The compact dodge

We've all seen that parking spaces have been shrinking as cars and SUV's get bigger, making parking lots tighter and creating conflicts all over town. It's no accident. Developers have been allowed to use undersized spaces marked "compact" to meet their parking quotas, since the smaller slots let them claim to accomodate more cars and costs are lower. Now Burbank has joined the list of cities that are removing the loophole. Parking garages and lots there will no longer be able to designate 45% of their stalls for compacts and paint the stripes a foot narrower and three feet shorter. Glendale and Pasadena had previously eliminated compact parking in commercial and industrial zones, the Leader says.