Heads up, San Diego: Here’s what you need to know about new parking rules and fees

Yet another change has hit city of San Diego parking rules — this time, Balboa Park. 

As officials seek ways to resolve their financial troubles, they’ve turned to parking to bring in new revenue. The city has enforced the state’s new daylighting law; increased both rates and the cost of citations; and taken action on establishing paid parking in some of San Diego’s most popular cultural attractions.

Why? Because San Diego faced a quarter-billion dollar budget deficit. And estimates by the city’s independent budget analyst earlier this year project the parking enforcement changes will bring an additional $18.4 million in revenue from metered parking and another $11 million from paid parking in Balboa Park. 

It’s getting complicated, as the city continues to change its parking rules. City-owned beach lots, for example, have been discussed for paid parking, and officials must still finalize their plans for Balboa Park. The zoo and the city also are still negotiating how to share the parking revenue.

Here’s what we know so far.

1. Visiting your favorite Balboa Park spot may cost you more

Paid parking could be coming to San Diego’s crown jewel — including the zoo — as early as October, and rates will vary.

Here on vacation, or live outside city limits? Expect to pay as much as $16 a day in lots closest to the Balboa Park’s center. If you’re a city resident, you’ll pay $8 a day for the closest lots.

How to pay less: Farther lots cost less — $10 for non-residents and $5 for residents. If you’re a city resident, you can also park in the closest lots for cheaper if you’re there for fewer than four hours. And in the Lower Inspiration Point lot, you can park for three hours for free.

Other tips: 

• In this case, cash is not king. Bring your credit card or coins, because the parking kiosks won’t take paper money.
• If you happen to be a member of the San Diego Zoo, remember: You still get complimentary parking in the zoo lot.
• Here’s a map, including parking lots.

2. The sun is out on daylighting

Enforcement officers began ticketing drivers across the city this year for parking next to a curb within 20 feet of any crosswalk — marked or not.

Officials first issued warnings before enforcing a $77.50 fine. A month later, the citation rose to $117.

It turns out that most of these citations are occurring in the Mid-City area, a collection of neighborhoods in central San Diego where parking is in short supply.

The city is on track to raise nearly $3 million from daylighting tickets alone by the end of the year should current trends persist. 

Explore the citation map

3. A 1-2 punch for metered parking

It costs twice as much now to park in most metered zones across the city this year.

San Diego raised the hourly rate in January from $1.25 to $2.50 per hour in the mixed-use neighborhoods of downtown, uptown, Mid-City and Pacific Beach. And in August, the city announced an additional two metered hours and an end to the Sunday exemption in those same areas.

Previously, if you lived near a business district with 6 p.m. meter cutoffs and got home from work at that time, you could park there overnight and not have to pay or move your car later (assuming you avoided street sweeping times and left before enforcement resumed).

Now, you’ll likely have to pay for at least an additional two hours to snag that same spot at night. We did some math: That could mean an additional $1,300 in parking-related fees a year if you had to park in a metered spot each weekday.

And that doesn’t include the new 3% fee you would pay each time for using your credit card.

For Padres fans and other Petco Park visitors, know that visiting one of the best ballparks in the U.S. will cost even more. The city’s new rules allow for dynamic pricing — meaning it can charge $10 an hour during special events, like baseball games and concerts.

The city has justified the rate hike by pointing out that fees haven’t increased in 20 years. Officials also say parking rates in San Diego still remain below that of other major California cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.

4. Watch out for those pricier tickets

Let’s say you missed that street sweeping sign or parked your car for three hours in a two-hour maximum zone despite feeding the meter the entire time. You’ll now get a fine for $85. 

That’s compared to the $42-52 you would have paid for those tickets at the beginning of this year.

Parked in a red zone? Prepare to pay as much as $130, according to city citation data.

City officials announced a litany of fee increases this summer including hikes on dozens of parking fines in order to help cover its budget shortfall.

Check out this searchable chart from our partner Times of San Diego about the parking-related fee changes: