Parking Meters on Ventura Boulevard

The appearance of parking-meter posts on Ventura Boulevard gives rise to the question of the function of the Traffic Department: Is it their job to keep cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles moving in a safe, orderly manner or is it their job to snatch nickels, dimes and quarters from the public?

Ventura Boulevard has reached virtual gridlock. What we need is more lanes, not a revenue-producing parking-meter scheme.

Gone are the days when a person might park on the boulevard to pop into a local business. Merchants on the street today are far from the mom and pop retailers of the past. The only people who will use on-street metered parking are secretaries, clerks and a few others who can’t or won’t pay parking lot prices. The city is, therefore, forcing parking onto nearby residential streets and doing nothing to remedy the real sickness of Ventura Boulevard traffic.

Sooner or later we’re going to have to bite the bullet and eliminate all daytime parking on Ventura, thereby opening up two extra lanes. Let’s ease congestion on both Ventura Boulevard and the freeway today by dumping the parking-meter concept before they are installed and it is too late.

BENNETT J. MINTZ

Encino