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SAN DIEGO – Parking meters are beginning to be installed this week in the business district as part of a pilot program.
“They weren’t here last night, so they definitely were a shock this morning a little bit,” said Griffin Borman, who works at nearby Shop Meta.
The program was approved by the Pacific Beach Community Planning Group in 2020 and San Diego City Council in 2021.
The areas where people will see the meters include along Garnet Avenue between Mission Boulevard and Fanuel Street as well as some parts of Cass Street, Hornblend Street and Bayard Street.
“Right now if you look at Garnet Avenue, especially on a weekend, it’s ultimately kind of a parking lot. Cars aren’t really incentivized to move,” said Eric Marenburg, president of Discover Pacific Beach.
Marenburg says several community stakeholders were part of the parking advisory board to help implement this project. With meters largely focused in front of businesses, the goal is for an increase in space turnover to help both parking availability and more customer access to shops and restaurants.
Meters will be in effect Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., with a cost of $1.25 an hour.
While people might be hesitant to see more parking come with a price tag, a portion of the meter revenue will be invested directly into mobility projects within Pacific Beach like it’s new electric shuttle the Beach Bug.
“If it goes to actually improving PB, then I’m all for it,” Kristine Jackson said.
Meters will continue to be installed and tested throughout the month of October and officially turned on early November. The pilot program will run one year, with feedback welcomed along the way.
Feedback or questions regarding the parking meters can be sent to sustainability@sandiego.gov
“We’d love to hear from the community, share what’s been great. It’s our job also to educate on how we will be putting these funds to use, but we also want to make sure this is working hand-in-hand with the community so that we are making our space even better,” Marenburg said.
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