Keep parking meters out of the neighborhoods

Dear Supervisors:

On the one hand the MTA never misses an opportunity to remove street parking spaces, and in their environmental documents they claim that removing parking has no impact because, in response to fewer spaces, fewer people drive.

On the other hand MTA adds parking meters, expands payment hours, requires payment on Sundays, increases prices and increases fines, all in the name of demand management because they say demand is too great and there is shortage of parking.

On the third hand MTA says all of these measures are actually good for us, we just don’t realize it, as if the people of San Francisco were little children who must be cajoled and even forced to take bad tasting medicine that is really beneficial.

Expanding parking meters into residential and mixed neighborhoods would change the character of our neighborhoods for the worse. For over half a century people have made choices about where to live based in significant part on the availability of on-street parking. MTA’s policies will have terrible demographic consequences, disproportionately impacting those who don’t have access to a garage or can’t afford one. These consequences conflict with the principle often stated by elected officials, civic leaders and San Franciscans of all stripes, of encouraging and supporting a resident population that is diverse in, among other characteristics, age, disability status, family status, income and occupation.

And before allowing MTA to continue to reach even further into the pockets of residents, businesses, employees and visitors, please take a detailed, focused look into MTA’s financial management and cost structure. MTA focuses disproportionately on increasing revenues, instead of trying to better manage and control its costs.

           
Thank you for considering this e-mail.

           
Sincerely,

Howard Chabner