Three Free Venice Lots Could Start Charging Under Parking Overhaul

VENICE - About 200 free parking spaces on Abbot Kinney Boulevard would become metered under a city proposal that would also make parking more expensive at municipal lots across Venice.

The meters would cover Abbot Kinney between Main Street and Venice Boulevard. Three currently free city lots would begin charging, and six existing paid lots would see rate increases.

The plan would change what drivers pay without adding street parking. Written comments must reach the city by the end of Nov. 24 to be considered before a decision on the coastal development permit.

The proposed rate schedule shows increases for both quick stops and longer visits.

In the seasonal subzones of the Venice and Washington-Pacific parking zones, street meter base rates would rise from $2 to $2.50 an hour in summer and from $1 to $1.50 in winter. Summer rates would apply May 1 through Sept. 30.

The year-round subzones in those two parking zones would move from $1 to $1.50 an hour.

Drivers could pay more than those base rates. Under LA Express Park's demand-based system, charges could fall to $1 an hour or rise to twice the applicable base rate, reaching $5 in some areas.

For drivers using city lots, the changes would extend beyond Abbot Kinney.

Three free lots at 2010 S. Pisani Place, 1411 Electric Ave. and 1511 Electric Ave. would begin charging 25 cents per half-hour, with a $5 daily maximum. The detailed proposal lists 104 spaces across those properties.

At paid lots at 1301 S. Electric Ave. and 1600 Irving Tabor Court, parking charges would rise from 50 cents to 75 cents per 15 minutes - the equivalent of an increase from $2 to $3 an hour. Daily maximums would increase from $8 to $12.

Summer daytime entry charges at the Dell Avenue and North Venice Boulevard lots could reach $30, up from the current $25 ceiling. Free Friday parking at the Dell Avenue lot would remain from 7 a.m. to noon for the Venice Farmers Market.

LADOT says the changes are intended to make spaces easier to find by encouraging vehicle turnover. The broader parking overhaul would also upgrade approximately 300 existing street meters and add technology to help drivers locate open spaces.

The city's project FAQ says the rate increases follow a 2025 City Council vote to raise public parking rates citywide. The Venice changes require coastal review, including determinations from the city engineer and California Coastal Commission.

Written comments are due by the end of Nov. 24, 2026, and can be emailed to Lauren.Rhodes@lacity.org. Reference application CDP-26-002-BE.