The city has a budget gap, and the Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is looking to one constituency to help fill that shortfall: street parking scofflaws. Most Angelenos have probably been dinged with a ticket a time or two, but there's one group of people who are probably even more likely to get tickets: renters whose apartments don't come with enough parking spaces.
Are Street Sweeping Tickets a Tax on Renters?
DTLA Parking Meter Fees Will Fluctuate Based on Demand
Los Angeles officials announced a new program today where parking prices at curbside and city lot meters in Downtown L.A. will rise and fall based on the demand for spaces.
Driver Beware: City Wants To Hire More Parking Cops To Write Ticket$
A lot of the news that's coming out of City Hall these days is about cuts, deficits and more cuts. But the mayor believes that beefing up one department—the Los Angeles Department of Transportation—could help to prop up services in the rest of the city.
Hollywood Tour Buses Get a Free Pass At Parking Meters
Hollywood tour buses are getting special treatment from local parking cops, according to an investigation. While folks like you and me stand a good chance of getting ticketed within minutes of our meter expiring, these tour buses can park at meters without paying a dime for hours.
Traffic Alert: LACMA Rock Jamming Up Our Streets Today
Geology enthusiasts, art lovers, and anyone who needs to travel between South L.A. and the Miracle Mile, a big ol' 340-ton reminder: The LACMA rock is coming to town, and traffic is going to be messy as streets are closed to accommodate the unique wide load.
LACMA Rock's Arrival Means Street Closures This Week
What does the big 340-ton boulder headed to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art have in common with President Barack Obama? Before you get all witty or snarky, we've got the answer: When they come to town, they mess up traffic.
Seriously? New DTLA Bike Lanes Won't Be Green...Because They're Ruining Filming!
Whether Los Angeles can "be bike-friendly and film-friendly at the same time," is the crux of an opinion piece published in today's Times about the effect the new boldly green bike lanes on Spring Street in Downtown have affected the film and TV biz.
City Taking "Think Labs" On the Road to Crowd Source Ideas For Improving Mobility in L.A.
Think you have an idea or two to help make L.A. easier to get around? The Los Angeles Departments of City Planning and Transportation sure hopes so: They have announced a series of public workshops called "Think Labs" aimed at letting Angelenos have their say and help "envision a new way of moving around the city and using its streets for mobility and beyond."
Bike Lane Installation Underway on Main Street in Venice
Main Street in Venice is going on a "road diet" and today crews began the work of removing one car lane in each direction to make room for new bike lanes. The new bike lanes will run between Winward Circle and Marine Street at the Santa Monica border.
New Map Shows Current and Planned Bikeways in L.A.
A new map put out by the city of Los Angeles' Department of Transit (LADOT) gives riders the chance to see our current and planned bikeways. The bikeways come from the bicycle master plan.
Finally! Google Maps Will Help You Take the DASH and Commuter Express Now
Two key parts of Los Angeles-area public transportation systems have been added to Google Maps: DASH and commuter express.
City Employee as Porn Star, Round 2: Firefighters Investigated for Participating in Adult Video
It seems hard to believe that something like this could happen twice, but here we are: another group of city employees is under investigation for possibly participating in a porn. NBC Los Angeles reports that LAFD fire trucks were used in movies that feature adult actress Charley Chase wandering around town and flashing people.
Shoplifting Traffic Cop Fired, May Have Picked Up Hooker in His City Car
The ranks of Los Angeles' parking enforcement officers is another man down as of last month due to some alleged shady doings. The latest to lose his job is Donald Brooks, who was fired August 16th for two petty theft charges and allegedly soliciting a prostitute.
Bike Lanes Introduce Themselves to DTLA's 7th Street
Downtown L.A. bicyclists rejoice. You may finally enjoy the luxury necessity of bike lanes. Painted only on 7th Street, the lanes reach "through City West and MacArthur Park to Catalina Street, where 7th is interrupted by the site of the former Ambassador Hotel," according to Blogdowntown.
Porn and Parking Police Don't Mix: Traffic Officer Fired for 'Groping Bare Breasts'
You may recall the traffic officers who were accosted by a half-naked porn star not long ago, and instead of suggesting that she cover up (not that we have anything against nudity or porn stars, but that was probably indecent exposure), they played along and appeared in the video she was shooting. While on duty.
Meet the Man the Mayor Picked to Head the F-ed Up LADOT
Deputy Mayor for Transportation Jaime de la Vega has his work cut out for him. Today Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa named de la Vega as his nominee for the Department of Transportation, according to CBS2. His first task: Help City Controller Wendy Greuel complete a full on audit of the seriously effed up department.
