Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Westwood parking crack-down

LACurbed has a great little post about parking enforcement in Westwood here.

Take a read, and then read this...

Ok, now that you see the issue (people parking in/on driveway aprons and blocking a portion of the sidewalk in the process), here are a few more points to consider:

This issue is not a Westwood phenomenon. Though I would believe the area east of the UCLA campus could be the poster-child for this kind of parking, areas in Silver Lake and other "over parked" communities show this same thing. It is the result of too many driveways, too many cars, not enough street-parking and not enough parking provided off-street.

Remember, it is LADOT that administers and enforces parking on City streets. So, don't blame LAPD for the tickets one receives. Yes, they have better things to do than give parking tickets. That's why they no longer are the primary parking enforcement agency in the City, as they once were.

The Ordinance that allows for parking tickets to be issued for this infraction also allows a property owner to be cited for brush and debris blocking the public right-of-way (sidewalk). Yes, it's the adjacent property owners responsibility to keep the sidewalk in front of their property free and clear of obstructions that may impede a pedestrian. So, though a car may be one of the violations, a dumped mattress or couch, an overgrown bush, or a low hanging branch could also warrant a violation to the code.

So, parking may be an issue, but as others have commented, this enforcement may force the car owners, apartment renters, and perhaps the community to re-think the way cars are viewed and used in the quintessential college community of Los Angeles. (Sorry, USC fans: UCLA has a better "college town" than the Exposition Park campus of USC.)

6 comments:

Mitch Glaser said...

Westwood may be a "better" college town, but North University Park is far more "colorful." I would argue that NUP is more "quintessentialy" Los Angeles than Westword will ever be. It's doubtful that I would have the same appreciation for our city if I had gone to UCLA.

Zach Behrens said...

So when will the city start giving tickets to the county for sidewalk encroachment for overgrown trees/bushes from the LA River to sidewalks and bridges around it. Example: See Valleyheart (right bank) and Fulton.

Anonymous said...

A big problem where I live (Van Nuys) is homeowners who do not use their own driveways. It makes the street look uglier (with a bunch of cars parked on it), and makes it difficult for guests to park close to the house they're visiting. Also, I don't want to look at your car in front of my house whenever I look outside.

USE YOUR DRIVEWAY!!

Anonymous said...

Mr. La City Nerd,
Do you have

the question is, if someone doesn't block the sidewalk or blocks it less than 50 percent (which is what, i think the code calls for) and their rear bumper doesn't go into the street. Then is it still a violation? or this going to block all apron parking?

Anonymous said...

Can gardeners park there while they mow the lawn? I don't think so.

Anonymous said...

I have a question.How many cars can a home owner have on the street. Our neighbor has nine cars and parks in front of my house. That leaves no room for my famliy to park close.