11. Politics 101: Observations On Los Angeles County Governance

The remaining five stations are all owned by Caltrans, however, and are prohibited from charging for parking. Three of these stations are currently at high levels of parking utilization including Norwalk (85 percent), Lakewood (98 percent), and Aviation/LAX (103 percent). Metro should continue exploring ownership transfer opportunities or alternative management arrangements of these lots, as well as continued opportunities to implement paid parking or other effective demand management techniques at these high utilization lots. New Measures & Initiatives As previously noted, there are currently several parking-related initiatives occurring at Metro. These include the recent passage of the agency’s first parking ordinance and parking rate resolution, the initiation of a parking master planning process to culminate in the agency’s first Strategic Plan for parking, the impending start of a paid parking pilot program, and a recently issued request-for-proposal for the development of a parking guidance system, which will facilitate improved signage, data collection, and public information. Parking Ordinance and Parking Rate & Permit Fee Resolution Metro’s Parking Ordinance, Parking Rate Resolution, and Permit Fee Resolution were adopted in September 2015 to facilitate the agency’s impending master planning process. Metro had previously been operating without a parking ordinance, parking rate resolution, or permit fee resolution, which created enforcement challenges. The ordinance did not contain significant changes from previous law, policy, or practices, but instead served as a compilation of existing rules and regulations. The purpose was to enable Metro transit security to provide more effective enforcement at Metro’s parking facilities. The parking rate and permit fee resolution standardized existing parking fees on a station-by-station basis. 238 2015-2016 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT The new ordinance is expected to be leveraged as a tool to implement future enforcement strategies and operations. Supportive Transit Parking Program Master Plan In fall 2015 Metro’s Board of Directors approved a contract to conduct the Supportive Transit Parking Program Master Plan Study on behalf of Metro’s Parking Management Unit. The purpose of the master plan is to serve as a system-wide comprehensive parking study, with two major objectives: (1) to present findings to Metro’s Board that will inform the Board’s decision to continue Metro’s existing parking program as is, or to increase the use of technology, incorporate more demand-management tools, and expand paid parking; and (2) produce a Strategic Plan to be adopted by Metro’s Board, which will include a 5-10 year parking implementation plan, the adoption of an updated parking policy, and the identification of capital and technology projects. The major components of the first phase of this study will include surveys and data collection, an assessment of the current program, public outreach and stakeholder meetings, and a range of analysis. Below are excerpts from the master plan statement of work, to highlight key activities that will take place over the course of the study, which is currently in progress and is expected to be completed later this year:  An assessment of all parking facilities. Identify locations with high demand and evaluate re-design potential. o Identify locations with low utilization and explore opportunities. o Evaluate pricing and its potential policy impacts. o Identify locations for preferred parking for car share and van pools. o Improve pedestrian and bike access plus facilities. o Enhance way finding and parking guidance. o  A ridership and parking demand model. The consultant will build a model to estimate parking demand under o different scenarios, enabling calculation of revenue projections and parking fee