Newly Signed Bill to Address CA Cities' Parking Problems

Governor Jerry Brown signed new legislation Tuesday that authorizes cities and counties to adopt parking ordinances. Assembly Bill 451, which would allow the regulation of private, off-street parking facilities by their owners and operators, is backed by Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla.

Bonilla represents assembly district 14, which includes Contra Costa and Solano counties.

The measure is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2016 and will clarify local governments’ ability to create private parking ordinances that best fit the needs of their community, according to Bonilla’s office.

“Across California, many parking lots are privately owned and operated,” Bonilla said. “In high traffic area where businesses, restaurants and retail stores are abundant, parking availability is a huge problem which deters potential customers from shopping, dinning and contributing to our local communities.”

AB 451 will help alleviate parking congestion and create parking turnover by allowing cities and counties to grant private parking companies the ability to manage their own parking lots under the conditions and criteria approved by the local jurisdiction.

In some cities, such as Walnut Creek where 70 percent of downtown parking spaces are privately owned, metered parking is used to ensure customers have access to shopping districts.

“This bill enables Walnut Creek to continue with its highly successful public/private partnership that has made thousands of parking spaces available to the general public that would have otherwise not been available,” Walnut Creek Mayor Bob Simmons said.

Aside from improving consumer access and increasing economic activity for businesses and their cities, the bill also ensures that strong consumer protections are put in place, according to the Bonilla’s office. AB 451 includes motorist safeguards such as requiring advanced notice to drivers that unauthorized parking may be subject to an invoice and fee, a cap on invoice fees equal or less than municipal parking fines and access to a fair adjudication process.

The bill also prohibits private parking regulators from representing themselves as a government agency or filing a notice of a parking violation with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

By Bay City News

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