The SFMTA is literally trying to nickel-and-dime its way out of a $130 million deficit, as drivers will have to feed the meters at SF parking spaces until 10 p.m., starting in July in some neighborhoods, and free Sunday parking will be a thing of the past.

In February 2020, just about one month before the pandemic hit, we reported that the SFMTA was planning to extend parking meters hours after 6 p.m., and also completely eliminate the free metered parking on Sundays. But that plan was put on the back burner once COVID-19 came along and and basically ruined everyone’s life, and on top of that, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) actually reduced the price of parking for a few months.

But now that the SFMTA is looking down the barrel of a $130 million deficit, the Chronicle reports the plan is back on. Paid parking meter hours will be extended all the way to 10 p.m., plus noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays, per the Chronicle. The extended hours will start this coming July in a few  neighborhoods, and citywide implementation will be staggered by neighborhood, with every neighborhood’s parking meter hours extended to 10 p.m. by December 2024.  

The Chronicle calls these “The most significant parking meter enforcement changes in almost 70 years.”

The SFMTA prefers to refer to the increased meter-charging hours as “Modernizing San Francisco's parking meter hours.”

“Without new revenue, the agency will be forced to cut the equivalent of 20 Muni lines,” the SFMTA says. “Additional revenue from extending parking meter hours can help prevent these cuts, which would disproportionately impact people with limited incomes, people of color, older adults and people with disabilities.”

Like we said, this will not all happen citywide in one fell swoop. “Beginning in July 2023 and continuing in phases through December 2024, the SFMTA will extend parking meter hours until 10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and add Sunday meter hours from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.,” SFMTA says.

The first neighborhoods that will have to feed the meter until 10 p.m. will be Dogpatch and Fisherman’s Wharf, with several other neighborhoods getting the increased meter hours in September.

The change is not expected to hit areas like Bayview, Chinatown, 24th Street and others until December 2024. You can see a complete list of when SF neighborhoods will have their parking meters extended until 10 p.m. on the SFMTA website.

Related: SF Parking Meters May Start Charging on Evenings and Sundays [SFist]

Image: SFMTA