City Looking to Step Up Efforts on Parking Reform

Last February, before the launch of LA Streetsblog, the Los Angeles City Council vowed to get serious about enforcing a 1992 state law requiring employers who provide parking free parking and have more than 50 employees to provide a cash benefit for those that choose a non-automobile option to commute to and from work.

One of the actions that came out of the council meeting was requiring the city’s Chief Legislative Analyst to prepare a list of recommendations to help the city better enforce the state mandates within its boundries.  While the state may mandate cash-out-parking, the agency charged with implementing the program has no power to enforce it.

The city’s reccomendations will be heard by the City Council Transportation Committee later today.  Below is a summary of their reccomendations:

• Request the City Attorney to prepare and present changes to the City’s Transportation Demand Management Ordinance that would require certain categories of employers to submit transportation plans and define the parameters of those plans (including parking cashout), and would set forth penalties for non-compliance.
• Instruct the City Administrative Officer, in consultation with the Office of Finance to report back on the fiscal impact to the City’s general fund that will be incurred pursuant to the prospective changes to the Transportation Demand Management Ordinance.
• Request the Office ofthe Chief Legislative Analyst to prepare a resolution to sponsor and/or support legislation to amend state law to authorize municipalities to require businesses to show proof of compliance with the parking cash-out law and the pre tax dollar commuter account law.

Photo: KingMasse/Flickr