If someone paid you to park your car at home and find an alternate way to get to work, would you take the money and run? Angelenos and commuters throughout California are cashing in on a new program that pays them to take transit or their own two legs, instead of their cars.

Among California’s steps to encourage use of public transport and decrease the number of cars on the state’s clogged highways is Health and Safety Code Sections 43845.

According to LAist, the code stipulates that:

…if your place of work has 50 persons or more employed for them and subsidizes leased parking for you and your fellow employees, then they must participate in the Parking Cash-Out program, offering you a cash allowance in lieu of a parking space.

Pretty cool.

In a statement, L.A. City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel said:

This program helps to reduce the number of cars on the road at the peak hours - driving to work in the morning and home in the evening. If we get even 4% of drivers off the roads during rush hour we will see a dramatic reduction in traffic. We are using all of the tools we have to change LA's car culture and fight traffic congestion.

The city of Santa Monica has emphatically embraced the state-wide law, and has taken special steps to see that businesses—and their employees—take advantage. As a result, 100% of local business are participating, with 20% of eligible employees taking part. In LA, 400 fit the bill and, by law, are onboard with the program. The LA City Council voted unanimously to emphasize and enforce the new law by informing all L.A. businesses that they must comply with the program.

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MarkR said:

Thats Sweet! Now if they would require that for ALL companies with over 50 employees, so they can turn some of those asphalt parking lots back to grass and trees. I've always wondered what I had to do to get paid to ride my bike. I'm not fast enough to be a pro. to educated and to many family responsibilities to be a bike messenger or pedicab cyclist. Maybe, someday that will be adopted here in Texas.

March 28, 2008

travis said:

had this idea a while back and wrote a blog entry on it and sent the idea to my company's commuters group (received a lot of feedback on it) and the company's official commuting feedback alias (received nothing from the bureucracy): http://travis-krick.spaces.liv...234.entry Enjoy. I knew it was a good idea.

April 01, 2008 | url

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