The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board of directors on Tuesday approved fine increases for an array of disabled parking infractions, from blocking a blue zone to displaying an invalid placard.
The board acted in response to a state law authored by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, and signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in October that allows local governments to increase penalties. The law took effect Jan. 1.
“The abuse of disabled placards takes money out of our coffers and undermines the parking needs of people who legitimately use the placards,” SFMTA executive director Nathaniel Ford said in a statement.
“Our goal is to deter the abuse of disabled placards in order to ensure that the limited parking resources in desirable locations are made available for those who truly need it,” Ford said.
As of Jan. 1, those who display a lost, stolen, expired or counterfeit placard or plate will be fined $825, up from $750.
Parking in a blue zone without a placard will now cost the violator $333, a 10 percent increase, according to the SFMTA.
“Assemblywoman Ma’s crucial leadership on this issue has given San Francisco a powerful tool to combat disabled placard abuse and to improve parking accessibility,” Mayor Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
