Where Are The Shoupistas? Beverly Hills Wants Free Parking

The 2,673 people who signed a petition to make most Beverly Hills-owned parking lots free for two hours must not be devotees of UCLA's Donald Shoup. A group of business owners and residents want BH to change their policy and provide for more free parking but the city is concerned about the financial impact, reports The Beverly Hills Courier. The city's Parking Enterprise Fund is already $2 million in the red, and if the free parking is instituted, the deficit blows up to $3.5 million. Undetered, the parking lovers--led by petition submitter G&L Realty--pushed for the city council to take up the issue at their meeting today, and will take it to the polls if the council balks. Harvey Englander, lobbyist for G&L, told the Courier, "We hope that the City Council will do the right thing and just adopt it. If not, we expect it to win overwhelmingly at the March ballot." Image of fancy Beverly Hills parking garage via about.com
· Two Hour Free Parking Petition Completed [BH Courier, print edition PDF]