Better Parking for Residential Streets. PLEASE LOOK!!! (Long Beach, Santa Monica: real estate, apartments)

[SomeoneConsiderate]

I hate looking for parking on residential streets (I'm in Santa Monica) because there are so many spots that are ALMOST a spot but theres not enough room!

You know how there is the grey spots on the curbside you can park at. But there is no structure or organization to it. People park wherever they want in the grey spots so where 10 people could essentially fit there are 6 cars that take up the whole curbside. Very frustrating!

Please take a look at my solution for this!

The LA Parking Solution

[timtemtym]

They do this in some areas marking the street with the white T's to mark the edges of the spot. I don't know if they are enforced. In some areas of Long Beach, they make pull in angled spots on one side of the street to increase capacity. That really helps and keeps your car from getting scuffed up from street life.

[SomeoneConsiderate]

Hey timtemtym, thanks for the reply! I know ive seen that as well and it influenced me.

I dont know if you know how frustrating parking can be here in SM but every space counts! And we have no structure to the residential parking. We need every space to be utilized so that we arent driving around for 20 mins looking for a spot. I think my solution could really help out the parking situation here and like I mentioned it will generate more revenue to the city if you mess up the parking and get a ticket. Im surprised this type of system isint already implemented here in the city.

[nightlysparrow]

Or you could try these:

http://www.zazzle.com/bad+parking+stickers

[Dunbar42]

I live in Santa Monica and this is why I wasn't even considering any apartments that did not include an assigned parking spot. Too many people and not enough street parking. Oh, and don't forget to move your car on the street cleaning days.

[disgruntled la native]

^Yes, if you live in Santa Monica south of Montana, which is the vast majority of the city, you will need a parking place in an apartment. I can't imagine how the OP survives by having to look for street parking in SM. Virtually impossible especially near the 3rd St promenade and main st, and that's WITH permit restrictions.

[SomeoneConsiderate]

Originally Posted by disgruntled la native

^Yes, if you live in Santa Monica south of Montana, which is the vast majority of the city, you will need a parking place in an apartment. I can't imagine how the OP survives by having to look for street parking in SM. Virtually impossible especially near the 3rd St promenade and main st, and that's WITH permit restrictions.

Yeah, its rough! I live north of wilshire by Montana where I CANT get permit parking. Because my adress is on the street that isint permit. Its very frustrating to see all the "almost" spots in between cars. If the car had just moved up 3 feet there would be another spot and the whole curb would be utilized!

Surprisingly though, I find a spot on Palisades st. mostly every time, which is a short distance to my apartment.

Any ideas on how I can actually get my parking system idea to some city officials??

[SandyCo]

For many years I was fortunate enough to live on a street that had apartments on one side, and a school on the other, so there was usually plenty of street parking. When I started looking for a new apartment, I discovered how difficult street parking is when you have apartment buildings on both sides of the street!

I remember seeing one ad for an apartment, and it looked very reasonably priced until I saw, "There is no assigned parking." Umm, what?! I work too hard to have to circle endlessly looking for a parking space! In those neighborhoods you almost want to cry if you have to go anywhere. I got very lucky, and not only found a nice apartment, but assigned parking for both me and my two kids! They have one tandem spot, and I have the other (non-tandem).

Marked parking spaces on residential streets is a good idea. The only down side is that a Smart Car or motorcycle will take up as much space as an SUV, something that wouldn't happen now.

So many apartments were built back in the 1950s when a family only used one car. Times are different now, but the real estate for parking spots hasn't really changed, especially for the older buildings with tuck under parking.

[thelopez2]

Originally Posted by SomeoneConsiderate

Yeah, its rough! I live north of wilshire by Montana where I CANT get permit parking. Because my adress is on the street that isint permit. Its very frustrating to see all the "almost" spots in between cars. If the car had just moved up 3 feet there would be another spot and the whole curb would be utilized!

Surprisingly though, I find a spot on Palisades st. mostly every time, which is a short distance to my apartment.

Any ideas on how I can actually get my parking system idea to some city officials??

The city will love you, another way for the city to generate revenue and compete against private business.

You solution is only for a fixed number of vehicles, if you create your space , people will simply add more vehicles. Instead of 2 people sharing an apartment, you might have 3 people sharing. All you are doing is increasing density. The solution is for the city to let people do what they want with their land. If a land owner wants to tear down their building and put a 4 story parking ,they should be able to unencumbered. Why don't you pursue a solution that increase an individuals rights rather than draw lines and boundaries around people.

The solution for your problem is to move to a less dense area, get a bike ,or get a place that offers parking, stop looking for the city to provide better parking. You already have rent control.

If you are a property owner and complaining there too many cars in your city, you let your politicians do it.

[SomeoneConsiderate]

All I'm looking for is some type of structure and organization to the residential parking. Your assuming more people are gonna move here if it gets implemented ? And it's gonna overcrowd things? Maybe, but that's just an assumption.
I'm all for the rights of the people but I'm not a politician and don't have the time to fight for the rights of people to tear down buildings and add parking structures. I'm being realistic in my idea to have some structure to the parking that would utilize every spot so there isint wasted space. Why shouldn't I expect the city to help with parking? Because I have rent control? Please. I'm looking at a flawed system and trying to help with a better system. A simple idea that I think should be considered.