The Facts

Paid parking is coming to Golden Gate Park. Starting January 1, 2027, drivers will pay between $2.75 and $4 per hour, depending on location and time of day. There is no charge for vehicles with a disabled parking placard or plate.

Paid parking makes parking easier to find. A 2018 peer-reviewed study found San Francisco’s demand-priced SFpark program reduced time spent searching for parking by about 15% and search distance by 12%. And a 2014 academic study found a reduction in circling for parking by roughly 50%, though that modeled estimate was less certain.

The Context

The Board of Supervisors authorized paid parking in July 2025, with GrowSF’s support. The Recreation and Park Department projects $10 million annually for deferred maintenance and affordable recreation programs.

The GrowSF Take

We're glad to see this moving forward! Charging for a parking space is a reasonable way to help pay for the park's upkeep and to make parking more available. It may seem counterintuitive, but when scarce public goods are priced, overuse and waste decline, while availability and quality improve. And remember, there's no such thing as free parking.