Dozens packed into a tense community meeting Monday as the city unveiled a plan that would remove free parking from large swaths of the Marina and Cow Hollow neighborhoods.
The meeting, organized by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to collect feedback, was attended predominately by neighborhood residents. Many fear that transitioning from free two-hour parking to paid meters on residential and commercial blocks will further limit street parking, and say the plan is a money grab on the part of the agency.
“I’m livid. I’m upset beyond belief,” said Divisadero Street resident Mike Najjar, 60, who has lived in the Marina for 35 years. “They’re doing it to cover up their budget shortfalls.”
The plan would affect an area bounded by Richardson Avenue, the Palace of Fine Arts, Marina Boulevard, Laguna Street, Lombard Street, Van Ness Avenue, Vallejo Street, and Scott Street.
Linda Reda, who is in her 70s, said the plan would restrict parking for residents. She argued that nonresidents would be able to park for many hours by paying a meter via kiosk or smartphone.
“You can just pay the meter and stay in the bar,” Reda said.
Linda Kha, who owns Union Street jewelry store Carats & Stones, said she’s worried for staff who can’t afford to pay for parking all day and is concerned that the change would deter customers who don’t live in the area.
“It’s very unwelcoming,” Kha said.
Some who attended the meeting support the plan.
Nate Koudler-Balmy, a 31-year-old Presidio Heights resident who is working toward a master’s degree in transportation planning, said the change would get more people out of cars and onto buses, alleviating traffic and parking issues in his neighborhood.
“I think this is a step in the right direction,” Koudler-Balmy said. “Things to encourage people not to drive is part of the solution.”
The SFMTA said no parking spaces will be removed, and it will install the meters by July 2025. The agency has not decided what time of day the meters will be active, but the rate will likely be $2 an hour, according to residential parking policy manager Raynell Cooper.
Officials say the goal of the plan isn’t to make money for the cash-strapped transit agency — though SFMTA believes it will generate $6 million in annual gross revenue — but to increase parking availability, particularly for those who pay for an annual residential permit.
“Pay or permit parking can encourage people to move along as soon as they’ve completed their business, while also allowing someone to stay longer if they need to,” spokesperson Michael Roccaforte said in a statement.
The proposal is part of a broader city effort to remove free parking. A similar plan went into effect in Hayes Valley in November 2022. The SFMTA is also looking to implement changes to parts of the Lower Haight and to blocks in Hayes Valley that were not included in the 2022 project. Officials expect all areas being studied to see the changes by July 2025.