In an effort to create about 80 new parking spaces throughout La Jolla’s merchant district, La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) trustees approved a motion May 7 to send a “Rainbow Curbs” parking plan to city officials for approval. Group members met with city parking officials May 13, gaining approval for specific alterations. Responding to local concerns regarding parking problems, Ed Ward, Orin Gabsch and Bob Collins created the plan, said LJCPA President Joe LaCava. The trio scoured La Jolla’s village, targeting outdated yellow, green, white and red curbs in addition to unused commercial driveways and bus stops. LaCava said the group began surveying possible spaces with the community’s support months ago, passing the finished plan to community groups for approval last March. The group proposed to eliminate rarely used passenger and commercial loading zones and abandoned drive-through locations; alter times for commercial and passenger loading; reduce red curbs; and eliminate or alter myriad colored curbs such as the commercial loading in front of the former Hard Rock Café on Prospect Street. San Diego traffic engineers must approve the plan’s alterations, mainly changes to red curbs that could potentially create a safety hazard, LaCava said. La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board approved a slightly altered rainbow curb plan during the group’s monthly meeting April 23 before passing the project to LJCPA trustees for approval May 7. LaCava and Gabsch began walking through La Jolla’s merchant district with representatives from the City of San Diego Traffic Division, surveying areas affected by the rainbow curb plan, LaCava said. “The [City of San Diego] Streets Division are the [authority]…,” LaCava said. “We’re going out there and making our case.” LaCava said the group started the field certification process with city traffic engineers, identifying curbs inside the plan and then gaining the city’s approval. Although LaCava called the initial meeting with city representatives preliminary, the engineers agreed with many of the group’s decisions regarding altering curbs, he said. “The initial reaction from the city was that some of the red curbs they agreed with [removing to gain parking spaces] and some they said ‘no,’” LaCava said. “We’re not going to get 100 percent, but we’re going to get a majority.” LaCava and Gabsch continued to meet with city traffic engineers, he said. “A standard work order at the city takes about 60 days,” LaCava said.