First meter increase in 11 years may be approved
It’s going to take a lot more pocket change to plug the meters in Santa Monica.
Parking meters may be increased from 50 cents to $1 an hour downtown and along the beach, and increased from 35 cents an hour to 75 cents at all other locations early next year.
The Santa Monica City Council voted Tuesday to allow city staff to consider raising parking meter fees and bring a formal proposal in February. Approval is required before the new rates would take effect.
And the city plans to install 360 new meters alongside streets adjacent to Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards, and on Pearl Street near Santa Monica College and John Adams Middle School.
The rate increase at the roughly 6,000 parking meters across the city is expected to bring in $3 million more annually; $950,000 of that would come from the raised fees downtown alone.
Installing the new meters would cost about $340,000 and would generate $170,000 in their first year of operation and about $340,000 every year after that, according to city staff.
Beverly Hills, Manhattan Beach, Venice Beach, Hermosa Beach and Westwood already charge $1 an hour at their parking meters. Same goes for meters along the Sunset Strip and in Old Town Pasadena, according to city staff.
West Hollywood and Redondo Beach charge 75 cents an hour at their meters, while in West L.A. it costs 50 cents an hour to park at a meter.
“This is not out of line with what neighboring and other municipalities charge,” said Councilman Mike Feinstein. “In order to resolve our daunting budget deficit so as not to undermine city services, we’re going to have to make cuts and raise revenues.”
He added, “We can’t do it by doing just one or the other — it has to be both.”
However, Councilman Bob Holbrook — who cast the lone vote against raising parking meters — said the city should do more to cut its spending before it raises fees.
“I think we have gone overboard,” he said, “and we are sending the wrong message to people.”
“I think we have gone overboard, and we are sending the wrong message to people.” — — BOB HOLBROOK Santa Monica City Councilman
He also said he disagrees with raising rates higher than those found in areas of Los Angeles that surround Santa Monica on three sides.
“Why collect more money this way?” Holbrook asked. “We are already getting a reputation as being a place that’s too expensive to go shopping.”
The last time parking meter rates were increased was in 1991, and the recent downtown parking task force recommended last year raising parking meter rates as one of several sources to pay for downtown parking improvements.
And as part of the transit mall construction, the city installed new computer-ized meters where motorists pay at one central location, decreasing the number of posts on the curb.
The city also is proposing that the newer meters replace the city’s existing mechanical meters because they are more durable and allow motorists to buy parking debit cards in advance.
Modernizing the parking meters would cost about $2.4 million, and it would be paid for from the parking meter increase, city officials said.
The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce opposes raising the parking meter fees. Officials say the higher parking fees may translate to fewer people coming to the city to dine or go shopping during already sour economic times locally.
“We thought the timing (of this decision) was particularly awful with only a few days left before Christmas,” said Kathy Dodson, executive director of the chamber of commerce. “It may not take effect for some time, but it just comes across to the public that Santa Monica is going to double its rates while you can park for free during the holidays in Beverly Hills or Redondo Beach.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 19, 2002. Read the original PDF.