Parking in Los Angeles is a pain, but there’s relief

Major metropolitan cities can be a source of constant frustration for daily commuters and tourists. As the country’s second-largest metropolitan area after New York, Los Angeles has more than its share of transportation problems. Parking in Los Angeles is among the most troublesome issues.

In addition to often futile searching, the cost of  public parking in downtown Los Angeles is prohibitive.

The issue is also not likely to be resolved soon since the population of Los Angeles metro area increased by nearly 3.5 percent from 2010 to 2014, according the U.S Census Bureau.

But Los Angeles, like other large and small cities around the country, is trying to provide relief.

Traditional alternatives like commuter busses and well-known cab companies are still good options. But more recent additions like Uber and Lyft have expanded the array of options. They can help drivers who are wasting too much time and money seeking what can be a daily transportation nightmare — an available parking space.

To relief the stress of parking for work or just during an upcoming visit, consider the following options and leave your vehicle at home.

Using a city bus system may not be particularly appealing, but it’s often convenient. The Los Angeles area bus system, subway and light rail systems all have a vast network of tour maps, schedules and planning guides via a simple Google or Yahoo search.

One approach is to gradually include public transportation into your commute, perhaps once or twice a week. It will help the transition away from driving and it will save money.

The most recent commuting alternatives to parking Los Angeles are Uber and Lyft. The application-based systems connect passengers to drivers using their own vehicles. Wait times are minimal and all transactions are done online after the consumer downloads the application to their mobile device.

Speaking of online applications, Yelp, the well-known review application, is a good for discovering free and low-cost parking in the Los Angeles area.

And there’s another app that could meet your need. It’s called ZIRX. It works via an company arriving at your location to park and retrieve your vehicle as needed. The customer is still responsible for paying for the parking, but the service will save you time and hassle if you’re on a tight schedule.