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Council approves parking meter zone around Balboa Park; directs staff to propose resident discount plan
Summary
The Council voted 6–2 to establish a parking meter zone that would allow nearly 300 on‑street metered spaces around Balboa Park, with on‑street rates proposed at $2.50/hour (4‑hour max, 8AM–8PM); Council asked staff to return in September with a proposed resident discount/permit plan and fiscal analyses of alternatives.
The City Council voted to establish a parking meter zone around Balboa Park on July 28, authorizing staff to install on‑street metered parking to be synchronized with the broader Balboa Park paid‑parking program.
Transportation staff recommended creating a meter zone encompassing Balboa Park and adjacent streets (including 6th Avenue and Park Boulevard) so revenues collected on new on‑street meters could be spent within the zone on traffic, mobility and park‑related improvements. Deputy Director Magda McCormick said crews expect to install nearly 300 metered spaces and that on‑street rates proposed are $2.50 per hour with a four‑hour maximum and operating hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. Staff projected about $750,000 in revenue in the partial FY26 period and roughly $1,000,000 annually thereafter.
Public testimony raised concerns about impacts to West Mesa users such as the Redwood Bridge Club (largely seniors on fixed incomes), volunteers, and cultural and youth programs. Several speakers urged carve‑outs or permit systems for longtime local users and on‑site registration and cash acceptance at kiosks.
Councilmember Elo Rivera moved the staff recommendation and requested that staff include in the September Balboa Park package a proposal for free or discounted resident parking passes for this parking district and others; the motion was seconded and passed on first reading 6–2 with Councilmember Moreno absent. Councilmembers asked staff to provide fiscal analyses showing how alternatives—such as increased free hours, lower resident rates, or carve‑outs for specific user groups—would affect the revenue assumed in the FY26 budget.
Because the item establishes a meter zone by ordinance, it requires a second reading; staff said implementation would be timed to match the park user fee schedule brought back in September.
