Los Angeles, CA

Section 12.21: Shopping Carts

An ordinance amending Subsection F of Section 12.21 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code to require on-site shopping cart containment systems for new retail establishments, and major remodels thereof, that provide six or more shopping carts for use by patrons.
Purpose:

a) It is the purpose of this subsection to prevent or reduce the accumulation of shopping carts abandoned in neighborhoods. Abandoned shopping carts cause visual blight in neighborhoods, reduce property values in communities, obstruct pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the public rights-of-way, and constitute a hazard to the health, safety, and general welfare of the public throughout the City of Los Angeles. Therefore, development standards are established for projects involving any new retail establishment, or the major remodel of a retail establishment, that provide six or more shopping carts on-site for use by its patrons.

Containment Methods:

a) A project shall include at least one of the permitted methods to contain shopping carts on the premises. Permitted methods are limited to:
1) Bollards. Installation of bollards;
2) Wheel Locking or Stopping Mechanisms. Equipping shopping carts with a wheel locking or stopping mechanism that is used in conjunction with an electronic magnetic barrier along the perimeter of the retail establishment. The wheel locking or stopping mechanism must activate when the shopping cart crosses the electronic or magnetic barrier;
3) Customer Service. Designation of certain employees to prevent the removal of shopping carts from the premises by assisting patrons with transporting groceries or merchandise to patrons’ vehicles and then returning shopping carts to the location where the retail establishment keeps the shopping carts for its patrons.