A neighborhood coalition is holding a community meeting in San Francisco this evening to oppose a proposal to place thousands of new parking meters in areas on the eastern side of the city.
The meeting, organized by the Coalition of Residents and Businesses in San Francisco’s Eastern Neighborhoods, will focus on the Municipal Transportation Agency’s plan to install up to 5,000 parking meters in the Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, Mission Bay and other neighborhoods.
The plan was initially scheduled to be considered by the SFMTA board of directors at its Feb. 7 meeting, but the discussion was postponed until a later date because of the strong opposition, agency spokesman Paul Rose said.
“This will allow for more community outreach before we take any additional steps,” Rose said.
He added that a plan to install meters in the northernmost part of Mission Bay will still go before the board on Feb. 7.
Bill Schwartz, an organizer with the coalition, said he is glad SFMTA officials decided to delay the implementation of what he called a “flawed” project.
“I think that the community really feels that this has not been researched properly, and there hasn’t been enough outreach,” Schwartz said.
He said businesses in the neighborhoods are “up in arms” about the proposal, with some threatening to move out.
“Parking meters obviously have been useful in retail districts, but that’s not the case in places we’re talking about,” Schwartz said. “Dogpatch and Potrero Hill, there’s not a lot of retail business.”
Schwartz, who lives in Dogpatch, said he is one of many residents “who feel they don’t want a parking meter in front of their house.”
He said about 300 people came to testify against the plan at an SFMTA hearing earlier this month.
Supervisors Jane Kim and David Campos will attend today’s meeting, as well as SFMTA officials. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at Project Artaud (Z-Space) at 450 Florida St.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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