Los Angeles parking signs too confusing? New designs in the works

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Parking around Los Angeles can seem daunting, especially with those wordy signs. Now, new signs are in the works meant to clear up some of the confusion.

The complaints have been the same for years.

"Oh man, it's kind of crazy because sometimes the signs are very confusing, especially when you come from out of town," said Tracy Shives, a Hollywood resident.

Members of City Council have heard those complaints as well.

"I often get texts from friends who will take a photo and ask, 'Can I park here?' and i'm actually not exactly sure sometimes," said Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin.

Hearing the cry, one councilman is doing something about it.

"We should make this as easy as possible for people. You shouldn't need to interpret hieroglyphics to figure out whether or not you can park on one side of the curb," said Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian.

This is the idea: Get rid of a lot of the text, get rid of the multiple signs, and put it all onto one sign, laid out almost like a day planner, color coded with times and days of the week.

"I think people respond better to graphics and colors and that's more universal. So I think it would help a larger audience," said Jana Schwartz, a Los Angeles resident.

The plan going forward is to have the Department of Transportation analyze the new designs for 45 days. They'll choose one design they think is best and test it in an area like downtown or Hollywood. If that goes well and people like them and understand them, the signs could soon go all over Los Angeles.