$54M Contract To Replace SF Meters Raises Questions About Future Parking Costs

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — A $54 million contract to replace San Francisco’s aging parking meters has run into trouble at the Board of Supervisors. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency wants to include 10,000 additional meters than the 29,000 needed to change out the existing ones.

Supervisor Mark Farrell said he wants guarantees from the SFMTA that the public is properly consulted before any additional meters are added in an expansion and wants an explanation why they agency wants so many spares.

“I’ve been a vocal opponent of the expansion of parking meters into our neighborhoods here in San Francisco and, to me, this is something that I’m not willing to support because it could be used to go into our neighborhoods,” he said.

SFMTA spokesman Paul Rose denied that there is any expansion planned and said that it’s good to have an additional supply if the need arises.

“If there is a plan that we go forward with in the next seven years, we’ll have these meters available,” Rose said. “This proposal is meant to benefit the customers so that it’s easier to pay at a meter and at the same time reduce citations.”

With the meter contract in trouble, the SFMTA has sent the supervisors a new notification strategy that would give residents more say about new meters in there neighborhoods.

According to records, the SFMTA revenue from parking has doubled over the passed decade to $53 million a year.

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