The Azusa City Council began discussing Monday night permit parking boundaries around the Downtown Azusa Gold Line Station.
The boundaries for two permit parking zones were discussed at length during a special Azusa City Council meeting April 25. Future permits will allow drivers to park their vehicles on time-restricted streets around the Azusa Downtown Station in an effort to combat increased Gold Line parking encroaching in nearby neighborhoods.
Permit parking will affect two different areas classified as zones starting with Zone 1, which would be bound by Eleventh Street to the north, Foothill Boulevard to the south, Soldano Avenue to the east and Angeleno Avenue to the west. Zone 2 would include Foothill Boulevard to the north, Sixth Street to the south, Soldano Avenue to the east, and Angeleno Avenue to the west.
The city would then enforce a three-hour parking limit, Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Residents would be able to park without a fee.
With usage of the Gold Line Foothill Extension strong from day one, parking structures at the Citrus College/APU Station and Downtown Azusa Station have been filled to capacity during peak morning hours, Metro officials said.
The Citrus College/APU Station has been filling by 5:30 a.m., while the Downtown Azusa Station fills to capacity between 6:30 and 7 a.m., said Steve Hymon, editor of Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s blog, The Source.
Riders have been using the Target parking structure just across Azusa Avenue near the downtown station for Gold Line parking. Azusa Police towed away 17 vehicles alone in one day, said Azusa Police Chief Sam Gonzales.
Approximately 200 spaces are reserved for Gold Line riders in the Downtown Azusa Station. Riders have reportedly been parking in some of the 145 spaces reserved for Azusa City employees and development, Azusa city staff said.
Near the Citrus College/APU Station, Azusa Police have been making impounds on drivers parking in residential areas, Gonzales said.
Residents near the Downtown Azusa Station have photographed and videotaped Gold Line riders parking on those streets and have asked authorities to do something about the situation, Gonzales said.
Azusa Public Works staff on Monday received 75 calls from residents fed up with Gold Line riders parking on public streets near the Azusa Downtown and Citrus/APU stations.
Public works staff began implementing three-hour timed parking restrictions near the downtown structure as a pilot program without enforcement to gauge parking behavior changes, said Azusa City Engineer Daniel Bobadilla.
Azusa Police want to initiate a warning citation program in May to slowly begin changing parking habits through enforcement.
The Azusa City Council intends to address other areas of town being impacted by Gold Line parking. A revised resolution will be brought back to the Azusa City Council May 2 for a vote.
