Los Angeles Free Parking Extended to 2010

[Aly]

LAist: Hybrid Owners Continue to Park Coin Free

It looks like the city finally extended the Los Angeles Free Parking program to 2010.

However, it now only applies to Hybrids with the HOV stickers.

[incagirl]

i know... but not to those of us who don't have HOV stickers.... boo-hoooooo

[jukeboy]

it doesn't make sense to me... if nobody is in the car when it's parked, why should there be a special distinction for sticker owners?

[madler]

Originally Posted by jukeboy

it doesn't make sense to me... if nobody is in the car when it's parked, why should there be a special distinction for sticker owners?

They want to give free parking to more efficient vehicles. The stickers are an easy and official way to identify those efficient vehicles.

Of course, since not all efficient vehicles can get those stickers, it's not that great of an approach.

On the other hand, when the regulation was a specific set of makes and models of cars, the highly intelligent cadre of parking meter enforcement personnel had great difficulty in recognizing, for example, the current Prius body style and other markings, and would give them tickets anyway. This was the case despite the fact that the Prius surely sticks out of the crowd for its distinctive, Star Wars escape pod shape. Go figure.

[jukeboy]

in view of the impending budget cuts, the city council might reverse its decision, saying hybrid owners already save on gas and don't need the added incentive

[YoDaddyAlex]

does anyone have a map of exactly what areas of la county are free parking?

[mjms2b]

NEXT PRIUS EVENT IS Saturday 9/26/08.
LOCATION: Griffith Park/ Mineral Wells Picnica Area
TIME: 9:30 am
PLAN: Prius members to meet / greet, welcome new members.
caravan drive scheduled, BRING A FRIEND.
COST: The venue is NO COST
If you'd like to volunteer to bring refreshments (OJ, Coffee, Donuts, etc) please
email the facilitator at clubofprii(at) aol (dot) com.


A New Los Angeles Prius Club

[CBGB]

FYI - I spoke with Sharika at the Dept of transportation today at 3:39pm (ladot.org) and asked her a) if hybrids were allowed to park for free - ANSWER: YES
b) If you needed the HOV sticker - ANSWER: NO

If you get a ticket, you can contest it. and use that date and time to say that Sharika said so and that it was recorded

[davidbw]

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, a committee of the LA city council is again reconsidering the free parking for hybrids with HOV stickers. They are considering moving the expiration of the program to 03/01/2009.

[giantrobot]

it looks like they just changed it and it now expires in march:

One perk of driving a hybrid vehicle in the city of Los Angeles -- free parking -- will come to an end next month, under action taken Tuesday by the Los Angeles City Council.

Almost a year ago, the council approved an ordinance allowing drivers with a state Clean Air Vehicle decal on their vehicle to park at city meters at no cost. Less than a week after that approval, however, the council moved to reconsider the issue in light of the city's financial problems.

The council unanimously agreed to eliminate free parking for drivers of Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda Insight or Ford Escape Hybrid models -- a privilege in place for four years -- on March 1.

The move could generate an additional $300,000 in parking meter revenue, according to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

Hybrid vehicle owners who park at meters during the month of February will be given written notices about the end of free parking.