The San Diego City Council on Monday voted 5-2 to approve a package of parking reforms, including the ability to charge on Sundays and allow meter rates to fluctuate based on demand.
The changes proposed by Mayor Todd Gloria are aimed at increasing parking turnover, lowering carbon pollution and generating new revenue for infrastructure and road maintenance, as the city grapples with a budget deficit of more than $300 million.
The reforms do not automatically change any parking meter rates or enforcement hours, but rather give city staff more flexibility to adjust them. The city has to do more research and outreach, and install new signage, before changing rates or enforcement hours.
The reforms also streamline the creation of new meter zones, as well as residential parking permit zones. And they allow for "dynamic pricing," which can offer drivers a discount if they park in lower-demand areas or during off-peak hours.
Conversely, the city can implement "surge pricing" at meters during special events such as Padres games, when private lots and garages around Petco Park can easily charge $50 or more per spot.
Ian Hembree, advocacy and community manager with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, said the changes would align San Diego with best practices already adopted in other big cities.
"The societal costs (of free parking) may not appear in your bank account, but they are clear," Hembree said. "Cars congest our streets circling the block many times to search for an available parking space on busy days. This increases emissions and increases the danger for vulnerable road users."
Councilmember Raul Campillo said dynamic pricing would more efficiently manage the demand for curb space.
"I know that we're using data to make the right determination on this, it's been collected in the study," Campillo said, referring to a citywide parking demand management study released in January. "These will be analyzed at least quarterly to make sure that data is driving our decision about the pricing."
All together, the reforms to parking meter pricing are expected to generate an additional $18.4 million in revenue for the city next fiscal year. The money has to be spent on parking and transportation projects within the meter zone.
Councilmembers Vivian Moreno and Marni von Wilpert both voted against the reforms, while councilmembers Jennifer Campbell and Henry Foster III were absent. Moreno and von Wilpert both cited the additional cost burden for their constituents as a reason for their opposition.
"Making parking a larger expense could essentially become a barrier for them to be able to go to something special with their family," Moreno said.
Councilmember Stephen Whitburn said he was pleased the package of reforms was expanded to include more flexibility when establishing residential parking permit zones. The city's residential parking permits cost $9 per year and are limited to low-density areas near major employers such as hospitals and universities.
While the reforms eliminated a prohibition against charging for parking on Sundays, they make it more difficult to charge on Sundays in residential and mixed-use zones. In those areas, the city must first offer residential parking permits prior to enforcing meters on Sundays.
"What this means is that residents who live in existing parking meter zones will be able to get a permit that will allow them to continue to park at the meters without charge on Sundays," Whitburn said.
Not included in Monday's actions is a future plan to start charging for parking in Balboa Park parking lots. That proposal has drawn criticism from the park's museums and cultural institutions, who fear it could deter people from visiting the park.
"Unlike other destinations, we do not want to encourage turnover," said Peter Comiskey, executive director of the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership. "We want our communities to spend longer exploring the arts and culture society we have in Balboa Park, not rush to pay a meter."
Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera disagreed that paid parking would impact park attendance.
"I think this is a classic example of San Diego needing to be more confident in itself," Elo-Rivera said. "People are going to go to Balboa Park. It's a beautiful park with incredible museums and resources. We can figure this out."
At Elo-Rivera's insistence, the mayor's office agreed to consider a program that would offer city residents a discount at Balboa Park parking lots, similar to locals-only discounts at municipal golf courses.
