CA: S.F. Mayor Lurie wants to end free parking in Golden Gate Park

Anyone who's unfurled a picnic blanket in Golden Gate Park has probably witnessed the line of cars packing its curbs, taking advantage of free parking.

That privilege could soon end. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has introduced budget legislation to make visitors pay to stow their cars, probably at a rate of $3 an hour, though the cost would fluctuate according to demand.

When Recreation and Park officials proposed the idea earlier this year, they hoped to stave off a budget deficit that could balloon to $15 million by 2027. Parking fees were among a slew of possible funding initiatives put forward during a Rec and Park Commission meeting in late February. Other recommendations included a $5-an-hour charge to rent a tennis court.

Without a steady and reliable new revenue stream, the parks department could be forced to make crippling cuts across its system, including closing swimming pools and offering fewer summer camps. Additionally, staff might have to mow ball fields less frequently, scale back the gardener apprentice program and reduce custodial facilities.

" San Francisco's parks are one of our greatest treasures," Lurie wrote in a statement. "And despite serious fiscal challenges, our budget offers a fair, responsible way to keep them clean, safe and open to everyone."

He emphasized the importance of prioritizing core services as the city makes agonizing cuts across its departments. The Board of Supervisors would have to approve Lurie's parking legislation for it to take effect in 2027. Lurie must sign the budget into law by Aug. 1.

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Parking kiosks alone could generate a windfall for city parks, with revenue projections of $1.2 million in the upcoming fiscal year, and $9.2 million the following year. Although San Franciscans often grumble over parking fees, some call the Golden Gate Park proposal a worthy trade-off.

"A lot of people come to the park to visit the museum or the botanical gardens, and I don't think it's a huge ask for them to pay a few dollars for parking," said Steffen Franz, president of the neighborhood group Friends of Lafayette Park in Pacific Heights.

While Golden Gate Park has two paid parking lots, spaces are free along Martin Luther King Drive — the main artery other than John F. Kennedy Drive, where cars are not allowed on the east section. For the time being, motorists can also find free street parking on Nancy Pelosi or Bowling Green drives or JFK Drive on the west side of the park.

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