Vox Pop
By Charles Tarlow
To all my friends who think I am overreacting to the city's plan to use parking policies to get poor people out of their cars, I am sad to inform you that it is much worse than I thought. You already know that the LA City Planning Department seems to be in agreement with UCLA Professor Don Shoup, an academic who believes that there is plenty of parking in Los Angeles, all we have to do is price it so that 15% of existing parking will be available at all times.
In other words, parking for the rich. To that end, the City Planning
Department issued a report recommending the city increase the cost of
public parking to “enhance revenue” and address congestion and access
problems. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.
There was an article in the Los Angeles Times (11/17) that gave us a peek into the Pandora's Box that awaits all of us if we don't start screaming soon. The article … “Lightening Traffic and Wallets” … announces the opening of the South Bay Expressway in Chula Vista, a private toll road that will charge drivers to use it. The writer tells us that this is a good thing as it will ease congestion.
It is all part of a larger plan. The County is already selling the use of carpool lanes to solo drivers on a portion of Highway 15 and is considering expanding the policy to include more highway as well as on-ramps. They are calling it “congestion pricing”.
This article is a must read for anyone who doubts the direction our leaders are taking us. They can't or won't solve the mass transit problem; they can't or won't solve the congestion problem; they can't or won't stop irresponsible development; but what they can do is insure that people with money will be able to drive and park in our city.
What are they thinking? When you ask yourself this question, I say “follow the money”. The article points out that Los Angeles lost out on millions of dollars of Federal Transportation Funds because we didn't have a “Congestion Pricing Project”. It would appear that the Feds don't think much of poor people either. And money having the influence it always has, the MTA agreed to develop a toll road plan that could be implemented in three years.
When we hear the city is going to eliminate the parking requirements for condominiums and apartments, it is so foolish on its face that we think it could never happen. Beware, it very well could. The power of reason does not currently permeate our City Council. When you hear talk about the city selling diamond lane access to solo drivers or
residential parking permits to non residents, don't laugh ... it could happen and happen soon.
If this article isn't enough to make you scream, let me share a conversation I had with someone from Japan. Her parents live about 50 miles from the airport. It costs her approximately $100 each way in toll road fees ($200 round trip) to go to the airport. Everyone in Japan must own a parking space before they can buy a car. Parking spaces go for about $500 a month.
Of course if you are rich and don't care about ordinary people, don't worry about it. You will be able to buy your “diamond pass” and scoot to work. Parking won't be a problem, because you can afford it even if others can't. And when you travel, you will be able to use all the toll roads in Los Angeles and throughout California because, as youknow, you can afford it.
LA. What a neat place to live. If you’re rich!
(Charles Tarlow is a community activist and a member of a neighborhood council in the mid-city area.) _
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