Parking

The SantaMoniCard was a program to facilitate the use of parking meters and to provide a payment alternative to coins for frequent visitors. In January 2012, the City completed the installation of new parking meters that accept coins, credit cards, and pay-by-phone.  This new technology provides customers with more payment options than ever and eliminates the need for the SantaMoniCard technology that has become increasingly expensive to maintain over the years. The parking meters in Santa Monica will continue to accept the cards if they contain any unused balance. We will no longer issue new cards effective immediately but will continue to add value to existing cards until Thursday, June 28, 2012.  

 For more information on paying by phone or to sign up, visit http://us.parkmobile.com/.  

1. Insert Santa MoniCard into the meter slot and leave it in.     

2. The remaining balance on the card will display.     

3. The meter will automatically default to a certain amount of time, depending on the time limit (e.g., 1 hour, 30 minutes).     

4. Press the “+” or “-” buttons to adjust how much time you wish to purchase.     

5. After selecting how much time you want, press the green “OK” button to complete the transaction.     

6. Remove the Santa MoniCard from the meter slot.  

City Expands Use of Parking Meter Sensors

On May 14, 2012, Santa Monica began a process to expand the use of parking meter sensors. The sensors are part of the new credit card and phone-enabled parking meters installed over the past several months and represent the latest in parking meter technology. The meter sensors, along with the new meters, provide significantly improved parking management tools as well as customer service enhancements. Highlights of the new parking meters include:

• Improved customer experience by allowing payments by credit card, phone or coin. Customers who pay by phone can receive text messages when the meter is about to expire and can remotely add more time up to the posted time limit.
• Enhanced parking data through real-time, daily, and monthly reports of parking space usage, regardless of whether the meter was paid or not. This, combined with the ability to track average length of stay, will allow the City to better manage parking space time limits and provide data to adjust time limits where needed to meet demand.
• Future expansion of real-time parking maps to include on-street parking spaces. Ultimately customers will be able to use online and mobile applications for parking guidance and information, enhancing the public’s ability to find available parking spaces.
• The meters, with sensors, also require all customers to pay for all of the time they park at the space by resetting the meter when a vehicle vacates the spot, encouraging the parking space to turn over. This is similar to long-standing operations of the City’s off-street parking facilities.

See answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions below

Frequently Asked Questions

The City first installed new parking meters with sensors in March 2011 on select blocks in Downtown Santa Monica to test the effectiveness of this technology’s impact on circulation and access to metered spaces. In the test blocks, the City found that the meters with sensors met the City’s goal of better managing parking through greater turnaround of on-street spaces and the City was able to gain valuable data that will be used in our ongoing effort to improve access to parking. With the success of the pilot project, the City expanded the installation of the new meters citywide beginning in December 2011. The second phase of the project is the installation of the parking meter sensors, which began on May 14, 2012. The following are answers to frequently asked questions regarding the installation of the meters and sensors:

Why were the new meters installed?

The new meters were installed to make paying for on-street parking easier.  Our new meters provide customers with the flexibility of multiple payment options, including credit card, mobile phone (via www.parkmobile.us) or coin.  Customers who pay by phone can receive a text message when the meter is about to expire and can remotely add more time up to the posted maximum time limit.  All meters in Santa Monica now include these enhanced features.

What exactly do the sensors do?

The sensors have three main functions:

• Data Collection – The sensors will allow City staff to generate meter usage reports that will inform future parking policy and regulation by having quantitative data on average length of stay, occupancy rates, and payment rates.
• Limit payment to the posted time limits – The sensors require compliance with existing law by preventing vehicles from paying at meters past the posted time limits, thereby ensuring the meters are used as short term parking and are available to more people, as they are intended.
• Requires all customers to pay for the time they use – A key parking management strategy is to utilize pricing to encourage use of underutilized parking facilities and to balance the needs of residents, customers, and leisure visitors using Santa Monica’s limited parking resources by ensuring turnover of parking spaces, thereby increasing the ability to find parking.

Why were the sensors installed?

The sensors were installed to better manage the limited supply of on-street parking that is always in high demand.  Through the detection of vehicles in on-street spaces, the sensors will facilitate increased turnover of on-street parking spaces, making on-street parking available more frequently.  Also, the new sensors will provide significantly improved parking management tools, providing customers options payment method and tracking meter time with a smart phone app.   The new sensors will allow the City to generate accurate parking usage data through real-time, daily, and monthly reports of parking space usage, regardless of whether the meter was paid or not. This, combined with the ability to track average length of stay, will allow the City to better manage parking inventory based on demand.

When are the sensors being installed?

The new sensors are being installed over the next year beginning in downtown locations that don’t currently have them.  Parking will be restricted for up to one day at up to 100 metered spaces per day during the installation.  Locations scheduled for street resurfacing or other work will be delayed until the other planned work is completed to minimize inconvenience to the public. 

The City first installed parking meter sensors on select blocks in Downtown in March 2011 as part of the initial pilot project to replace the old coin-only parking meters. 

How will the new sensors help me, the customer?

The sensors are a new tool to facilitate increased turnover of on-street parking spaces, making more on-street parking available.  The sensors will allow for the future expansion of real-time parking maps to include on-street parking spaces.  Ultimately customers will be able to use online and mobile applications for parking guidance and information, enhancing the public’s ability to find available parking spaces.

