The city of Culver City acted like a herd of ostriches again Monday night at the City Council meeting (“Car Show Roars Through a Green Light, and a Mother Recalls a Tragedy”). The City Council once again ignored the parking “issues” caused by 10,000 people coming to the Downtown Car Show.
The Exchange Club (the organizers) even bragged about the Car Show bringing 10,000 people to Downtown Culver City.
Even if you packed 5 people into every car that comes to park in the 1,526 total parking structure spaces, you would be 500 cars over the parking capacity of the parking structures.
How about the local businesses that rent a sizable amount of the 1,526 parking structure spaces? Do they magically not need parking and give up their spots?
“No Car Show Parking” signs in the residential neighborhood are ignored every year.
Last year, a resident on Duquesne was unable to even get out of her own driveway because it was blocked by a car of someone who went to the Car Show.
Last year, the city had one parking enforcement officer in the entire city.
This lone parking enforcement officer was running around the whole town, like a chicken with his head cut off.
After calling in a car that was illegally parked in one section of the neighborhood, the lone parking enforcement officer showed up two hours later to chalk the tires.
Instead of coming back in one hour (this section of street had a one-hour parking limit without a permit), he came back more than three hours later. That car finally got a ticket.
Meanwhile, though, four other cars, without permits, were parked by the ticketed car, and the people walked to the Car Show without penalty.
At Monday’s meeting, the City Council, for a second time, saw my video documenting the facts. They ignored it again. They claim this is a “well-planned event.”
For this year’s Car Show, the city wants more officers manning traffic barricades on the perimeter.
If the city wants to make money to offset the Car Show costs, then have a second parking enforcement officer work on the Car Show on Saturday, May 9, only in the Downtown area.
What is the point of having signs if you don’t enforce them?
The city could make the cost of the parking enforcement officer's wages many times over and protect the residential neighborhood.
The Council decided to stick with the status quo. It is much easier to stick your head in the sand and ignore the problem than to actually do anything about it.
Mr. Anderson may be contacted at caryanderson@ca.rr.com
