able to select a whale-themed license plate designed by Laguna Beach artist Wyland which is offered by the DMV in partnership with the state Coastal Commission. Wyland, however, has now pulled his authorization on the use of the design, calling the Coast Commission "bullies" for denying his request that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the plates go to his own foundation. Apparently, for the......

SMUD stands for Sacramento Municipal Utility District. They are "the sixth largest publicly owned utility in the country in terms of customers served," according to SMUD.org, and are committed to providing their customers "with a reliable source of electricity at competitive rates that are consistently lower than investor-owned utilities in the state." LAist Featured Photos contributor KeithJ recently found this SMUD plug-in Prius on the streets of Monrovia. Considering the price of gas, even......

Driving around LA can often be a great adventure. Though we always encourage taking MTA and Metrolink, LAist spotted several other stylish ways to get around the city.......

Photo taken on 6/6/08 in Santa Monica | © Copyright 2008 by Jonathan Alcorn (Sundogg) via LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr When it comes to the cost of a gallon of gas these days, it certainly doesn't seem to be the case that "it can't get any worse." We grumbled when it got to $3, winced when it hit $3.40, cringed when it hovered at the $4 mark, and now we're seeing prices......

A new law states that you cannot sleep on the top of your car... just kidding | Photo by Hamed Saber via Flickr Now there's an attention grabbing quote, spoken by Dick Messer, director of the Petersen Automotive Museum, up there in the headline. With the onslaught of laws and proposed ideas for drivers of cars (there are 33.5 million registered vehicles in California), many think it's getting a bit ridiculous in a report......

View Larger Map The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that four automobiles were "fully involved with fire in parking structure exposing an apartment building," at 834 Tularosa Drive, which is in a hilly section Silver Lake, a few blocks from Bellevue Park. It was quickly knocked down at 1:32 p.m., 12 minutes after it was reported. There were no injuries cited as of 1:45 p.m.......

Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist "I looked to make sure. I wasn't being unsafe," Porcia London told the LA Times in a report about red-light enforcement cameras that questions if they are for revenue or safety. The issue at hand is that in Los Angeles, it is estimated that 80% of the photo-enforced tickets go to "california stop" right turns. "As London realized that day in court, her turn was illegal because she did not......

Photo by david.nikonvscanon via Flickr Around 100 people's car tires were slashed over the night, leaving San Pedro residents with an unhappy morning surprise. It wasn't until people gathered at a local tire store that they all began to figure out what happened. Police are not sure exactly how many people were victimized, but one person is quoted in a Daily Breeze report saying they were "inundated" with calls. Several neighborhoods were hit, including......

Oil just keeps creeping up in price everyday it seems. This morning, headlines like this read "Oil Passes $120 A Barrel For First Time Ever." But don't expect today's record breaking numbers to be the cause of any immediate increases in local gas prices. According to Jeffrey Spring of AAA of Southern California, it takes three to six weeks to see the effect of oil prices at the pump. Any price increase or decrease on......

Guns and cars are in the headlines this morning thanks to several Southland crimes last night that are being investigated in the morning light. First, in East L.A., a large house party was held last night on the 500 block of South Hoefner. It had been promoted by fliers and handouts all over. But in the midnight hour things turned deadly when a suspect opened fire with a handgun, striking 18-year-old Jeffrey Alvarado "in the......

It's just the new reality. Regular gas ia averaging at $4 a gallon in Northern and Central California. In the Los Angeles area, it's $3.902, "which is another record and 50 cents higher than a year ago," Mark Lacter noted at LA Business Observed. But he says there is a reason to be optimistic (you're finally buying a bike and got a monthly Metro pass?!) "Oil prices have edged downward in recent days (though they're......

Taken yesterday, the Tesla Roadster electric car sits in a showroom during an event to celebrate the opening of the first Tesla Flagship Store near the corner of Santa Monica and Sepulveda (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Definitely one of the hottest energy-efficient green cars around, the fully electric Tesla Roadster can travel over 200 miles on a single battery charge and can go from 0 to 60 mph in a short 3.9 seconds. Lucky......

