In an effort to improve the parking situation downtown, transportation officials have created an experimental "dynamic pricing" program called ExpressPark. The pilot program, approved Friday by the City Council, "seeks to impose some logic and radically change the way meter prices are set for more than 500,000 people who work or shop each day in the city's center," according to the L.A. Times. more ›

The City of Glendale's parking system recently experienced a big "oops" and over the next few weeks, people may take advantage of some free parking in some of the city's busiest areas. more ›

Ladies, that lovely glow isn't the only potential benefit of your baby bump. Imagine if your expectancy netted you parking perks, like free parking at city meters? Don't throw out your NuvaRing just yet, Angelenas. The new law is actually on the table in New York City, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen here, right? more ›

Parking blows when four quarters only yields a meager 15 minutes in some parts of Los Angeles (ahem, next to the Flower Market). That's why Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants to replace all 40,000 meters in the city to accept plastic... more ›

Los Angeles may have 40,000 parking meters today--an estimated 10 to 12% are broken--but the city was slow to adopt the revenue generating, ticket inducing technology, finds columnist Steve Harvey. more ›

To fill in a budget shortfall of $208 million ($485 million next fiscal year), many ideas about public-private partnerships have been floated. From selling the zoo and golf courses to the convention center, it's all on the talked about. One item, however, took a major step last night at meeting of the L.A. City Council's Budget & Finance Committee: privatizing ten parking garages (and future ones under construction and planned) for 50 years. [Update: After discussion, the full council approved moving forward with developing a draft request for qualifications.] more ›

Amid the process of letting 2,400 city of Los Angeles employees retire early--a move to help save a dwindling city budget--a draft internal letter obtained by the Los Angeles Times indicates plans to sack at least 1,000 employees. "Revenues are significantly lower than original projections and we are prepared to make tough decisions, including layoffs and cuts in less-essential city services to our constituents," notes the letter, referring to tax revenues. more ›

The LA City Nerd is back, and is now spreading his (or her?) savvy via Twitter. Today's pre-Turkey Day tidbit is a reminder that there might not be such a thing as a free lunch, but you don't have to be playing Monopoly to score free parking: "On Thursday (tomorrow), park for free at meters and ignore street sweeping parking restrictions in the City!" Of course, being that it is a national holiday, most of the places you'd normally be headed to will be closed. Still...that's one day when the meters won't gobble, gobble, gobble your spare change. more ›

You can't go out to eat and see a play in the NoHo Arts Disrict without having to move your car or face getting a ticket. In Hollywood, lunch in one hours time is just not possible, but that's all you get. And in Highland Park, higher prices on meters have driven people to pack the residential side streets. Some of these mean a change of habit for the people, but most of the complaints are driven due to the fact that the city didn't plan/think ahead when extending the hours and upping the prices on meters. more ›

The Daily News opined yesterday on the higher parking rates (from $1 to $4/hour): "Let's give credit where it's due. Los Angeles officials might not do a very good job of providing services, maintaining the integrity of city government, or enhancing the local quality of life, but they excel at siphoning taxpayers' money for the bottomless pit that is the city treasury... The new meters are just the latest in a long litany of City Hall's money-grubbing schemes. But they're small potatoes compared with, oh, the city's practice of overcharging residents for water and power, then transferring the profit to the general fund. Or multiple garbage-fee hikes that were supposed to go entirely to hiring new cops, but instead ended up funding sundry other political priorities." Yesterday, the LA Times found that the extended hours (now beyond 6 p.m.) and a 2-hour limit are hurting local theatre companies in the NoHo Arts District. more ›

Today, the LA City Council extended a program allowing owners of hybrid owners of certain makes to park for free at city meters. The program went into effect for a total of three years, in which the city would study it to determine its success and advantages or lack thereof. more ›

This blog talks a lot about riding the busses and subways and being Green, but some of us drive and aren't ashamed. Further, Los Angeles loves its car culture and it's fine time that we take pride in who we REALLY are. As we drive our cars proudly, there comes the times when we have to park them. Last week I was shocked and amused when the writer of the busblog clued LAist readers... more ›

- Barack Obama says that blacks are pissed and there's a "quiet riot" brewing in LA and the rest of the country. Does that mean that the real trouble won't come for another 20 years when folks begin to finally "rage against the machine"? - AP - Although the adult video world generates about $12 billion nationally, Vivid Video co-partner David James says, "Very few people make over $150,000 in this industry" - Daily... more ›