West Hollywood unveils West Coast's 1st automatic parking structure

WEST HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES -- West Hollywood has a new, high-tech way to help people find parking with a driver-free method.

Finding street parking can be a challenge when going out for a night on the town, but hidden in one parking structure are spots that don't require a driver to maneuver into.

The city unveiled the West Coast's first fully automated parking structure.

"When you find out more about the process and more about how it works - it's interesting. It's really mind blowing," one resident said.

Drivers simply pull into a machine, lock their cars and take a ticket. The robotic garage does the heavy lifting. Mechanical shuttles move the car in and out of the $18 million computerized car park.

The structure used to be an old surface lot with only 68 spots, but has now become a state-of-the-art structure with 200 spaces.

West Hollywood Councilman John Duran said the city did not have any space for a typical parking garage and that the new structure lacks ramps that usually take up parking space.

The garage, located on Santa Monica Boulevard, opens June 1.