Too Much of a Good Thing

The lack of adequate parking is a problem across Los Angeles--where movie studios abut residential streets, where college students hunt for free spots off campus, where commercial development has outgrown available parking. Now, add to that the neighborhoods around the Getty Center. On Tuesday the Los Angeles City Council imposed temporary parking limits on some Brentwood and Bel-Air streets because angry residents complained that too many museum visitors parked on their streets for too long.

The council action on behalf of these tony neighborhoods may seem unfairly swift. But the crush of traffic--the Getty, with only 1,200 visitor parking spaces, attracted 47,514 visitors within a week of its Dec. 16 opening--demanded some response.

Ironically, it was because of neighborhood concerns about traffic that Getty parking was limited, with reservations required for vehicle spaces. There was plenty of idealistic talk about visitors arriving on city buses, but little was done to make the bus service convenient for more people. The recommended lines are mostly on the Westside, with no special parking near the bus stops.

The size of the enthusiastic crowds may be due to the museum’s opening coinciding with the holidays. Museum-goers, unable to park at the Getty, resorted to side streets and hiked uphill to catch the museum’s tram.

Neighbors felt crowded out. To relieve the congestion, the council approved a two-hour parking limit with an exemption for residents and their guests, but for only 30 days.

Perhaps as the initial excitement about the Getty wanes and holiday crowds subside, parking will be less of a problem. Then again, it may not, especially on weekends when locals are more likely to visit. Getty weekend parking is booked until April. In one sense, it’s a problem that should make the city proud--thousands clamoring for a look at this monument to art and architecture. But a solution is needed.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority should seek more lines, different routes or special “Getty buses.” Is there a way to use parking lots in the area on weekends, such as the one at the federal building on Wilshire Boulevard, and operate shuttles to the museum? If the MTA cannot handle the job, the city might clear the way for private shuttle operators to expand beyond current service from some local hotels and one nearby lot.

The Getty Center is a magnificent attraction for Los Angeles, and it should be relatively easy to get there. Easing transportation hassles for visitors may take city, MTA and museum officials back to the drawing board, but it will be well worth the effort, in terms of happy neighbors and satisfied visitors.