'No Parking' signage installed at Bixby Bridge.

Following a lengthy discussion in May about a parking moratorium at one of the most famous photo spots in the state, the County is moving forward with next steps to keep traffic moving at Bixby Bridge.

New “no parking” signs on Highway 1 have been installed near Bixby Bridge Aug. 4, according to an announcement by Randy Ishii, director of the county's Public Works department at a County of Monterey press briefing on Wednesday, Aug. 5. A parking ordinance is in effect and enforceable; no parking is allowed at any time within the zone for the next year.

“With the signage now installed, the law enforcement partners are able to enforce this no parking zone and thereby create a safer experience for those traveling this part of Highway 1," Ishii said at the briefing. "With that in mind, this entire no parking zone is a 12-month pilot, if you will.”

The installation of the signage will coincide with Car Week activities, which are trickling in, but technically begin Aug. 7 and conclude Sunday, Aug. 16. 

County Public Works officials announced Monday Aug. 3, they had procured the posts and created the signage, submitted a signage plan and are completing utility notifications with the Underground Service Alert, according to the press release. 

The moratorium was spearheaded by Supervisor Kate Daniels in response to residents and public safety officials who had raised concerns about emergency access and difficulty with commuting.  

At a Big Sur Multi-Agency Advisory Council meeting on July 20, state Sen. John Laird said he had been meeting with various stakeholders, including the California Coastal Commission, Caltrans, California State Parks, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, the California Highway Patrol and local businesses, to find a path forward to support enforcement of the parking ordinance. 

“We really need two [CHP] officers,” Laird said at the meeting about long-term enforcement. “We need somebody that sort of directs and points and is the face of enforcement. And we need somebody to write tickets if it turns out that one person can't do both.”

The anticipated cost of enforcement over the next year is “in the neighborhood of $300,000 and $400,000” he said, adding that the funding will allow officials to work on longer-term solutions.