“I think people are entitled to march without a permit. When you have a few hundred thousand people on the street you have permission.” - Tom Hayden

Park[ing] Day LA hits the streets of Los Angeles on Friday, September 16th, as artists, designers and activists throughout the city step up to the curb, put a quarter in the meter, and proceed to transform curbside metered parking spots into temporary public parks.

Participation in Park[ing] Day LA is at the risk of the participants who are acting independently and who are liable for their own actions.

Anyone involved with Park[ing] Day LA should survey the legal landscape and be aware of the laws that govern the use of the curbside metered parking spot and be prepared to engage passers-by, motorists, members of the press, city leadership and yes, even the authorities, in a rational and respectful dialogue and explanation of Park[ing] Day LA.

Jane Jacobs, in “The Death and Life of Great American Cities” writes that in order to make a city safe, prosperous and worth living in, one must start with “lively and interesting streets.”

In Los Angeles, we entrust our streets to the LADOT who have authority over the conceptual planning and operations of the street system including responsibility for the installation and maintenance of traffic signals, parking meters and other traffic control devices, as well as intersection control, parking enforcement and crossing guard service.

The LADOT Traffic Officers regularly patrol all restricted parking zones and issue citations to motorists when violations occur.

Things to consider:

Feeding the meter is illegal

SEC. 88.12 It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit or cause to be deposited in a parking meter any coin for the purpose of increasing or extending the parking time of any vehicle beyond the legal parking time which has been established by the Department for the parking space adjacent to which said meter is placed.

If you’re gonna park in a Curbside Metered Parking Spot, ya gotta fit!

SEC. 88.03 The Department shall cause distinct lines or markings to be painted or placed, replaced and maintained upon the curb or roadway adjacent to each parking meter for the purpose of designating the parking meter space for which said meter is to be used. Said lines or markings shall be so painted or placed as to permit parking in the manner provided by the Vehicle Code of the State of California.

(a) It shall be unlawful when such lines or markings are in place for any person to park, stop or stand any vehicle other than completely within the confines or limits of such parking meter space.

Curbside Metered Parking Spots are for vehicles

CVC 463. "Park or parking" shall mean the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading merchandise or passengers.