Light Rail Stations to Charge for Parking in Southern California's San Gabriel Valley

The popularity of the Gold Line extension in the San Gabriel Valley to the east of Pasadena requires a new approach to parking. It's hoped that parking fees will decrease demand for parking at stations along the route without affecting ridership.

June 30, 2017, 10am PDT | James Brasuell | @CasualBrasuell

The 1926 Santa Fe station, as it appeared in 2006, before it was renovated for use by the Gold Line extension.

Ron Reiring

Flickr

"Commuters who drive to the Monrovia, Irwindale, or Azusa Pacific/Citrus College stations before taking the train will now need to pay a daily three dollar fee," according to an article on KPCC that introduces an on-air segment of the show Take Two.

"Metro officials hope that the fee will help reduce demand at these popular locations, where parking lots frequently reach capacity as early as 6 a.m.," adds the article. The parking fee brings a new chapter in a story that dates back at least to May 2016, when residents expressed frustration with overflow parking on residential streets in Azusa.

Parking has also played a pivotal role in the discussion around another new addition to the Metro light rail system. Concerns about parking scarcity around the Expo Line extension, which also opened in 2016, turned out to be for naught.

Full Story:

Metro begins charging riders to park at three stations

Published on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 in KPCC