One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
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.
You'll Still Get Ticketed For Parking at a Broken Meter in L.A.
Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist
When you pull into a hard-sought parking space in the City of Los Angeles, and then discover the meter is busted, do you get back in your car and move on? You'd better, because it's been the law for two years that you can be ticketed for parking at a broken meter, and today the Los Angeles City Council voted to uphold that policy.
Keeping the broken meter policy means that Los Angeles is taking advantage of "an option for cities to override a new state law that greatly limits the practice of issuing tickets to drivers who park where meters are malfunctioning," according to L.A. Now. That California law permits motorists to park at broken meters for the max time permitted for that particular space, and is set to go into effect January 1, 2013.
Today's vote was nearly unanimous at 12-1 in favor of keeping the law; Jan Perry cast the sole "no" vote.
One dominant fear shared by city transportation officials was that should L.A. follow the state law, motorists might be more inclined to commit parking meter vandalism.
The newer meters that come with a credit card pay option and colored flashing lights to indicate if time remains seem to be working well for L.A. The meters, which run on a solar battery, also "automatically alert transportation officials of operational problems," which means they are fixed sooner, should they malfunction, meaning you're less likely to encounter a busted meter. These newer meters are supposed to be in working condition 99% of the time.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
