Politics & Government

No More Tickets at Broken Meters, Proposed Law Says

If approved, cities across the state would be barred from ticketing people at bad meters.

By City News Service

The state Senate this week approved a bill authored by a Los Angeles-area lawmaker that would prohibit cities from ticketing motorists who park at broken parking meters.

The proposed legislation will now move to Gov. Jerry Brown for final approval.

"Taxpayers already pay for street maintenance, meter installation and meter upkeep,'' according to Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Los Angeles, who proposed the legislation. "Local governments should take responsibility and keep parking meters in good working order, not squeeze a double-penalty out of cash-strapped citizens.''

The legislation would allow motorists to park at a broken meter for up to the maximum time normally permitted.

Broken meters have been a matter of debate at Los Angeles City Hall, where the City Council last year approved a policy that calls for motorists to be ticketed for parking at a broken meter. City transportation officials have argued that more modern meters -- which accept credit cards in addition to coins -- are harder to break and have a notification system that summons repair crews when they do malfunction.

Newly sworn-in City Councilman Mike Bonin this week introduced a motion calling for the policy to be rescinded.

If Brown signs Gatto's measure, cities across the state would be barred from ticketing people at bad meters.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here