Update 12/23: Basically everything I wrote in this post regarding Muni's parking enforcement over the holidays was wrong. I'm sorry about that — I took the information exactly as it appeared on Muni's website (linked to below) Thursday morning, right down to that block quote. This morning, however, Muni spokesperson Paul Rose wrote to say that:
I think you post may be citing some older info...on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2, parking meters and seven day street sweeping will be enforced.Sunday, December 25, 2016 and Sunday, January 1, 2017: The following parking regulations will not be enforced anywhere in the city: parking meters, seven-day street sweeping, residential parking permits, Monday-Friday daytime street sweeping, and commuter towaway.
Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2, 2017: Parking meters and seven day street sweeping will be enforced. Residential parking permits and Monday-Friday daytime street sweeping and commuter towaway will not be enforced.
The website from which I originally took the information has also been edited, with no notation that changes had been made. An email to Rose asking the reason for the discrepancy — was the parking enforcement policy changed, or was an error made on their site? — was not returned at publication time.
Here's the original post:
While the Christmas and New Years holidays give San Franciscans a bit more leeway in the street parking department, motorists will be faced with additional restrictions near one of the city's hottest tourist destinations.
According to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, as Christmas and New Years Day fall on Sundays this year, not only will parkers have the usual latitude those storing their car on city streets on Sundays are allowed, but they'll get the following Mondays free of regulations, too.
Observance of Christmas and New Year’s days will take place on Monday, Dec. 26 and Monday, Jan. 2, respectively.On these days Muni will operate on a Sunday schedule and there will be no enforcement of parking restrictions for:
- Seven-day street sweeping;
- Parking meters (including those meters on Port of San Francisco property);
- Residential parking permits;
- Monday through Friday street sweeping;
- Commute hour tow-away
(The picture is less rosy for transit takers, with Muni operating on a weekday non-school schedule, with no service on the 1AX/BX, 7X, 14X, 30X, 31AX/BX, 38AX/BX, 41, 81X, 82X, 83X, 88, NX, N Judah Cole Valley Shuttles and the Castro Shuttles from Tuesday, December 27 through Friday, December 30.)
But while parking on city streets is a bit easier on those days, parking near the Golden Gate Bridge will be significantly harder. As they have on Easter and Thanksgiving weekends the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District will be closing the parking lots at both ends of the bridge in an effort to reduce congestion, they announced this week.
Parking for personal vehicles will be prohibited at the Welcome Center parking lot at the south end of the bridge and the Vista Point parking lot at the north end between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Friday, December 23 to January 2, the District says, encouraging visitors to take public transit or "a tour bus, corporate shuttle, taxi or ride-sharing service" instead.
As previously reported, traffic backups due to drivers seeking parking at those lots prompted the regular holiday closures as of this year. Drivers are instead directed to stash their cars at the overflow lots along Lincoln Boulevard and in the Presidio, a not insignificant hike to and from the tourist attraction.
Tour bus riders will end up with the best deal during the closure, as they'll be allowed in the lots at either end of the span. Folks taking a cab or a transportation network service like Uber or Lyft can be picked up and dropped off at the Welcome Center, but aren't allowed at Vista Point. Taxis and ride hail services also won't be allowed to wait for passengers, the District says, and will all need proper identification to prove they're not just a regular person trying to weasel in.
According to the District, drivers will be alerted to the closure vie big electronic signs, and other signs will be placed on roadways leading up to the bridge "and on the bridge itself leading up to Vista Point exit" to ensure motorists are aware of the restrictions.
Related: Toll Plaza Gridlocked As Golden Gate Bridge Parking Lot Closures Backfire
