Driving in Los Angeles is a pain. If you're lucky enough to find a parking spot you're then stuck trying to figure out if it's safe to park in or if you'll return to find a ticket on your car.
The pursuit to make parking simpler across the country has led to apps that help you find ideal parking spots and dozens of different ride-sharing services. Now L.A. is trying an inexpensive approach to make the lives of locals and a little easier.
About 100 new signs will be installed as part of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation's (LADOT) six-month pilot program that uses streamlined graphics and flashy colors to explain parking restrictions.
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti installed the first sign on April 3, and the rest are being installed on Spring and Main Streets in downtown L.A., according to a media release.
The program makes L.A. the first city in the U.S. to use grid-style parking signs and it's amazing to think it took so long to create something so simple to understand.
"My back to basics agenda is about creating modern city government that makes life easier for Angelenos, and these new signs are designed to help people find parking and avoid tickets," Mayor Garcetti said, in a press statement. "Some of these sign poles are simply out of control, so we should be taking common sense steps to cut the confusion."
If everything works out one parking sign could take the place of seven or eight different ones.
Here's what they look like up-close:
So where did the timechart-based design come from? Designer Nikki Sylianteng created it after receiving one too many parking tickets herself.
"My strategy was to visualize the blocks of time when parking is and isn't allowed," said Sylianteng on her blog. "I kept everything else the same. The colors, the form. My intention was to show how big a difference a small but thoughtful change can make."
The signs also feature attached Bluetooth beacons capable of transmitting data to smartphones and even connected vehicles. The beacons could also be used to include neighborhood event notifications and payment options in the future, though exact plans have not been announced yet.
The LA City Parking Info website can be found on all of the signs looking for feedback from locals about the signs during the initial phase of the program.
Feel free to let them know what you think of the sign and let us know in the comments section below.
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