STOLEN: Free Public Parking in Venice


By Peggy Lee Kennedy

Parking is such a big deal in Venice. O.K., maybe not if you live in a gated community or live in a house with a multiple car garage and a large driveway, but for the rest of us living in Venice – parking is a BIG DEAL. 

The homeless in Venice are being targeted constantly with 72-hour parking tickets, other unnecessary ticketing, and progressively more restrictive parking. But until restrictive street signs came to my block I really didn’t know how much this affects Venice residents that need public parking.

Last month the public street parking was suddenly removed across from the Venice apartments where I have lived for the past 14 years. I created a complaint petition and my neighbors were eager to sign. In fact, some almost ripped it out of my hands to sign. A not so prompt response from City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski’s Senior Field Deputy, Sandy Kievman, explained that the posting of the signs came at the request of LAPD. “ Since there are no homes on that side of the street, and LAPD and the Dept. of Transportation did not see anything there except motor homes and cars for sale, they felt that it was appropriate to post the signs.”  My neighbors and I all park there and certainly will dispute the validity of that statement. Those mischievous Venice LAPD, where will they stop?

I decided to take an inventory of the street signs being put up in Venice that appear to be directed at homeless people and, although not complete, I wanted to share with Venice how our public parking is being stolen from us sign-by-sign and block-by-block. This does not just affect the homeless. This is about public parking for all of us here in Venice.  (Maybe we’ll be offered some nice pay parking instead in City lots or railroad property.)

There are some Venice newcomers that think people are homeless because they just want to be or think that poorer Venice residents should move to make way for the “beautiful people,” but if you believe in civil liberties you should question the motives of these street signs.

Laws, ordinances and regulations shouldn’t be used to target people based on economic status. Street laws are supposed to be about public street safety, not about getting rid of the homeless. Shame, shame. Also, LA City housing laws shouldn’t be used to remove older tenants. Poverty is what needs to be outlawed, not poor people.

Anyway, below is the list I’ve come up with so far. I especially like the anti-homeless street signs that are put up right in front of a church. Another favorite of mine are the ones meant to keep tall vehicles from blocking stop signs, but they are put up in the middle of a block with no stop signs.

If you have any new signs to add to this list, please email them to HumanRights@freevenice.org or mail them to P.O. Box 2881, Venice CA 90294.

Washington Blvd. – from Palawan to Mildred Ave
(Tow Away – No Parking from 10PM to 6AM Nightly)

Harbor Street - from Wilson to Clark Ave
(No Parking from 8PM to 6AM Nightly)

Mildred Ave. – from Washington to Boone Ave.
(Tow Away – No Parking from 10PM to 6AM Nightly)

Hampton Dr. – from Brooks to Rose Ave
 (No Parking 2AM to 4AM)

3rd St – from Rose Ave to Sunset
(No Parking 2AM to 4AM)

Sunset Ave  - from 4th to 5th Street
(4 hour parking only)

Vernon Ave – from 4th to 5th Street
(4 hour parking only)

4th Street – from Vernon to Sunset
(2 hour parking only)

Venice Bl. North – from Meade Pl to Victoria Ave. The street block directly in front of the First Lutheran Church
(No Parking 2AM – 4AM Nightly) - see photo.

Venice Bl. North – from Electric Ave. to Abbot Kinney
(No Parking from 10PM to 5AM nightly)

Electric Ave – from Venice Bl. to Superba,
east side of street, no stop signs
(No Parking Vehicles Over 6 ft. High <––>)

Electric Ave. – from Palms Bl to Milwood Ave.
east side of street, sign right in the middle of block, no stop signs
(No Parking Vehicles Over 6 ft. High <––>)

Electric Ave. – from Milwood to California
west side of street, sign right in the middle of block, no stop signs, next to parking lot
(No Parking Vehicles Over 6 ft. High <––>)

Posted: Sat - November 1, 2003 at 05:10 PM          

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