Editor:
So Bill Bauer, you can't stand to give up a measly 3 whole spaces along Main Street for parklets, yet 14 percent of the land area of Los Angeles county is dedicated to parking. That's right 14 percent of the land area is dedicated to storage of private property, because that's what cars are, someone's stuff. If someone said, hey lets design a city around mini-storage units, and let's subsidize it, people would scream lock up those socialists. If you love your car so much, fine sit in it on your own property or the 405, just don't force the rest of society to have to indulge your choices. Look you choose to travel by car, that's your choice, no one is forcing you too. Personally I'd rather the space be used to you know, live. It's clear that business owners along Main Street think so too. They know there is plenty of parking available in the multitude of lots along Main and that it's better for their patrons to have a place to rest versus a place to keep their stuff. Society is much better off having places people can go and hang out, versus just storing their cars there.
Also, aren't you the same guy constantly talking about your love of London? London isn't exactly a car friendly city with its decided lack of parking and congestion charges. Personally I'd love it if we could get those bits of London. I think it'd be great to see a $5 charge to drive into DT Santa Monica or other highly congested areas like DT LA and Westwood Village. Perhaps if driving weren't a subsidized activity and people had to pay the actual costs we could get our cities designed a little better.
Daniel Shenise
Santa Monica
