Beverly Hills Voters Approve Free Parking

The words "free" and "parking" usually aren't seen together but that's changing in Beverly Hills. Voters approved a ballot measure that guarantees two hours of free parking at most city-owned parking facilities.

Measure 2P, an initiative placed on the ballot by a signature-gathering drive backed a developer, was approved by a 62.1 percent-37.9 percent margin, according to count of all precincts and vote by mail ballots released by the Beverly Hills City Clerk.

The measure guarantees two hours of free parking at city-owned parking facilities that were in operation before June 30. Passage of the measure extends free parking from one hour to two hours at the five city-owned facilities that did not have two hours of free parking.

Opponents said the measure would cost the city money because less money would be collected from parking fees.

Supporters said increasing the amount of free parking would make Beverly Hills competitive with nearby areas that provide more free parking and boost sales at stores and dining at restaurants, increasing sales tax revenues.

A rival measure placed on the ballot by the City Council, Measure 3P, which would have given residents three hours of free parking per day at city- owned parking facilities that were in operation before June 30, was rejected by a margin of 70.6 percent-29.4 percent.

 

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