Clarifying The City's Apron Parking Enforcement (Update)

The issue of in the city heated up over the summer and erupted into after many vehicle owners were cited in congested residential areas near UCLA, where street parking is extremely tight.

Opponents of the practice in North Westwood Village, most notably former U.S. presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, who is a professor in the UCLA School of Public Policy, argue that apron parking is unfair to people with disabilities because it hinders their access to sidewalks.

Local Ramifications

Locally, the issue also piqued the attention of residents in the area near the Silver Lake reservoir. There, too, limited street parking, apartment living and the nearby nightlife combine to push drivers to park on aprons—and even the sidewalk or street.

After much discussion, the Los Angeles City Council passed a motion Oct. 12 to suspend the enforcement of Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 80.53 to allow apron parking. 

Department of Transportation's Clarification

Council members—and citizens—were awaiting some clarification about how the Department of Transportation would implement that. They received it recently in a recent letter from DOT General Manager Jaime De La Vega that reads in part:

LADOT is not issuing parking citations under Los Angeles Municipal Code section 80.53 for parking on a driveway apron. Traffic officers have been instructed as to the change. In addition, any citations issued in error under LAMC section 80.53 on October 12, 2011 or later will be administratively canceled.

Interpreting 'Apron'

Apron parking is the practice of parking vehicles in driveways so that they block part of the sidewalk and jut out into the street. Technically, the apron of a driveway is the small, concrete “street” between the sidewalk and the curb.

A statement from the City Attorney's office provided to Echo Park Patch suggests that "apron" will be interpreted very strictly:

While Section 80.53 is suspended, an owner or lessee may park on the apron as long as no portion of the vehicle touches a sidewalk or projects into the street in violation of California Vehicle Code Sections 22500(e) and (f), respectively. Enforcement of California Vehicle Section 22500, in its entirety, will remain in full force and effect. In addition, other sections of the Los Angeles Municipal Code regulating "parkways" shall also remain in full force and effect.

The city of Los Angeles faces the threat of litigation under the Americans with Disabilities Act if cars obstruct sidewalks and other access.