LOS ANGELES- The City Council approved an increase in parking meter rates Friday and called on staff to explore the implementation of penalties for residents whose trash bins block sidewalks and streets.
In a 10-0 vote, council members authorized a 50-cent increase to parking meter rates across the city, from $1 to $1.50. The last rate increase was in 2014.
The City Council also directed the Department of Transportation to extend its hours of operation for daily on-street parking meters to midnight in night high-activity locations, and to 8 p.m. in all other on-street metered areas, with exceptions on a case-by-case basis as determined by transportation officials.
Parking meters are expected to include Sundays, too, which may take up to six months to implement, according to a city report.
Department of Transportation officials were instructed to report to the City Council every five years and recommend any adjustments to parking meter zone rates to reflect changes associated with the consumer price index.
City officials noted nearby municipalities such as Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood charge for on-street parking daily.
The city is expected to convert 28 of its “free” parking facilities to paid lots at a rate of 25 cents per 30 minutes, with a $5 daily maximum rate.
Additionally, transportation officials will report within 90 days on a proposal to implement a fee schedule for preferential parking district permits.
Preferential parking districts are areas that have posted regulations limiting parking by vehicles without permits in order to reduce the impact of non-resident parking. Residents of the area are allowed to purchase permits exempting their vehicles and those of their visitors from posted restrictions.
An annual permit costs $34 with a maximum of three permits per household, according to the Department of Transportation’s website.
City officials estimated an additional $14.4 million in additional taxes or revenues from increased parking meter rates, and at least $1.7 million from fees for new parking facility rates, for fiscal year 2025-26.
In a similar vote, the City Council approved a motion introduced by members Heather Hutt and John Lee to clarify its enforcement process and penalties, including the possibility of including fines for violations of trash- bin placement on residents’ utility bills or other options beyond the citation enforcement program.
The City Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Sanitation, and Bureau of Street Services are expected to provide recommendations on the matter.
“A clear and easily understood enforcement process will help prevent violations and ensure that bins that are left blocking the road or sidewalk are promptly removed,” the motion reads.
The efforts were outlined earlier this year as solutions to address the city’s roughly $1 billion deficit. As a result of lower-than-expected revenue from taxes, among other issues, the city is moving forward on rate and fee hikes on various services and programs.
