Parking Pilot Unveiled

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is adding parking to his efforts to create a legacy impact on transportation.

Villaraigosa, who will be termed out in 2013, unveiled a pilot program Tuesday that will be run by the city’s Department of Transportation and aimed at clearing up traffic congestion in downtown.

Funding for the one-year pilot program called “ExpressPark,” which targets a 4.5-square-mile area downtown, comes from $15 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation and $3.5 million in city funds.

The program, run by the Los Angeles DOT, is aimed at revamping the city’s parking operations. The goal is to increase the availability of public parking spaces and decrease traffic congestion and pollution, and encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation.

LA Express Park is a technologically advanced parking system that will notify motorists where parking is available by using in-ground sensors on city streets and lots, according to the mayor’s office.

It will also introduce dynamic pricing to parking spots on city streets. Under this project, prices for parking will be based upon demand; when demand is high parking rates will increase and when it is low rates will drop.

“Downtown is the heart and soul of Los Angeles, and has experienced significant growth over the last decade,” Villaraigosa said in a statement. “LA Express Park’s dynamic system will make parking in downtown easier, faster, and smarter for all Angelenos.”

”The LA Express Park demonstration area will include approximately 6,000 high-tech parking meters that take debit and credit cards,” the mayor added.

LA Express Park is being developed in partnership with the California Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

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Transportation industry California
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