PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - Yesterday the Long Beach City Council extended the temporary suspension of street sweeping citations, which had been scheduled to resume on May 4. Instead, City staff will begin issuing notices on vehicles starting on May 4 and enforcement will begin on May 18, the Monday following the expiration of the “Safer at Home” order.

“We are happy to continue extending this parking relief, especially for parking impacted neighborhoods for almost another month. In a few weeks we will need to return to a more regular program to ensure community health and water quality,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. 

In many neighborhoods, the lack of street sweeping has led to an accumulation of sediment and debris that jeopardizes the City’s ability to meet national standards for clean waterways. Street sweeping is a critical health service that helps eliminate potential pollutants from washing into the ocean or river. Streets can only be swept effectively when cars are out of the path of the sweeper. 

Starting May 4, Department of Public Works employees will place reminders on any vehicles that have not been moved. The reminders will advise residents about pending enforcement actions for failure to move their vehicle, available parking resources in the City and that enforcement will resume on May 18. This information will be made available in English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog languages and City staff will develop a plan to share the information widely.

All other parking enforcement, including for metered parking and red, white and blue curbs, will continue as usual. This enforcement is necessary to protect public safety, aid first responders and ensure the availability of accessible parking.

As part of continuing efforts to address parking impacts caused by COVID-19, the City of Long Beach has made 4,307 parking spaces available. These consist of three beach lots, seven parking structures, six libraries and three schools. Thus far, 1,204 parking permits have been issued. A full list of the nearly 20 free parking options is available here. 

For the latest information on COVID-19, with details on all that the City of Long Beach is doing to keep its residents safe, visit: longbeach.gov/COVID19 and follow @LongBeachCity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

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