Comments on: Annoyed at increase of Los Angeles visitors parking permit price

By: RESIDENT ANNOYED AT STEEP INCREASES IN COST OF PERMIT PARKING ON L. A. STREETS « SPIRIT OF VENICE BLOG

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 02:46:52 +0000

[...] 13, 2009 · No Comments Annoyed at increase of Los Angeles visitors parking permit price By jozjozjoz January 9th, 2009 @ 4:… I live in L.A. city proper on a street that is permit parking. For the most part, I don’t mind [...]

By: mryavec

mryavec — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:03:40 +0000

I can’t wait to have overnight permit parking in Venice. With over 150+ RVs camping on our streets day and night, it is long overdue. The nuisnance factors are endless. I come out to find jars of urine on my curb, seen tall RVs sheer off the branches the fruit trees in mhy parkway, had friends have to park blocks away since nearby spaces were taken by …. RVs. Neighbors have frequently seen RV dwellers dumping raw sewage to the street and storm drains, had RVers come on their property to use their hoses – and left the water running, noisy late night visitors to RVs for drug sales or even prostitution. My feeling about the cost? As Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.” Yes, they’re excessive, but no more than all the inflated city fees and taxes we pay.

By: jozjozjoz

jozjozjoz — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:18:15 +0000

@rogerdodger: I am actually grateful for permit parking on my street. I realize this isn’t the case in all areas but if it was not permit parking in my area, it would be overrun day and night for people trying to go to the businesses nearby. Not cool for someone who actually lives here in an old building that does not have enough parking for all the tenants. I can understand your frustration of not being able to park on seemingly empty streets, but I really feel for people who live in places where they have to fight with non-residents just to park and go home. So I’m willing to pay the cost of the permit to keep non-residents (or their visitors) out, especially in the evenings when people are coming home. That’s why my complaint is not about the cost of my annual permit (which did, by the way, did also go up 225% over 5 years), but rather the cost of visitor parking. (For the record, during the day, our streets are open to anyone for 2 hour parking).

@dorit: Actually the (Guest) day passes actually went up 250% since 2004. They used to be $1 a day. (I hear you about the parties; the prices of these things going off made me mad, too.)

And by the way, how retarded is it that if you want to buy those Guest passes by mail, you have to “allow approximately 3 weeks for your request to be processed?” Not all of us have the time (or patience) to go into their walk-in Customer Service Centers. I would think there should be a way to purchase (and print out) a day pass from online; using something like a valid/active LADWP account, for instance, to validate your residency.

By: dorit

dorit — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:00:14 +0000

Yes the increasing coast of permit parking is a pain in the ass. The one that gets me the most is the day passes the fee for them went from a $1.50 to $2.50 (we give big parties and that adds up).

But the benefits for us residents WAY out weight the extra money.

By: rogerdodger

rogerdodger — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:23:53 +0000

That’s interesting that you are upset that they are raising your parking rates. It seems like every time I try to find a parking space on the Westside I run into entire neighborhoods with “Permit Parking Only” and the streets are completely empty.

I can see the argument that you want parking when you get home. But another part of me recognizes that my tax money maintains those streets and I should be able to park on them regardless of whether or not I’m a resident.

Thanks for sharing the concerns and frustrations of a resident in one of these permit parking only areas.

By: stellastellastella

stellastellastella — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 08:24:53 +0000

i don’t drive either it is astounds me the parking is down right ridiculous in downtown. at this rate i just might not start driving.

By: lkitsch

lkitsch — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:35:42 +0000

Welcome to the world of broke cities. Given the economic crisis and the fact that the City of LA is in a deep hole financially, the Mayor and Council will leave no stone unturned in seeking ways to increase revenue without having a tax increase. That means new fees and higher fees—game on!

By: panasonicyouth

panasonicyouth — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:26:51 +0000

Spencer, please do post about that. I don’t even drive and I hate it. It actually causes MORE traffic, because people have to constantly move their car.

By: frazgo

frazgo — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 03:12:16 +0000

It sounds like LA City has figured out its easier to call it a fee and get away with not having to put it before the voters for a 2/3 majority to pass. Sac is trying it too which has a lot of our watch dogs frothing.

By: Spencer Cross

Spencer Cross — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:55:55 +0000

Is it the norm for the cost of these things to go up 50% every two years?

No, I’m sure it’s not. This is likely just another part of the new city wide effort to rape Angelenos for more parking income that also includes the new $1/hour minimum on meters, $4/hour meters downtown, parking hours extended until 8:00 and meters on every stretch of street the city can manage regardless of whether they need them. Been meaning to post about that for awhile.