Keep bike lanes, residential parking permit program will help

Jan 31, 2026
Jan 31, 2026
5

Editor,

I’m a resident of the North Central neighborhood who uses the Humboldt bike lane to pick up my toddler from preschool.

(5) comments

Terence Y Jan 31, 2026 8:47am

Thanks for your letter, Mr. Chamoun, and your proposal to explore an RPPP. Are you advocating that there remain no change to the number of parking spaces? If so, what happens when, in gauging interest for an RPPP, the number of folks wanting parking permits greatly exceeds the number of parking spots that are currently available? And who decides who has the greatest need? Just because one doesn’t have a job doesn’t mean they don’t need a car. Restore Humboldt parking spaces to folks who live in the area and not the small number of cyclists using bike lanes. BTW, why aren’t you or other cyclists unable to use a less traveled road in that neighborhood to minimize exposure to Humboldt?

anna kuhre Feb 2, 2026 7:57am

No single family home would get 10 permits per household. On average each household receive 2 permits and a guest placard. The RPPP eliminates abusive parking by unlicensed limousine businesses, unlicensed used car sales and even trucking businesses. Those type of businesses do not belong in residential neighborhoods. It was 100% successful in eliminating parking abuse in our neighborhood.

easygerd Feb 2, 2026 11:04am

The municipal code encourages everyone here to have at least 2 garage spots, 2 driveway spots and then you can still have 2 permits on top of that?

If anyone can't cope with that, they should move to the Mojave Desert where they apparently have enough space to store thousands of airplanes.

Terence Y Feb 3, 2026 8:38am

Thanks for your response, anna kuhre, but a few issues. What happens if a single family home has 5 drivers and 5 cars? Why are they limited to 2 permits? You say on average each household receives 2 permits and a guest placard. A quick calculation can be performed by tallying up each household on the road in question as well as apartment dwellers with cars. If each residence receives 3 permits, does the number exceed the number of current, limited parking spots? You say there’s abusive parking by unlicensed businesses. How many of these vehicles are there? And are these vehicles from folks who don’t live in the area? Is this RPPP another money-grab by the city to penalize residents with another “tax”? BTW, what’s to stop residents from abusing the system, say obtaining permits and guest placards and then “renting” them out to others? Why not just return all parking spots that were stolen when discriminatory bike lanes were installed? No need for an RPPP and we return to how it was before the city council planned their ill-fated experiment.

easygerd Jan 31, 2026 7:45pm

A permit system started this chaos, a permit system can also end it.

When other neighborhoods got permit systems, city staff found out that residents were using public streets to run private car businesses (e.g. Limo services, airport parking, Turo). After the permit system, these guys moved their cars and business to a neighborhood with no enforcement.

That is why basically all resistance for these bike lanes and a permit system here is coming from residents living in Baywood, Gramercy, Downtown whereas 70% of Humboldt Street residents like it now.

Streets are Made For Transportation - all the freeloading must stop.

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