Is Santa Monica the first city to use parking meter sensors?

No, parking meter sensors are used in many cities where parking is in high demand, including portions of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

How will I know that I have hit the time limit on a meter?

The meters equipped with sensors will alert the customer by displaying a message, “max time exceeded,” and preventing further payment.  

Why can I no longer “feed” the meter?

For many years the City has used time limits for on-street parking in an effort to ensure the turnover of parking spaces and make limited resources more available.  These time limits are established as authorized in the Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 3.12.840 which requires the posting of signs notifying motorists of the hours and periods of time of parking restrictions, and signs are posted that conform with State and Federal requirements for regulatory signs. Additionally, Section 3.16.240 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code prohibits anyone from “deposit[ing] in any parking meter any coin for the purpose of parking beyond the maximum legal parking time for the particular parking meter zone.”  The addition of the new sensors does not change this policy, and only ensures easier compliance with existing time limit restrictions by preventing the same vehicle from parking beyond the posted time limit. 

Time limits are also established to:

• Reduce traffic congestion related to parking.  One of the contributors to traffic and congestion is vehicles circling parking locations looking for available or free space. At any given time, approximately 30% of traffic congestion in the City can be attributed to vehicles searching for parking. 
• Support the City’s overall access, traffic, and parking and circulation strategy to use parking pricing and the requirement to pay for parking as one way to encourage the use of underutilized spaces through lowering prices in locations where parking demand is reduced.

Why can’t I pay the meter for more time and park all day?

On-street metered parking is generally designed to provide short-term parking options in business and retail districts, promoting parking availability by encouraging turnover.  For example, meters near a group of shops and restaurants may be limited to two hours, about enough time for some shopping and a meal.  Promoting turnover at on-street parking spaces helps visitors, customers, and residents find short-term parking when needed.

If I can’t park at the meter all day, where can I park?

Longer term parking is available in City-owned parking lots and structures, as well as in various private facilities.  Real-time parking data with the number of spaces currently available can be found online at the City of Santa Monica parking map web page which can be accessed from: http://www.smgov.net/departments/transportation/parking.aspx

Why have the meters “zero out” when someone leaves? / Why can’t I give my time to the next person that parks in the space?

Having all customers pay for all the time they use reinforces the City’s parking management strategies and is necessary to enable the meters to prevent payment past the posted time limits.

Will you refund any unused amount when you “zero out” my parking meter?

Currently there are significant technological hurdles that make refunding unused meter payments infeasible. 

Typically, many patrons may buy a little more time at a meter than they think they need, if only for the peace of mind in knowing there is enough time on the meter.  If you are worried about overpaying for time, we recommend using the mobile phone app with the text alert function. When using the mobile phone app, the meter will send you a text message when the meter is about to expire and you can then remotely add more time up to the posted maximum time limit.

See the full Press Release

    

Downtown Parking Structure 6 Under Construction Until Late 2013 

Parking Structure 6 (PS6) located at 1431 2nd Street is currently closed for construction.  The new PS6 is expected to be complete in late 2013 and will have over 700 new parking spaces, bike racks for approximately 90 bikes and 7,000 square feet of new retail space. It will also meet sustainability standards, including the placement of solar panels on the roof, and feature new public art.  

In the meantime, here are a few strategies for getting around downtown:  

· The Civic Lot and Structure are good options for all day parkers. The Big Blue Bus is operating a free shuttle between Downtown and the Civic Center in a continuous loop every ten minutes, Monday-Friday from 7 AM-10 AM and 3:30 PM-7:40 PM. In addition, Big Blue Bus lines 2 and 3 pick up on 4th Street just east of the Civic Center parking facilities every eight minutes during operating hours, offering convenient access to Downtown.  

· All other Downtown structures and lots will continue to operate as usual during the PS6 construction.  Use our online parking maps to find the number of available spaces in each structure before choosing your route. An optimized version of this site is now available for mobile devices.

· Try an alternate mode of transportation!  Most Big Blue Bus lines end in Downtown Santa Monica (see www.BigBlueBus.com), and the NEW Bike Centers in Santa Monica Place Parking Structures 7 and 8 are now open, featuring bike valet, showers, lockers and other amenities for cyclists. Check it out online at www.smbikecenter.com.  

If you need to renew residential parking permits or view your parking citations online, please visit the Customer Web Portal which can be found on the menu at the right hand side of this page. You must have a current residential parking permit or open citation to create an account. Once created, you may sign up to receive e-mail alerts regarding residential permit renewal as well as any outstanding citations for vehicles that you register to your account. For more information, click here.

Yellow Hybrid Decal Parking Exemption Ends July 1, 2011

The exemption from payment at Santa Monica parking meters for vehicles with yellow hybrid decals ends as of July 1, 2011 with the expiration of the permits. Owners of vehicles with the affected decals have received communication from the State’s Department of Motor Vehicles regarding the end of the program, which can also be found at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/newsrel/newsrel11/2011_13.htm. After July 1, 2011, owners of hybrid vehicles with the expired yellow decals will be subject to parking citations if they fail to pay parking meters. White clean air vehicle decals are valid until January 1, 2015.    More>>>