Paid parking could soon be implemented at Balboa Park, Mission Bay
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Paid parking could soon be coming to lots in Balboa Park and around Mission Bay.
The city of San Diego is considering a proposal to tack fees on certain lots as part of a strategy to curb demand in some of the parks' more popular lots, where it is near impossible to find a parking spot during the busiest times of year.
Details on what exactly these parking changes could look like have yet to be ironed out. However, Rachel Laing, a spokesperson for Mayor Todd Gloria, confirmed to FOX 5/KUSI the city is exploring a few options like hourly rates, a location-based system and a hybrid of the two.
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Over the next few weeks, San Diego officials plan to hold meetings with Balboa Park institutions and neighborhood groups to draft a final parking management proposal for the destination to bring before the city council later this year.
A plan to bring similar changes to Mission Bay Park is in even earlier stages of development and will likely take more time to implement, as the California Coastal Commission would also need to sign off on any updates.
'We are just starting the engagement process with folks in and around the park to determine the best strategy for implementing paid parking and have no firm answers for how it will ultimately be structured,' Liang said. 'It is a long way off still.'
San Diego officials first commissioned a study of parking demand at both parks last July, the findings of which were presented to the city's Balboa Park Committee on Thursday.
The study found Balboa Park's parking lots had an average occupancy of about 69% on weekends, reaching upwards of 85% during peak periods of the year. For core areas, like the lots behind the Organ Pavilion and Spanish Village, utilization hit 98% during this same time.
Mission Bay Park similarly recorded high occupancy. On weekends, the study found the park's lots were 73% on average — 88% during peak periods. In Mission Beach, this demand was even more acute, recording 84% occupancy on off-peak weekends and 100% on peak weekends.
City leaders have pitched using paid parking to rein in this demand before, but each attempt ultimately buckled under the pressure from community backlash.
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This time around, the parking fee discussion will likely carry even more weight as city leaders are hunting for new long-term sources of revenue that can help change the tide on budget imbalances expected in the coming years.
Although Laing noted the current $258 million deficit did not play a role in the city's decision to pursue parking management in Balboa and Mission Bay parks, as it was already in the works prior to the current situation taking shape following the failure of Measure E.
It is unknown at this time if any revenue from a potential parking charge for Balboa Park or Mission Bay is going to be factored into Gloria's proposed budget, which he is expected to bring before the city council in April.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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