Now the predictions are really getting people's attention: "Surging crude prices, which could surpass $200 a barrel in four years on tight supplies, could push gasoline prices to as high as $7 a gallon, CIBC World Markets analysts said Thursday," MarketWatch said early this afternoon. Currently, U.S. oil is $116 a barrel, down $3.90 from Tuesday's "historic high." The national average is $3.56 and in Los Angeles, the upward trend pushes the local average to......

Taken near Olvera St. and Union Station | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist If all goes well, Assemblyman Mike Feuer's bill, AB 2321, will let Metro and local officials "go to the ballot in November to ask voters to consider a half-penny sales tax hike. That would raise at least $720 million annually in a county with a long, long list of needs," according to LA Times' Road Sage Steve Hymon wrote today. It would......

This photo was taken on April 6 on Alameda near Union Station by LAist Featured Photos contributor ~db~. This afternooon, The Guardian reports that "oil surged to a record high over $112 a barrel on Wednesday after a government report showed a sharp drop in U.S. inventories ahead of the summer driving season." LosAngelesGasPrices.com has a chart and if you take a look at this link you might go "whoa." The average Los Angeles gas......

Photo by Beige Alert via Flickr Since the perk of giving Hybrid owners a free ride when it comes to Los Angeles city parking meters has been in the news lately, the always fiscally conservative Daily News opined on the issue today: "The right thing is for the council to kill the hybrid car perk." Even though the estimated losses are little, "a drop in the bucket," they say, the Daily News stays with......

Dear LAist; So the City Council changed the law for hybrid car parking on Friday, then reneged it yesterday. So as of today, what the hell can I do?So here's the deal: As of right now, the pilot program for hybrids that has been in effect for the last few years is still current today. That means that the four hybrid vehicles -- Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Prius, and the Ford Escape Hybrid......

Photo via Aptera's website As we wait for the first Tesla dealership to open here in Los Angeles, many others are looking for a something a wee bit more affordable than $99,000. And while a nearly $30,000 car is not considered to be "on the cheap," you probably save in the end with this car. Meet the Aptera Typ 1 where gas costs you about a penny per mile (try 300 miles per gallon)......

Photo by Jonathan Alcom via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr This is last Friday as reported by LAist Featured Photos contributor Jonathan Alcom: "A gallon of regular gasoline priced at 3.99 at a Unocal gas station on Pico Bl and Barrington in West Los Angeles on Friday March 7, 2008 as surging oil prices jumped to a new record above $106 Friday. This gas station was about 40 cents higher than other......

$3.55 for unleaded. Check, albeit annoying. $3.79 for performance plus. Ugh, okay, check. $9.38 a gallon for high performance. Che-- wha???!?!?!!!? LAist Featured Photos photographer Movie Lover snapped this shot on the Westside. "While driving past a gas station in Brentwood, CA a while back, I noticed that the price had gone up. Way up." Yeah, no doubt. Let's see, April Fool's Day is next month. It's not a six upside down. This doesn't look......

It's a new record for Los Angeles -- $3.49 a gallon, as of this morning reports KFWB 980 AM. The price of the barrel, also at an all time high, is $105.10. This comes as Metro is looking to cut bus service across the Los Angeles area. Last night, 12 of the threatened lines were voted upon by the San Fernando Valley Governance Council. "Some schedules and routes will be modified but none will be......

Today the small town of Montrose, known first as "Glendale's first suburb," hits the big 9-5, and the Founders Day Celebration is expected to be a big draw. Founders Day festivities will include awards presented to community members for service, a nine-tier birthday cake, historic photos on display, and "the ringing of the bell from the last of the Glendale & Montrose Railway Cars." The event is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 2......

I'm one of those paranoid, overly dramatic people who convince themselves that the entire world is out to get them. A lot of my paranoid delusions revolve around driving, of course: that dude slowed down just to piss me off! Every time I change lanes traffic gets worse! (Also known as the "Office Space" rule.) These lights are timed badly just to slow me down! Turns out, that last one might not just be all......

Foxy's carne asada chilaquiles run you $12 but you'll stay fed for days | All photos by Andy Sternberg for LAist In spite of the greasy mess plate of hungover love pictured above, Foxy's in Glendale is far from your last resort, still-drunk brekkie-plate of mornings soon to be forgotten. No, no, no. Last Sunday when we rolled up the Brand Boulevard of Cars and took a left onto Colorado and another into Foxy's......