Jim Dyer wrote: Sell permits to park on the street in front of your own driveway. John-Marc Chadonia wrote: This would not add more car parking, because the cops already permit this, and it would be politically impossible to get the law enforced. This is basically a funding proposal, because state law limits the amount cities can charge for street parking. However, selling a special permit would get around that problem, allowing the city to charge market rate. It's also politically feasible, since people would be willing to pay for guaranteed parking (assuming they have 1 driveway and 1 car). Jeremy Nelson writes: Transportation for a Livable City has been advocating for DPT to pursue a "Block Your Own Driveway Permit" for about a year. It not only adds new revenue (charging for something we are currently giving away for free), but also does add some additional stet parking (because many people don't know they can block their own driveway because they think they'll get a ticket for this). This also eases and improves enforcement of parking violations, leading to increased citation revenue. Currently no one gets a ticket for a blocked driveway unless someone calls it in (in no one has complained, DPT's parking control officers (PCOs) assume that the car and the driveway belong to the same person). But by selling permits, you allow the DPT to shift from their current "cite/tow on complaint" enforcement model to a "cite/tow on sight" enforcement model (anyone blocking a driveway without a permit is not a resident and can be cited) which is more efficient and cost-effective enforcement model. Also, it's better customer service: if I'm a resident on my way to work or an appointment, and I come out of my home to find someone else blocking my driveway, I have to call in to complain, wait for the PCO to come and verify that this is my garage (they make you open the garage door), then wait for the PCO to call a tow truck. Depending on the time of day, this can take quite awhile. Much better to know that DPT has a system in place to keep driveways clear of cars that don't belong there but allow cars to park there that have a permit. Also, block your own driveway permits in Hermosa Beach are placards that are transferable to contractors and visitors, so in effect it creates a guaranteed "guest" parking spot, in exchange for a fee. The kicker is that state law forbids the City's current practice of allowing (or at least ignoring) people to block driveways willy nilly. The only way you can allow parking in a driveway under state law is to set up a Block Your Own Driveway Permit program, which is already specifically allowed in the law. In fact the City of Hermosa Beach already has such a program for residential areas near the beach that experience high parking demand. See below for more info. ======================================= Block-Your-Own-Driveway (BYOD) Street Parking Permit Program Transportation for a Livable City (www.livablecity.org) - BYOD permits are legal (but blocking a driveway without a permit is illegal). The enabling statute is California Vehicle Code, Section 22507.2: "Notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 22500 [Prohibited Stopping, Standing, or Parking], a local authority may, by ordinance, authorize the owner or lessee of property to park a vehicle in front of the owner's or lessee's private driveway when the vehicle displays a permit issued pursuant to the ordinance authorizing such parking. The local authority may charge a nonrefundable fee to defray the costs of issuing and administering the permits. A local ordinance adopted pursuant to this section may not authorize parking on a sidewalk in violation of subdivision (f) of Section 22500. (Amended Ch. 45, Stats. 1985. Effective January 1, 1986.) - Hermosa Beach's BYOD ordinance. Municipal Code Section 10.32.80, Permit Parking - Private Driveway: Parking in front of a private driveway shall be allowed only when a vehicle has prominently displayed on the front dashboard a valid parking permit which includes the address of the owner or a lessee of the private property, at which the vehicle is to be parked. Permits are valid only at the address contained upon the permit, and is effective while the holder owns or leases the property for which the permit is issued. Permits may be revoked without notice or hearing if it is determined that parking authorized by the permit creates traffic safely or other public health and safety problems. Vehicles creating a traffic hazard may be towed pursuant to Section 10.12.150(B). Permit does not authorize parking on a sidewalk in violation of California Vehicle Code Section 22500(f). - The permits are a placard that is hung on vehicles' rearview mirror. - BYOD permits are driveway-specific but transferable among vehicles. The permits are only valid for the driveway associated with the address on the permit, but are transferable among owners', visitors', and/or contractors' vehicles. - Limit of 1 BYOD permit per household/driveway. - Approximately 500 BYOD permits have been sold citywide as of 2003. - Applicants submit: * Permit application (attached) * Proof of residency/ownership/business license at permit address - City verifies: * No outstanding paring violations for vehicle * Driveway is to a legal dwelling unit or commercial use * Parking in driveway will not cause a traffic or safety hazard * Additional details about Hermosa Beach's BYOD permit program. * Length of the vehicle(s) using the permit cannot extend beyond the width of the driveway at any point, measured as the length between the 'curb slopes' at street level. - Permit holder must follow all other street parking restrictions (i.e., street cleaning) and cannot block driveways for multiple space garages or driveways that front on narrow alleys.