SAN FRANCISCO – A new SFMTA proposal would eliminate free, time-limited parking in both the Marina and Cow Hollow neighborhoods.
Parking in Cow Hollow and the Marina area is difficult for Michele Grasso-Dennis. She said it can sometimes take 15 to 30 minutes to find a spot.
“I wanted to go to my favorite Mexican restaurant on Fillmore, and it took me twenty minutes to find a free parking spot,” Grasso-Dennis said.
Her daughter lives nearby but doesn’t have much extra parking to lend to guests. Grasso-Dennis is therefore highly dependent on the free two-hour parking limit in both neighborhoods during her visit.
But there’s a new proposal to eliminate those spots.
“I think it’s ridiculous. I think the public taxpayers, or people visiting like me, should have the ability to park for free in the city, or at least have the option,” Grasso-Dennis said.
SFMTA is proposing to remove 262 free two-hour parking spaces between Cow Hollow and the marina. These parking spaces would be replaced by paid parking or permit parking, where people who do not have a parking permit in the area would have to pay a fee for every hour they are parked. Kash, who is opening a restaurant near the area, worries the cost could deter customers from visiting.
“They might go far away, and they might be scared off by the neighborhood,” Kash said.
A spokesperson for SFMTA said the goal of the project is to create more space for residents who, despite having a permit, have to fight for spots. Another version of this plan has already been implemented in Hayes Valley, where the project opened an average of at least one site per block, according to the agency.
It is estimated that the scheme could generate $6 million in revenue from the Marina and Cow Hollow.
Rosemary Jebari, who lives and parks in the area, said getting to restaurants or nearby stores can be a nightmare. She believes the proposal could reduce the time it takes her to park in the area.
“I don’t think that will reduce people coming into the neighborhood, and I think people will leave sooner because those meters will alert you when your time is up,” Jebari said.
The proposal is still in the outreach process, with SFMTA asking people who live in the area what they think of the proposal. If implemented, the neighborhood could see meters as early as the summer of 2025.
