Earlier this month there were rumblings of this but now it looks like it will be happening. The Examiner reports that Supervisor John Avalos, chair of the Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee, is “committed to having meters in [Golden Gate] park and hopes to use revenue gained to restore some of the $11 million trimmed from Rec and Park’s budget.”
The committee will hold a hearing this Wednesday to hear the outcome of a study Avalos requested about putting meters in the park. The study is expected to detail cost estimates and revenue projections. The meters would be installed on the east side of Golden Gate Park, near the museums and the Stanyan Street entrance. It’s not clear when the Board would actually vote on the proposal.
There are lots of reasons not to have meters in the park. One that immediately comes to mind is the effect on “roaming” this will have. So much for strolling the park endlessly and enjoying the views when you have to watch the clock to make sure your meter doesn’t expire. It also starts a dangerous precedent of charging various fees in our open, public spaces.
Advocates for the meters argue that people who work nearby the park abuse these free parking spaces by leaving their vehicles all day. Hmm, is there some Monday through Friday parking overflow problem in GGP that I’m not aware of?
What is Avalos’ justification? “It is important that we have parking regulation that fits the era of global warming and major congestion in this city.†Uh, ok.
What do you think of this idea?
Sarah B.
Wow, this is really sad to me. It will make the park that much less accessible, especially for those on a budget. What happens if you want to spend half day in the park? What used to be free could now be ten bucks. 🙁