Anonymous LADOT Employee Will Answer Your Questions On Roads, Parking And More On Reddit

An anonymous LADOT employee has emerged to answer all of your burning questions about the roads. Over on the subreddit r/LosAngeles, user MyLADOT posted a thread for Angelenos to ask their questions about L.A. parking and streets. He also posted an important caveat: LADOT is not the Metro, so all your Metro questions will have to be directed to them. Similarly, it's the LAPD that handles the valets around here, it's the Bureau of Street Services who (apparently, poorly) repair the roads, and some places (like Santa Monica) have their own authorities.

We did verify that the Reddit user is an actual LADOT employee, but because this has not been sanctioned by LADOT, these answers are not necessarily official—and he wants to remain anonymous. User MyLADOT told us that he answers questions from home using the knowledge he's learned on the job.

What we learned:

• What's most important is that you can submit service requests to the site, MyLADOT here. The Reddit user promises that they actually do read every request.
• If you think someone is coning off sections of parking they shouldn't be, you can have someone check. If it's a valet company, you can call 1-877-ASK-LAPD. Check here for what restrictions valet companies have. If it's some other group—one user had an issue with a church coning off the right lane each morning—you can called the 24 Hour Parking Enforcement Hotline at (213) 485-4184. You can also ask that painted curbs be investigated to make sure they're painted the correct color and that your neighbors didn't just red-paint their own personal spot.
• Traffic control is actually being done remotely from City Hall. One user asked about traffic control at Hollywood Bowl, complaining that police officers let traffic build up. But, MyLADOT wrote that generally, it's the Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control (ATSAC) team manipulating traffic signals remotely. That doesn't really answer the question, but it is interesting! L.A. is the first city to control traffic signals in this manner, and you can read about it extensively in this Forbes article.
• You can access a list of bike lanes projects that are ongoing here. Who do you talk to if a bike path needs repairs? The LADOT Bicycle Services page has your answers. And you should definitely use this resource, as complaints are typically how these things get serviced.
• What's up with the planters on Broadway? This is part of the 'Bringing Back Broadway' project. Each planter is 700 lbs. which should protect pedestrians if there is a car cash… like this one.
• You can legally park your car on a street with no other restrictions for 72 hours. An abandoned car can be reported by calling (213)485-4148, option 1, option 2.
• You can submit a request to change parking restrictions or add stop signs online. Some parking restrictions that don't make sense may actually be in place to prevent crime.