Student parking poses problems
By John Guigayoma
May 12, 2008 11:00 p.m.
As Westwood Village parking continues to frustrate many UCLA students, residents of a nearby neighborhood are rallying to end what they see as an increase in long-term student parking in their streets.
The Brentwood Glen Homeowners Association has begun to contact officials about ways to prevent students from parking cars for several days on end in the neighborhood, reaching university police Monday.
In recent months, the number of incidents of long-term parking from UCLA students has increased, according to residents and police officials.
Residents have complained of cars that take up parking spaces for days or weeks, inconveniencing property owners, potentially attracting criminal activity and lowering the attractiveness of the area, said David Heldman, member of the association board.
Heldman said that Nancy Greenstein, director of police community relations, suggested they notify the UCLA Government & Community Relations Office and that she would post a note on the UCPD’s Web site. Greenstein could not be reached for comment.
While Heldman said that not all the cars belong to the UCLA community, he added that many residents have deduced that a large number are from university students.
“It’s the age of the people getting in and out of their cars. They are carrying books and backpacks, and UCLA is definitely within close proximity. They wouldn’t park here and ride all the way to Santa Monica (City) College. And chances are it isn’t ‘SC,” Heldman said.
The usual legal procedure for long-term parking concerns is to contact the Los Angeles Department of Transit after a car has been parked for more than 72 hours, and after the car has been marked and another 72 hours has passed, the car will be impounded and the owner cited, according to Brentwood Senior Lead Officer Philip Enbody.
But according to Enbody, calls have been so numerous recently, with complaints about seven cars in one week when usually two calls was the norm, that last week he decided to take the task of citing cars upon himself.
Some residents find the 72-hour rule too ineffective, only prolonging the process of getting unwanted cars out of the neighborhood.
“I don’t think that it is a solution. A better solution has to be worked out. We’re not quite there yet,” Heldman said.
Some complaints included one resident finding a student unable to start her car because of a dead battery after leaving the car for several days, according to Enbody. Others have found abandoned cars with slashed tires.
But parking availability in Westwood has been a tough issue for years because of increased student population in the apartments, and many students park their cars in surrounding neighborhoods to avoid the frustration.
A second-year study of religion student Maggie Matthews regularly parked in Brentwood Glen last year, sometimes for three days on end. She found it difficult to park in Westwood because of the lack of available parking.
“(Westwood) is really crowded. You always have to parallel park, and when you parallel park you are bound to tap someone else’s car,” Matthews said.
“The (Brentwood Glen) community uses those spots and needs those spots, just as UCLA needs more spots itself,” he said.
But some students notice the rising amount of long-term parking in the neighborhood.
“It wasn’t really crowded (last year). I’ve noticed this year it’s become a lot more crowded. It doesn’t surprise me that the homeowners are upset,” Matthews said.
Those parking their cars in Brentwood Glen should move their car before 72 hours to avoid possible citations, Enbody said.
“I don’t want to impound any vehicles to tell you the truth. It’s extra work for me. … I’d actually rather never get a call from a resident in the first place,” Enbody said.
“That would be the best.”