Parking Citations Audit Reveals Missed Revenue, Fees On Voided Tickets, VIP Treatment 'Gold Card Desk'
City Controller Greuel released the second in a series audits of the LADOT parking citation process revealing massive oversights, missed revenue, questionable policies and special treatment, according to a statement from her office.
XXXtremely Shady: Alleged LADOT Porn Cover-Up
Recently, a porn video surfaced showing two LADOT officers engaging in sexual acts with a porn actress while on the job. The officers haven't been disciplined, with parking enforcement chief Jimmy Price claiming that he wasn't able to identify them until recently. But some in the department claim that the participant's identities and participation in the video were common knowledge, and that they weren't disciplined because the department hoped to sweep the incident under the rug.
LADOT XXX: Full Investigation Of Porn Video Announced
A full investigation is officially underway by the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation after a video surfaced of two uniformed officers allegedly appearing in an adult video, said LADOT Interim General Manager Amir Sedadi in a statement on Sunday.
Fubar Scofflaw Brouhaha: Inadequate Parking Citation Enforcement Is Costing The City Millions
In a continuing effort to reduce waste and save money, City Controller Wendy Greuel released the details of a review that examined the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s parking citation scofflaw enforcement activities showing that the department "failed to adhere to its own action plan, resulting in a decline in enforcement and loss of $5.4million in potential revenue," notes Greuel's press release.
Oscars Watch 2011: Street Closures Have Already Begun
The sidewalks may sparkle with the names of stars, but the streets of Hollywood near the Kodak Theatre are going to get progressively meaner as Los Angeles preps for the Academy Awards on Sunday, February 27th.
At Long Last, City Will Install Bike Corral in Highland Park
Approved by the City Council in April 2010, L.A.'s first official public bicycle corral will finally be installed in Highland Park. "A tentative date of February 18th at 9:00 AM has been set for the corral’s grand opening," says the LADOT Bike Blog.
You Want It? You Got It! How to Request a Bike Rack
Is there a spot in the city of Los Angeles that you think would benefit from having a bike rack? The Eastsider explains that "anyone can recommend a bike rack location," and, if the city agrees with the choice, the rack goes in.
Transportation Transformations: New Bike Paths & Subway Extension Details
LADOT announced two new bike lane projects yesterday which is welcome news after the PR problems of April 2009 when it was believed LADOT planned to remove bike lanes - not add to them - to allow for more car traffic. LA Streetsblog is pleased to see that not only is the Valley getting a better bike network, but "it's also good to see the LADOT keeping its promise to paint the lanes on Reseda and Rinaldi."
Venice Could Go on 'Road Diet' With Proposed Bike Lanes
Main Street in Venice could see an expanded set of bike lanes, as outlined in a proposal presented by members of the LADOT Bike Program to the Venice Neighborhood Council last night, according to Yo! Venice.
The presentation demonstrated via maps that Main Street is currently "the 'missing link' in connecting the bicycle network in west Venice," notes the LADOT Bike Blog.
Residents Wish Metro Would Take a Detour on 2 Fwy Plans
Every freeway ends somewhere, and while the end of the 2 Freeway isn't going to change, how it ends will. However, the proposed plan to handle the reconstruction project has some detractors in Echo Park, where the 2 meets the road, according to Echo Park Patch.
Proposal: All City Transportation Improvements Should be Reviewed by the Public
This is what happens when you lack transparency. Spurred from a bicycle lane that suddenly appeared on a Northridge street that exasperated the neighbors and commuters, Councilmember Greig Smith earlier this month called for all bicycle projects to be reviewed by Neighborhood Councils. But that wasn't enough for the community.
Abandoned Vehicle Complaints Ignored by LADOT, Say Residents
So much for community policing and broken windows theory in a neighborhood that really needs it. The Daily News today reported that, despite apparent attempts to notify the city of abandoned vehicles -- 72 hours on a city street without moving is considered abandoned -- vehicles are sitting on Pacoima neighborhood streets for months, sometimes even years.
City Hall Rumor: LADOT Chief to Step Down
Word on the street is that Rita Robinson, who heads up the L.A. Department of Transportation -- traffic, parking enforcement, etc -- will soon step down. That's according to Streetsblog LA's Damien Newton, who has confirmed the news with anonymous sources. If true, Newton already has transit community abuzz with possible replacements. Ideas include the former Mayor of Bogota, Columbia, who brought Ciclovia, an event coming to L.A. next month, and Janette Sadik-Khan of New York City's transportation department.

