An app called MonkeyParking, which lets drivers auction off their public parking spaces as they leave, was booted out of San Francisco earlier this year and thought it would find refuge in Los Angeles. Nope! The LA City Council's Transportation Committee voted Wednesday to draft an ordinance banning people from selling and buying public parking spaces (another app called Haystack also enables the practice). What about other cities in the region? Nope! MonkeyParking has applied for a business license in Santa Monica and advertised itself as available in Beverly Hills, but Santa Monica will vote next week to potentially ban the sale of public parking spaces and Beverly Hills passed a ban earlier this week, says the Daily News.
Obviously, wherever these app-based services pop up, they're met with disgust and incredulity from government officials who can't believe people are trying to sell parking spots that they don't own. Transportation Committee member Mike Bonin described it as "the stealing economy masquerading as the sharing economy ... Not all technology is progress," while a Santa Monica parking commissioner has called the companies "immoral" and "unlawful." Aside from their at-best-shady legality, apps present many opportunities for abuse; drivers have been known to squat, "waiting in the space until it is sold."
The next step is for the City Council to vote on the potential ban. If they approve the ordinance, MonkeyParking will have to move on to another town, and they won't even be able to auction off their spot. Meanwhile, Angelenos will just have to make do with the existing city-runprograms like ExpressPark, along with the private apps that'll help drivers find and pay for parking in a legal, non-competitive way.
· Selling parking spaces? Los Angeles moves to outlaw auction apps [LADN]
· Probably Illegal Parking App Will Let Drivers Auction Off Public Spaces in Santa Monica [Curbed LA]
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