Beverly Hills : Car Pool Parking Plan OKd

A car-pool program that will allow commuters to leave their cars overnight in three city parking structures has been approved by the City Council.

The pilot program, which is intended to improve air quality and reduce traffic, will allow city and business employees to use their cars during workdays for business, errands and emergencies, but car-pool home, said Anton Dahlerbruch, the city’s executive transportation assistant.

Starting early next year, monthly parking patrons will be able to drive to work Monday and leave their vehicles until Friday in one of the city-owned parking structures, Dahlerbruch said.

Even if commuters leave their cars overnight one night each week, the Secured Overnight Parking program will get a lot of cars off the road, he said.

The two-year pilot program will be paid for with a $160,300 grant from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Dahlerbruch said. The city will contribute $29,160 in services, which for the most part are already being provided, including parking attendants who monitor the Civic Center structure on Rexford Drive 24 hours a day.

The structures on North Crescent Drive and North Camden Drive will be monitored by video cameras or by motion or sound detectors linked to the Civic Center structure, he said. The city will solicit bids in July to find out what kind of equipment is available.

The program, which was developed by a group of Beverly Hills residents and city staff, is believed to be the first of its kind, Dahlerbruch said. The county transportation authority issued a call for projects to reduce traffic and pollution, and the city’s Transportation Demand Management Task Force came up with a way to reduce commuter trips.

Further information will be provided through the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, but the program will be administered by the city, Dahlerbruch said. Participants must provide proof of vehicle insurance.