What Little Parking Relief You Had in San Francisco Is About to End

By Erin Sherbert Fri., Jan. 4 2013 at 2:07 PM

In most American suburbs, Sunday is a chance for respite, which means driving from strip mall to strip mall, consuming crap. But in San Francisco, Sunday respite comes in the form of free parking and a nice mimosa brunch.

Sadly, that one day local drivers can count on to be stress-free will be no more starting this Sunday, when the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency rudely begins forcing drivers to pony up for parking.

Now for the good news: You will get to sleep in without sweating about moving your car by 8 a.m. on Sundays.

Under the new Sunday rules, drivers won't have to start paying for parking meters until noon everywhere in the city.The only exceptions will be Fisherman's Wharf, where meters will continue to operate on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (we gotta make those tourists pay!), and in the Port of San Francisco's jurisdiction along the waterfront, where they will operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

All parking meters will have at least four-hour time limits on Sundays, giving you plenty of time to have your mimosa brunch.

SFMTA is trying to ease drivers into the new austere Sunday rules, with plans to only issue warnings to cars at expired meters this Sunday, as well as Jan. 13 and 20. Full-on parking enforcement will start later this month, so save your change or set aside money for parking tickets.

Happy New Year!

Follow @sfweekly

We Recommend

rickrack

Does this mean MUNI and BART will no longer have holiday and Sunday hours and start running like a weekday so all the service people who drive to work on Sunday and park there because BART doesn't open early enough can get to work and not blow their paycheck on parking? DUMB!

sfparkripoff

Yes, As taxpayers should just pay whatever debt the City incurs like the $1.6 Billion Dollar Central Subway and the 8000 city employees who earn over $100,000 a year. Hey, The city just gave away FREE MUNI for youth, so we should pay that too.

Why not stop there? How about preferred VIP seating on the grass in Golden Gate Park, or $5.00 to sit on a public bench. Why not charge $18 to use a public restroom. How about charging $300 for making a call to the fire station, or police station, and then we can raise revenue, cut back on demand, and increase profits and salaries in these departments as well.

sober_laffs

1 Like

Yeah! Everybody knows Muni is free on Sundays, and french toast and mimosas are on the house at those crowded Sunday brunch joints, right? And gas stations are pumping complimentary fill-ups, no charge, and throwing in a free oil change to boot. With everything else free on Sundays, why the hell should we have to pay anything to park!?!

sebraleaves topcommenter

Fight back by signing the STOP SFMTA petition and tell city officials know how you feel.

http://signon.org/sign/stop-sfmta-san-francisco

Follow the action to preserve our neighborhoods: http://www.sfenuf.org/

Track the media: http://metermadness.wordpress.com/

Eric Carlson

"oh yes, everything should be free!"

sfparkripoff

@Eric CarlsonYes, As taxpayers should just pay whatever debt the City incurs like the $1.6 Billion Dollar Central Subway and the 8000 city employees who earn over $100,000 a year. Hey, The city just gave away FREE MUNI for youth, so we should pay that too. Hey why not stop there? How about preferred VIP seating on the grass in Golden Gate Park, or $5.00 to sit on a public bench. Why not charge $18 to use a public restroom. How about charging $300 for making a call to the fire station, or police station, and then we can raise revenue, cut back on demand, and increase profits and salaries in these departments as well.

argument

they've taken away free parking on sundays...PLEASE DON'T TAKE AWAY MIMOSA BRUNCHES!

Omar Rodriguez

Not to mention parking in a neighborhood like the Inner Sunset where I'm happy to pay for meter if I can find it, rather than park nine blocks up the hill for free!

Omar Rodriguez

I don't care. Owning a car in SF is a hurdle itself and meters are just a part of living in the city. That is unless you live in the vast majority of the city that doesn't have meters.