'Shoupistas' Take On Downtown L.A.'s Parking Dilemma

"The explosive growth of Down-town Los Angeles over the past five years hints at the future. Already developments sprout wherever they can, luring exurbanites with the amenities of city living. The buzz of 21st century Los Angeles promises the completion of stalled rail lines, the start of new ones and, finally, a public grasping of mass transit.

But for now, cars rule. And when it comes to parking them, Downtown is still more Wild Wild West than Tomorrowland.

Shoupistas are everywhere in Downtown. They pop up at planning conferences, transit meetings and parking outreach forums, united by their agreement with Don Shoup. ...'The success is so self-evident in Pasadena," Shoup said. "If [Downtown] bought into this proposal, if it agreed to raise the meter rates so there are a few vacant spaces, they would see the light.' "