Parking Meter Fails? Park There and You Get a Ticket
LADOT says the new policy is designed to prevent vandalism
A failed parking meter used to mean a free space. But a warning to all LA drivers: things have changed. If you park a meter that has failed, you risk getting a ticket.
Los Angeles' Department of Transportation began marking new 'Card & Coin' parking meters with a red sticker informing motorists they must pay to park…or else. And if the meter has failed, they have to find a new place to park.
The red warning stickers, which have also been posted to the LADOT website, read in part: "If one form of payment is not accepted, you must use another form or park in a different space to prevent a citation."
In the past, the city's policy has not allowed parking enforcement officials to give citations at broken meters. But not so with the new 'Card & Coin' meters.
Daniel Mitchell, LADOT Senior Transportation Engineer, told KTLA the new policy is designed to prevent vandalism and emphasized the policy change does not apply to the older, coin-only meters.
Mitchell said the new meters operate around 99% of the time. Instead of reading 'fail,' they instruct the driver to use another form of payment such as a credit card. When problems do arise, a nearby technician is automatically notified via text message to fix the issue.
If a driver has an issue with a meter, they're encouraged to call 311.
In August, the Los Angeles City Council increased parking citations by $5. In some neighborhoods, parking fines are as high as $80.
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