Affordable and Secure Motorcycle and Motor Scooter Parking

We, the undersigned, as citizens, residents, workers, laborers, shoppers, diners and visitors in the City or County of Los Angeles, demand the creation of safe, secure and free or reasonably priced motorcycle and motor scooter (collectively, Powered Two-Wheel PTW vehicles) parking at all parking lots and parking facilities within the City and County of Los Angeles, including but not limited to, privately owned and managed public parking facilities, and all government buildings and offices.

The popularity of motorcycles as a daily form of transportation is skyrocketing. With the substantial increase in gasoline prices, traffic, and congestion, many drivers are parking their cars and SUVs in favor of PTW vehicles. PTWs reduce pollution, reduce traffic congestion, reduce parking congestion, and reduce roadway wear and tear. All this results in lower costs to our City and County for roadway repair and maintenance, reduces the need for new roadways, and reduces the need for large parking lots and parking structures land which could instead be used for more shops and restaurants, parks and green space, or child recreation areas.

However, there is a serious lack of safe, secure, and affordable off-street parking for PTWs within both the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles. PTWs occupy one-fourth (1/4th) the space of the average car and one-sixth (1/6th) the space of most SUVs, yet most parking facilities charge full price to PTWs. Since PTWs can often park in corner spaces or around structural supports where an automobile can not fit, we demand that a law or ordinance require parking facilities to make such parking spaces available to PTWs for free, or, when a designated PTW parking area occupies what otherwise would be a paid automobile parking space, we demand that a law or ordinance limit PTW parking fees to one-fourth (1/4th) the rate for automobiles.

We also demand that the City and County create free on-street PTW parking, utilizing spaces that are currently painted red simply because there is no room for a full automobile parking space. By utilizing these otherwise unusable parking spaces, you effectively increase the number of parking spaces without costing money by taking away metered spaces and without reducing automobile parking. More parking means more people patronizing area shops and businesses and bringing more consumers and businesses into our downtown areas.

In addition, we demand that all parking lots and facilities with designated PTW parking spaces locate them in a secure area which is in close proximity to and easily visible to parking attendants or security personnel. Designated PTW parking spaces should also be on concrete pads to prevent tip-over from kickstands sinking into soft asphalt. Where PTW parking can not be reasonably located in immediate proximity to parking or security personnel, such as the case with most on-street parking, a metal post or other securing device should be placed to allow the PTW to be chained or locked.

We, the undersigned, petition the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles with this demand for the public good. Saving our City and County money, reducing the demand for parking spaces and roadways, reducing pollution and smog, reducing congestion, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and saving consumers money are all the benefits of providing special PTW parking and encouraging motorists to use PTWs rather than costly, polluting automobiles.