Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
LA city parking improvement ideas moving ahead
Listen
• 0:53
Los Angeles could expand variable-price parking meters, which charge more during peak hours and less when demand falls.
(
Corey Moore/KPCC
)
The Los Angeles City Council will take up proposals that could lower parking fines and make it less likely for drivers to get tickets for street sweeping violations.
Both ideas are part of a package of parking changes introduced Tuesday by Councilman Mike Bonin. They're based on recommendations from a citizens' advisory group convened by Mayor Eric Garcetti.
The proposals are intended to make the entire parking system more user-friendly while still discouraging drivers from breaking the rules.
"Parking is one of the few ways that everybody encounters city government," said Bonin. "What we're trying to do is give folks a real sense that government is on their side and not on their back."
Support for LAist comes from
The proposals call for studying the current parking fine structure and reducing fines to the lowest possible amount while still serving as a deterrent. Bonin said parking fines should not be seen as "the golden goose for the city."
He also proposed returning revenues from parking to the neighborhoods where they are generated. Currently, all parking revenues go into a central fund.
Research by UCLA Professor Donald Shoup has shown that reinvesting parking revenue locally improves community satisfaction with the fees.
Another idea championed by planning experts also got traction: expanding variable-rate parking meters. The meters charge more during peak hours to manage demand for spaces and then drop to cheaper rates when traffic is lighter.
Bonin said the program, called ExpressPark, has been working well in downtown L.A. and other locations, with most drivers paying less on average for parking.
One of the most ambitious parking proposals involves "coding" all of the parking areas in the city to transmit alerts to smartphones. The notices tell drivers when they have parked illegally or if they are nearing the end of their time limits.
Smartphone messages could also alert drivers when a street sweeping truck has already passed, allowing them to park in areas that have been cleaned.
Support for LAist comes from
"We're trying to use technology to come up with better, fairer and simpler systems," said Bonin.
The proposals will be heard by the council's Transportation Committee and could be voted on early next year.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist