"Free parking" in LA City may cost $35!

I've received two parking citations for parking my Prius at the meter "without a placard at an expired meter." Can you believe it?

The first time, I phoned it in and spoke to a sergeant at LA's Parking Enforcement (not the police dept but the city's parking enforcement) about the citation. He told that me that he'd remove the citation and that the parking enforcement officer was probably "not in the 15-25 roll calls advising them of the exemption." The sergeant was very helpful.

I recently received a citation in the Hollywood area and phoned it in again and left a couple of voicemails with a lieutenant at Parking Enforcement/Dept of Trans...who, to this day, has failed to return my calls. I went ahead and printed the letter from the mayor's office and a letter requesting a review of the citation. I'm awaiting a response. You would think that since they work with vehicles (hence, Dept of Transportation/Parking Enforcement) a decal stating the vehicle is a hybrid (purely optional at this point) would be unnecessary. Hhhmmm...Let's see...Your job is related to vehicles? I would assume that a parking enforcement officer would know that a Toyota Prius is a hybrid. Then again...The citation issued to me shows that my Prius is blue when it's actually black. Go figure.

I now leave a little note on my dashboard right where the VIN plate is on my dashboard.

I'll keep you guys updated, too.

 

Has anyone seen any official announcement that the program has been extended past its original six month trial period?

If it has not, this pilot program expired yesterday.

 

I forgot that it was Apr 2 yesterday and got a ticket at a meter in Beverly Hills. I've only had my Prius for a few weeks and I'm already used to not paying at the meters.

If anyone has info on what's happening with the free parking program please let me know... thanks...

 

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Beverly Hills is an independent city, surrounded by the city of Los Angeles. It has a city council and a mayor who pass their own municipal code ordinances. As far as I know, it never had a program of free meter parking for hybrid automobiles.

 

The program was for six months; however, the question is whether or not it was six months from the creation of the letter from the Mayor's Office...or six months after the month, period. If it's by the letter, then we still have some time (and continue placing our home-made placards on the dashboard).

I think it's an excellent incentive. I hope it continues. I'll try to research it's continuance.

 

So this hybrid parking program is only good for the city of los angeles, right? So forget about Beverly Hills and Santa Monica? I'm a new Prius owner so I'm just trying to get all the correct info. Thanks!!

 

That's right. As far as I know, it is a pilot program recognized (or sometimes, not recognized...if the parking enforcement officer is UNAWARE) by the City of Los Angeles. Santa Monica and Beverly Hills are not part of LA. You may want to contact their city council or parking enforcement.

 

This is great info. I was worried they stopped the free meters a couple days ago.

Also, anyone know the status of the carpool lanes? Here is the bill summary link:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d1...d109:h.r.00325:

Looks like it is still stuck in subcommittee....

 

Hi Widdletink...

Thanks for all the great info. You've been so helpfull!

Have a nice day...

 

Hi Widdletink. Thanks for all the work you have done for our free parking in LA. Though I live in So. Florida, I spend some of the summer in Chatsworth and drive into LA several time each week and I hope they extend the time thru the rest of the year at least. I hope mayor Hahn is listening. Take care.

 

Chatsworth is within the Los Angeles City limits.

 

Just a side note, I was covering the press conference when the Mayor (James, not Kenneth) Hahn and Councilman Garcetti annouced the plan for the free parking of hybrids. It was in front of Skoobys Hot Dogs in Hollywood. After Hahn and Garcetti left I stayed behind and had lunch with my reporter and some of Hahn's staff. Well a bicycle cop comes riding up and proceeds to write a citation for one of the example hybrids in front of an unpaid meter. Hahn's staff runs to the cop and tries to explain to him about the press conference, who they were and the proposed law. The cop looks at them and tells them it's not been passed yet and continues to write the citation. After a bit more pleading they convinced the cop not to give the citation. Too bad the cop didn't stick to his guns. That would have been funny.

 

G VS Q On CA Registration Cards

Well I checked my registration card, and I found that I also had a "G" under motive power. I called the DMV and asked whether it should be something else. The DMV technician said that if it takes gasoline it is a G regardless of whether it is a hybrid or not. I then ask are you sure it should not be a "Q". He checked his documentation for a good 5 minutes. He found a memo "VR 2004-10, dated April 2004 stating that the letter "Q" will now apply to hybrid cars. I purchased my Prius in February 2004, so thats why I have a "G". He did not know how I was suppose to change it from a G to a Q, but said it should not be needed. The ARB makes the determination of who needs a smog certificate, not the DMV, and they go by the VIN.

 

Is engine type under MP on the registration form? If so, I lucked out and bought a Q. I guess it really is a hybrid!

 

I also learned from Hahn's and Garcetti's offices that the program is to be extended for at least two more months to allow LADOT to present their findings about the feasibility of continuing it permanently.

Is there anything official from Hahn's office which confirms the extension?

 

Well after calling the dealer, calling the DMV, and going to the DMV twice I finally got the Motive Power changed from a G to a Q.

The DMV liason at my dealer just told me to call the DMV. She said that she was marking all of the Prius's as gasolene cars ever since they came out until all of a sudden the DMV told her that she should be marking them hybrid. This was apparently around 4/2004 when the CA DMV released memo VIN 2004-4 and VR 2004-10. She had no idea how to change it after she sent the paperwork to the DMV. I purchased my Prius in 2/2004.

I next called the Sacramento DMV number for public information. As I also needed the breakdown on the registration fees. In California, a portion of the registration fees are tax deductible -- when you pay the fews on the renewal statement they tell you how much of it is tax deductible -- when a car dealer pays the fees on your behalf, you are not given this information. While I was on the phone I asked if he could change the G to a Q, and he spent 15 minutes checking his memos and finally said -- you are right. You should have a Q and not a G, but you have to go to a DMV office to change it.

At my first visit the DMV technician did not know what I was talking about. I told her to look at VIN 2004-10, and she read the memo about hybrids and Prius's and said yes it should be a Q, but I dont know how to change it. She went to her supervisor, who apparently also had just bought a Prius herself. The supervisor said that I needed to come back with the title, and then it could be changed. After the next visit I now have a registration with a "Q".