Apron parking ticketing suspended, with conditions

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that the city is suspending ticketing of apron parking.

During the suspension, cars parked in aprons will not be ticketed, as long as they do not touch the sidewalk or extend into the street, according to a statement by LADOT general manager Jaime de la Vega.

Additionally, any tickets issued on or after Oct. 12 will be administratively cancelled, according to the statement.

The announcement comes after the Los Angeles City Council approved a motion on Oct. 12 to suspend ticketing, with advice from the City Attorney’s Office.

Councilmember Paul Koretz, whose district includes Westwood, was among three councilmembers who presented the motion requesting the suspension.

The councilmembers cited the inconsistency of the definition of “parkway” in the Los Angeles Municipal Code, and said there should be a suspension of ticketing until the city adopts other laws regulating apron parking, according to a statement by Koretz.

Enforcement of the ban on apron parking began this summer in efforts to increase accessibility to sidewalks.

Donald Shoup, a UCLA professor of urban planning, advocated for the end to apron parking on sidewalks. Shoup said the city made the right decision to allow cars to park in aprons if they don’t extend over the sidewalk.

“It is a huge improvement not to see cars parked in the sidewalks of Westwood Village,” he said.

For Westwood residents who have opposed the enforcement of the ban, including the Westwood Neighborhood Council, the motion is a step in addressing residents’ parking rights.

Brent Gaisford, a fourth-year economics student and member of the Westwood Neighborhood Council governoring board, said the suspension is a positive move because it re-opens parking options in Westwood.

In the statement, Koretz said he will continue to advocate for remaining issues with apron parking enforcement, including residents whose aprons are smaller than the car’s length.