A local LA columnist wrote about parking here… Basically she says there simply isn’t any parking space in her neighborhood and it got worse because the nearby mall’s workers now take spots there. Of course, she moved into the neighborhood just because the nearby mall was there, and all the other neat and tony shops on Melrose, Third, and Fairfax. But no never mind.
I have a solution — Charge for parking in her neighborhood. Its simple — People who could prove they were residents could get a discounted rate, but everyone pay for parking. Put P and D machines in every corner and if you have a "A" tag you can get parking for say 3 buck a day, and if you don’t its $15 or $30. Simple.
She says there’s no permit parking in the area because its too transient. Balderdash. I have a friend who lives one block from "the Grove" and on his street its all permit parking. But I really don’t think that solves the problem. The permits should simply give you a lower cost for parking. And I’m sure that if someone wanted to park, they would get a permit even if they were going to be in the neighborhood only for a few months.
If you had to pay $100 or $150 a month to park on your street, maybe you would be motivated to find alternate parking, and maybe some commercial entities might begin to provide the parking for local residents. Of course, if on street is free, why is it commercially viable to provide off street parking…
I also know that there are a number of buildings in that area that have considerable off street parking that isn’t used nights and weekends. That would be commercially viable parking if onstreet parking cost residents. I can see the local bank or furniture store that had 50 spaces underneath charging $150 a month for the right to park there after 5 pm and on weekends. Although I haven’t done a survey, My guess is that there is at least 1000 parking spaces within an easy walk of the writer’s apartment, available every evening and every weekend. Most people would jump at the chance to get a space like that and the bank would pick up a cool 90K. Parking operators could rent out the spaces, collect the money, and pay the bank so they wouldn’t have to be involved in the process.
However as long as on street parking is subsidized by the city, it’ll never happen.
Of course, if you had to pay to park on the street, maybe all the beaters that are rusting in parking spots and never moved would find their way to the recycling yard and more parking would be available, and those folks that had two cars but could get along with one, might just do so.
IN the meantime, tow her car when she parks at the fire hydrant. I’m sure she would want the thing blocked when her little flat was on fire…
JVH
