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# City Hall-run valet stand folds its umbrella
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/city-hall-run-valet-stand-folds-its-umbrella/
- Published: 2004-02-16T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:48:25.000Z
- Author: John Wood
- Tags: Government & Politics, Downtown, #archive-import

*Valet stand a thing of the past*

DOWNTOWN — When City Hall opened its first valet stand in parking structure No. 5 on Fourth Street last year, they hoped to alleviate the snarled parking situation in downtown Santa Monica — a known deterrent for shoppers.

But after only 66 cars were parked, funding was cut off and the valet stand was shut down. The reason? It took 45 days to attract the 66 cars.

Privately run valets in front of restaurants and other businesses downtown average 40 to 80 motorists a day, various valet attendants reported Friday. City Hall’s pilot program, on the other hand, averaged 1.46 cars per day.

“The program has been determined not to be feasible, so it’s been terminated,” Elana Buegoff, an analyst for City Hall, recently told officials.

Though it was funded by City Hall, the valet stand was manned by a private contractor. Motorists would enter the public structure through the normal route off of Fourth Street, push the button for their parking ticket and then have the option to hand their keys over to a valet attendant or find a spot for themselves. The valet, if contracted, would then take cars out of the public parking lot and into a private lot under Broadway Deli.

Kathleen Rawson, executive director of the Bayside District Corp., said the pilot program failed because the hours for the stand were limited to between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Those hours were chosen because officials worried expanding them might lead to further congestion at the structure’s entrance, Rawson added.

“It was the first time we gave it a try and... I think we sort of sabotaged ourselves with the limited hours we had to work with,” she said. “It’s still a really good idea, and it could really work, given the right circumstances.”

If the valet stand were to be continued, Rawson said she’d push for hours that start earlier in the day, when more people are downtown and might opt for the more convenient alternative. She’d also push for the valet to be open until at least midnight.

Private valet attendants were in agreement that the restricted hours on the city-run stand likely led to its untimely demise.

Parking downtown has long been a key concern of local officials, residents and tourists. The aging parking garages are overused, causing frustration for everyone who drives downtown. Officials want more parking — fast — to help stem the loss of shoppers who sometimes choose other malls because they’re easier to access.

No plans for another City Hall-run valet are in the works, officials said.

While officials decide whether to try again, Rawson said directing thousands of cars through downtown everyday is as difficult as finding parking for all of them.

“Our parking situation is far from ideal, but there is parking downtown,” Rawson said. “We do know, though, that traffic circulation is as much of an issue as parking.

“I think whenever you go to an area that’s busy and lively, it’s going to be difficult to park.”

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/021604-01_04-7.jpg)

Private valet stands like this one abound downtown. (Photo: John Wood/Daily Press)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 16, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/021604.pdf?ref=smdp.com)