A new proposal is in development to help drivers find affordable parking in Los Angeles, a notorious issue for residents and visitors alive.
Assemblyman Mark Gatto introduced the bill earlier this month, which would reform how city governments utilize parking meters, making it law to prohibit cities from giving tickets at broken meters, for example.
Under the bill, drivers also would not have to pay towing or storage fees if their vehicle was stolen and dumped somewhere in the city streets. Valets would also not be able to block the public use of meters or loading zones.
Many drivers expressed enthusiasm over the proposed bill, citing how difficult it is to find parking in Southern California.
"It's really hard," said Tracey Navrides.
Navrides said when she drives she often spends a lot of time circling and area trying to find an open space.
"I'm parking up on the residential street, or I'm parking across the street, and then having to walk a long distance to get where I want to get to," Navrides said.
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Gatto said he sympathizes with drivers.
"I think a lot of city governments will be upset that there's a loss of revenue," he said.
If the bill passes, it would create more meters and loading zones often tied up by valet during peak hours more available. It also proposes high-tech meters, with rates that change depending on the parking demand.
Gatto thinks the bill would force cities to put people ahead of revenues.
"I think cities are increasingly viewing it as another tax, a way way to bring revenue to their coffers, and that's not what parking laws were intended to do," he said.
The idea of easier parking is welcomed by drivers like Valerie Nielsen.
"It's ridiculously complicated. Way too complicated. There's so many rules and it changes day by day," she said.
