San Diego City Council leaders announced a proposal to suspend paid parking at Balboa Park for city residents, acknowledging widespread frustration with the program launched earlier this month and its negative impact on museum attendance.

 

City Council President Joe LaCava said he will formally introduce the proposal at the Feb. 9 council meeting. The plan would eliminate parking fees for San Diego residents while keeping current rates in place for non-residents.

 

LaCava explained that the proposal would preserve the city’s existing investments in parking infrastructure, including kiosks, meters, and the online payment portal, without dismantling the paid parking system entirely.

 

The announcement was made Tuesday afternoon with the support of Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee and Council Member Sean Elo-Rivera. Elo-Rivera said the intent is to ease community frustration that has intensified since the program took effect.

 

The paid parking system was introduced earlier this month as part of the city’s effort to address a projected $300 million budget deficit. However, leaders of Balboa Park’s cultural institutions say the fees have led to a significant decline in visitors.

 

David Neville, communications director for the San Diego Air and Space Museum, said attendance at his museum has dropped between 20% and 25% since the parking program began. He noted that other museums have seen similar or even greater declines.

 

Neville warned that if the downturn continues for a full year, the combined revenue loss for Balboa Park museums could reach between $20 million and $30 million, threatening the long-term sustainability of these institutions, which rely heavily on foot traffic.

 

LaCava acknowledged that suspending parking fees for residents would require deeper budget cuts elsewhere to offset the loss of revenue. He said midyear budget adjustments will be discussed in the coming weeks and pledged that any reduction in parking revenue would be matched with spending cuts to maintain a balanced budget.

 

Questions remain about what will happen to residents who already purchased annual parking passes if the proposal is approved.

 

In a statement, Mayor Todd Gloria said that if the City Council moves forward with suspending the program, it must also identify alternative revenue sources to keep the budget balanced, which would likely result in cuts to other city services. He added that his administration remains focused on making difficult choices to restore the city’s fiscal health.