This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Yesterday, a city council committee was presented with a report (.pdf) on the benefits of privatizing city owned parking meters. Such as a move--Chicago already is doing this--could solve the city's budget crisis, which is looking to be over $500 million. "It’s not like we’re going to wake up tomorrow and the city will have handed over control of its parking meters," Damien Newton at StreetsblogLA notes. "However, because the city is looking to collect a one-shot fee to plug a budget whole for the next two budget years; unless someone stands up to fight the proposal we could end up seeing a rushed process that is all about the city’s short-term budget needs. Such a deal could leave Los Angeles with another significant hurdle to bringing the kind of transportation reform the city really needs."
