SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A week into San Diego’s surge pricing at meters during events like Padres games some locals are weighing in on how it’s going so far.
The change went into effect starting Sept. 2 and it’s part of larger reform expected to bring in more than $18 million in revenue for the city next fiscal year.
“I kind of have to take the ‘L’ and park as far away as possible for cheap,” said Gaslamp resident Daunte Haynes.
The rising cost of parking downtown has some residents to change their routines, and that includes parking farther away from where they live.
“About 13 blocks away if I’m lucky 12. So it’s a nice little trek either in the morning if I forget to move my car or like at night where it’s kind of dangerous but I take that risk just to make sure that I’m not paying an extra $60 on top of how expensive it already is to live downtown,” said Haynes.
Special eventgoers have to pay $10 an hour, instead of $2.50, at meters within a half of a mile of Petco Park during events that attract 10,000 people or more.
Surge pricing begins two hours before an event and lasts for four hours after, capping at six hours total. That means some are paying up to $60 to park at a meter near the stadium.
By comparison, the fine for parking at an expired meter is about $58.50. Currently, the fine for parking at an expired meter in the City of San Diego is $55, which includes a state-mandated fee of $12.50. For online citation payments, there is an additional service fee of $3.50, according to Senior Public Information Officer Leslie Wolf Branscomb.
“We usually try to come early because we try to eat dinner, and we have a baby so it takes us a little bit to get ourselves together so yeah we pretty much would end up maxing out at the time,” said North Park resident Vanessa Arellano.
As a Padres season ticket holder, Arellano said that public transportation isn’t always ideal with a small child and while rideshare is another option “it’s all expensive though.”
After voting in favor of the parking fee changes in June district 7 Councilmember Raul Campillo has shifted his stance.
“I think that we need to put a pause the program as it stands and get more feedback to understand what price point is most appropriate and listen to the people who live and work downtown,” said Campillo.
FOX 5/KUSI reached out to the Mayor’s office for comment. Director of Communications Rachel Laing provided us with the following statement: “Metered parking is supposed to be a demand-management tactic above all. It’s in commercial areas in order to ensure customers can park, do business and move on. It’s not supposed to be for employees or residents to park all day long.
Business groups like the Gaslamp Quarter Association, which is supposed to represent the businesses in the Gaslamp, should be embracing tactics that make it easier for those who aren’t attending big special events to find parking downtown to patronize Gaslamp businesses instead of advocating for bartenders to use that incredibly limited resource all night.
During a Padres game or a concert at Petco, 100% of the meters are typically in use – discouraging people who are not attending the game from coming downtown. The special event rate will free up more metered parking – and 100% of the proceeds will get reinvested into sidewalk, parking and streetlight improvements.”
Laing also provided FOX 5/KUSI with the following list of public outreach conducted as part of the parking reform package this year:
- Jan. 30: Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee presentation on the comprehensive parking study and recommendations.
- March 20: Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee presentation on the parking reform package.
- March 28: Transportation Equity Coalition – briefing on parking reform.
- March-May: Briefings and discussions on parking reform at regular board meetings of the four Community Parking Districts (Downtown, Uptown, Mid-City, and Pacific Beach).
- May 20: Chamber of Commerce briefing on parking reform.
- June 2: City Council session for the discussion and adoption of the parking reform.
- June 24: Building Industry Association briefing on parking reform.Aug. 4: City issues news release announcing Special Event Zone begins Sept. 1, including Council President Joe LaCava doing media interviews about installation of new “Special Event Zone” signs throughout downtown.
The City Council would have to vote to change parking citation fees. The expired meter fees were last adjusted in July, according to Wolf Branscomb.
Wolf Branscomb added that city staff continue to monitor whether citation amounts are appropriately set to deter violations. Failure to pay parking tickets in a timely manner can incur up to $40 in late fees. Not paying the citation can result in a lien being put on your vehicle’s registration, plus additional fees and penalties. See the City’s parking website for more information: Citations | City of San Diego Official Website.
Meanwhile, Councilmember Campillo said he’s reached out to District Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, whose district encompasses the downtown area, to discuss the matter.
“I would never encourage a person to do the rational thing of paying less but get a ticket because your car might get towed under certain circumstances. That is really expensive. What that just shows is that the folks who were really put this plan into operation didn’t through each of the details all the way to the end,” said Campillo.
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