About The Bay: San Francisco's Parking Costs For 2013
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - The beginning of the new year will bring some changes to the streets of San Francisco - and you'll need some change to deal with the changes.
After all, there will soon be no free ride on Sundays in San Francisco. Well, technically, it's no free parking - at least in metered spots.
About the Bay: The Cost of Parking in SF in 2013
"In the 1940s this policy was implemented for free parking," Paul Rose, spokesman, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, explained why, until now, drivers could park for free at metered spots on Sundays.
"That's because businesses were closed throughout the City. And now, more than 70% of all businesses are open."
Houses of worship have always been open on Sundays, which is why some church leaders are concerned about how the new parking meter policy will impact their parishioners.
"I'm very troubled over this and there was no consideration given," said The Rev. Amos Brown of the Third Baptist Church. "This is not a church or faith community going into town, at all."
"This is a secular town, it is not liberal when it comes to organized religion. The only thing San Francisco is liberal on is sex."
Not necessarily so, is the City's response - insisting that considerations were made for worshipers: they can pre-pay; meters won't be in operation until noon on Sundays, and they'll run longer than any other day of the week.
"All the time limits on Sunday will be four hour time limits," said Rose.
Metered parking will be in effect on Sundays until 6 p.m. The policy kicks in the first Sunday of 2013, and by the City's estimates will bring in an additional $2 million in revenue.
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