Bell Gardens is much more than a city, it is a community of people from different backgrounds. BG Citizens take pride in their community, their lives, and their families. We can be hard-headed and stubborn; at times, we may not see eye to eye with each other, but when it comes time for action, we step to the call and set aside our differences and unite. Today is the chance for all of us to step up and speak out and unite on a common issue every Bell Gardens resident is facing: Parking. 

Southern California has been a beacon for families and tourists, and it has been expensive to live here in the last couple of years. One of the reasons parking has been scarce is due to the number of household members in each household. We have neighbors living in a single-family home with up to ten people in a house meant for only four people. This means more people=more vehicles. Another issue is the abundance of homes with plentiful driveways and lack of vehicles parked in the driveway. The fact that street parking is a hassle, it enables neighbors to turn on each other, shuffle vehicles around, save parking, take up double spots in the curb parking, or park far away; sometimes in another block. 

Bell Gardens City Council has done a study of surrounding cities like Long Beach, South Gate, and Bell and their parking situation is not only the same or worse than Bell Gardens. Their regulations are much more restrictive and will create much more headaches to residents of Bell Gardens rather than make our lives easier.

I propose the following:

1. City Council should invest in creating parking lines in all the city's residential streets. 

This will make it easier for residents to park their vehicle within the lines and free up more space to create more parking. Curbs that only have one or two cars because they are parked in the middle will now be forced to park within the line and it will create one or two more parking spaces. 

This is done in the city of Huntington Park, near the streets of Pacific Blvd, Miles Ave, Zoe Ave, and Florence Ave. 

2. City Council could also do a permit parking system like in the city of Pico Rivera but update it to meet the needs of BG Residents.

Bell Gardens residents who do NOT own a home would NOT be required to purchase a parking permit. The permit would only be required for citizens who own a house and have driveways that can park their vehicles inside. 

• Ex. If a BG resident owns a home and has a driveway that can park up to 6 vehicles inside, and chooses to free up the driveway by parking his or her six vehicles out in the street, the resident would then be required to purchase 6 parking permits. If a vehicle is parked outside without a parking permit, BGPD or Code Enforcement can issue a citation for the violation. 

Residents who rent or do not own a house, but have insufficient parking, they qualify for ONE free parking permit to park their vehicle outside.

• Ex. If a BG resident rents in an apartment complex, and has two parking spots readily available inside the driveway, but owns three vehicles, the resident would then be required to purchase ONE (1) permit to park his vehicle outside. 

(Proposition 2, is meant to be as a deterrent, especially for homeowners who own long driveways and decide to park all their vehicles out in the street, which potentially takes away spots for those residents who may not have a driveway available.)

3. City Council could ban vehicles after midnight to be parked out in the street. This is seen in parts of Bell, Pico Rivera, Cerritos, Downey, and Huntington Park. 

This option would be the least efficient and the biggest headache for all the residents living in the street. This creates a problem rather than solve it.

The ideal solution would be either 1 or 2, perhaps a combination of the two depending on the street. 

 

If you are a Bell Gardens resident that is concerned for the parking situation and agree to at least ONE of the proposed solutions, please sign this petition so we can show BG City Council that we are tired of the headache, the hassle, and the struggle of the street parking. 

I've been in this city for over twenty years and my neighbors have been great, the residents have been great! We may not see eye to eye, but we have united before. Today, the parking issue affects me, my in-laws, my family, my friends, and nothing has been done. Code Enforcement and BGPD have their hands tied because of lack of regulations. The time is NOW! Enough hassles, enough headaches, enough with neighbors calling the police on each other. Let's solve this issue together!

Sign your name!