The Beverly Hills Police Department has made several changes to its preferential parking permit program to make it easier for residents to
register their license plates as parking permits. (photo by Joey Waldinger)

After a rocky start, Beverly Hills’ new Preferential Parking Program is catching on.

As of March 3, the city has issued 11,893 new parking permits, Beverly Hills Police Department Lt. Robert Maycott said during the March 7 City Council meeting. He added that the city has issued 1,338 overnight parking permits, 2,738 preferential daytime parking permits, and 2,995 legacy hangtags.

“This is showing that the system is working,” Maycott said.

Approved in November, the program allows residents to register their license plates as parking permits, giving them the option to keep using plastic hangtags if they choose, traffic consultant Julie Dixon said.

Though Dixon and city officials said the new program would not result in any policy changes, residents were initially frustrated, complaining that the software to register their license plates was difficult to use, resulting in delayed applications and other headaches.

Maycott said the department has considered the responses from residents and council members, and has made several changes to its outreach efforts.

The department is issuing warning citations to residents who have not properly registered their vehicles, providing directions to properly do so, he said. The department has also held workshops at the city’s farmers’ markets and other public events, sent out 28,000 “mailers” with information and routed all questions to the department’s own customer service bureau, he added.

Maycott said that he and BHPD Sgt. David Tomlin contacted other cities about their experience implementing similar programs, and they all reported receiving similar questions from residents.

Few other cities have conducted similarly comprehensive outreach campaigns, Maycott said.

He added that the department is preparing an infomercial with BHTV to further assist residents in registering their license plates. Residents with questions can contact BHPD traffic at (310)285-2500, or email parking@beverlyhills.org.

The department is planning to start full enforcement of the program on April 1, he added.

Police will issue $58 citations for parking permit violations, Tomlin said.