S.F. racking up metered spaces in SoMa, Civic Center

Under the proposal, which is backed by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, currently unmetered sections of Brannan, Harrison, Townsend and Bluxome streets would have meters, as would spots on Turk, Franklin, Gough and Eddy streets.

The SFMTA board of directors, faced with an array of budget problems, authorized the new parking meters in April as a way to generate $1 million in additional revenue each year for the transit agency.

As a result, 1,310 new meters are scheduled to be installed by Jan. 1, which would add to the already-existing total of 25,000 paid-parking spots in The City. The new meters are slated for eastern SoMa, Fishermans Wharf, Civic Center, and the Inner and Outer Mission neighborhoods.

The SFMTA also outlined nearly 4,100 more spaces that could be future sites for parking meters. A recent census found that there are roughly 440,000 total parking spaces, paid and unpaid, in The City.

Many of the 1,310 planned parking meters will feature technology touted by the SFMTAs SFpark program, a series of initiatives aimed at improving traffic congestion. All meters will accept various forms of payment and allow motorists to park for extended periods of time.

About half the new meters will feature rates that vary based on demand for the spots. The baseline for the meters in those areas will be $1 an hour, although the price will go up in spots with high occupancy rates.

The 1,310 new meters are part of a series of parking policies currently being examined by the SFMTA. The agency is considering enforcing meters on Sundays in five neighborhoods, along with testing out its new SFpark technology at a series of existing meter locations.

On June 18, the SFMTA will hold a public hearing to get feedback on its proposal for the new meters. The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Room 416 at City Hall.