> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Finding parking in the red - URL: https://www.smdp.com/finding-parking-in-the-red/ - Published: 2007-07-07T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T02:14:05.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Education, Santa Monica, #archive-import *FROM PARKING PAGE 3 Park with caution* CITYWIDE Maybe a little white-out can erase the city’s parking woes. Looking to provide some relief for residents and visitors frustrated by the lack of parking spaces around town, transportation planners are in the midst of an extensive review of no-parking zones, and in some cases, are removing red-painted curbs in favor of those with parking meters. City staff is also assessing areas in which there are no meters, allowing people to park for long periods of time for free. Those drivers included residents in nearby apartment buildings and condos, as well as employees of local businesses and students from UCLA, who would park their cars and hop a bus or ride their bikes to campus, returning several hours later. In efforts to move long-time parkers along — and free up space for others — city staff has installed meters, a move that has already created a stir at locations such as Douglas Park, a popular spot for families. Meters have been placed along the park’s perimeter, forcing visitors to bring plenty of change or risk receiving a $47 ticket. “It’s a bad idea. It’s just killing us,” said Phil Dunn, vice president of the Santa Monica Lawn Bowls Club, which plays games at the park’s southern end. Dunn said the new parking meters are costing bowlers plenty, with one member receiving two parking tickets in one week. Since most members are seniors on fixed incomes, the tickets can take a bite out of their wallets. “It really is an economic burden for some people and it disrupts the games,” Dunn said on Friday, as he stood on the lawn watching members roll. “I understand the rationale for doing it, but make it four hours instead of three.” The meters have subtracted from enjoyment of the park, Dunn said. “Look around,” he said. “There are still as many cars as there were before. It’s packed.” Dunn said he asked City Hall to provide decals or placards for lawn bowlers so that they could be exempt from the new parking restrictions, but reports that he was denied. The benefits of turnover outweigh the inconveniences, said Lucy Dyke, City Hall’s transportation planning manager, adding that she understands the frustrations felt by park users. With more spaces changing hands on a more regular basis, more people can enjoy the park, while those looking to run a quick errand or two will not have to waste time and gas driving around in circles looking for a spot. “We love to have people be able to park for free when going to our parks, but we’d also like for them to be able to park near the park even more,” Dyke said. “It’s just a result of how busy the region is. Parking spaces are really heavily used and if they are not regulated... people tend to take advantage, especially those spaces that are near Wilshire and Santa Monica (boulevards) and other commercial areas, where spaces are really needed for customer parking or park parking.” City staff will continue to look at major thoroughfares like Pico and Ocean Park boulevards to see if more spaces can be created in places where curbs are currently painted red for no parking. In the light manufacturing district of Colorado Avenue, Dyke said more meters are going to be installed shortly, a product of the red curb review. Curbs are painted red for safety reasons, according to Dyke. By doing so, City Hall is trying to ensure that no one parks in front of a fire hydrant or too close to an intersection, creating a hazard for other drivers and pedestrians who may not be able to see clearly. City staff follows guidelines set forth in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control devices, which contains specific dimensions for the length of on-street parking stalls and red curbs. Cities are required under the California Vehicle Code to follow this manual, according to a city staff report. Based on the manual, drivers are not allowed to park within 30 feet in advance of a signalized intersection. Kevin Corcoran, who was having a picnic on Friday at Douglas Park with his wife, Jackie, and his young son, James, said no one likes to pay for parking, but he is willing to do so, especially if the money is used to pay for park maintenance. His biggest issue is that he doesn’t get as much for a quarter as he used to. Instead of an hour, a quarter only buys you 15 minutes, he said. “I really see the need,” Corcoran said. “It hasn’t stopped us from coming. You just have to be prepared. You used to be able to park at the beach for free. That’s changed too, so you just have to get used to it. It’s just a sign of the times.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 7, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/070707.pdf?ref=smdp.com)