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Daly City raises parking fines to curb unsafe parking; chief estimates $600,000 annual revenue increase
Summary
After a public hearing, the city adopted a revised parking fine schedule intended to deter unsafe parking and improve street safety. The police chief said the update — the first broad revision since 2019 — could add roughly $600,000 in annual revenue; appeals and low-income payment plans remain available.
Daly City’s council adopted higher parking fines Monday in a bid to change parking behavior and reduce traffic and safety complaints, the police chief said.
Chief Christensen told council the city issued about 78,000 parking citations in the 2024–25 fiscal year and collected roughly $2.4 million in related revenue. He said staff compared nearby cities’ fine schedules, weighed fairness and public-safety needs, and proposed increases designed to be defensible and to improve safety. The chief estimated the changes could add about $600,000 a year in citation revenue.
The proposed schedule includes modest increases across frequently cited violations and retains appeal routes and payment plans. Christensen described the appeals process: an online first-level review handled by staff, an administrative hearing through the citation processor (Turbo Data) for unresolved appeals, and the option to pursue court review. Low-income households and recipients of public benefits may apply for payment assistance or payment plans.
Council members asked about enforcement capacity and equity protections. Chief Christensen said the department has sufficient community-service officers and staff to manage parking enforcement and that the department will continue to prioritize safety-related violations (for example, handicap-space violations and red-zone blocking). Council Member Manalo also suggested painting curb corners to improve visibility under recent state law; the suggestion was referred to staff for follow-up.
Christensen also noted that a portion of citation revenue is passed on: for each citation, a statutory share goes to the county and state (staff noted $5 to the county and $7.50 to the state on many tickets) and some categories of fines are shared as specified by law.
The council voted by roll call and adopted the resolution. Staff estimated that the city typically collects 60–75% of issued citation amounts.
What’s next: The new fine schedule is effective per the adopted resolution; the police department will continue to process appeals and monitor outcomes and may return to council with future adjustments as part of the annual master fee schedule.
