Sheeeeeeit–the SFMTA raised meter parking for motorcycles from 2.8X to 4X!!! That means $1200 more per year for downtown commuters. WTF?!
This is fucking bullshit. I wrote my district supervisor and the mayor–if you are as pissed as I am, I encourage you to do the same and pass this on to others who ride in SF. Links to the contact forms are here:
Mayor: http://www.sfgov.org/site/mayor_index.asp?id=22018
Supervisors: http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_index.asp
Perhaps letters to the SFMTA will help too. Here’s my letter:
[mayor/supervisor so-and-so],
I recently discovered that the SFMTA quadrupled the parking meter rates throughout the city during the July 1 rate increase. This seems excessive and disproportionate considering that the regular auto rates increased a mere 16% to 33%.
Motorcycles, mopeds and scooters have much greater fuel economy than their 4-wheeled counterparts. Additionally, they reduce congestion on the streets. The SFMTA rate increase diminishes the collective good of 2-wheeled vehicles. This is contradictory to San Francisco’s green initiatives.
Perhaps a rate increase was necessary; however, a 300% increase is excessive. Downtown commuters will see an annual increase of $1200 in their parking fees. This seems to be contributing to the disturbing trend of making San Francisco increasingly unaffordable to most of its residents.
Can you tell me what can be done to return the rates to something more reasonable?
Thanks,
[your name]
I received this response from D9 Supervisor Campos’s office. Not sure if anyone is taking this issue seriously enough.
Mr. [removed],
My name is Eugenie Montague and I am an intern at Supervisor Campos’s office. I am writing in response to your recent email regarding the increase in the rate of parking meters. It appears the current rates were raised at this high percentage level because they have not been raised at the since 2005. The rates for parking cars and also for riding the Muni were also increased. As scooter rider himself, Supervisor Campos understands the import of this rate increase. Unfortunately, sometimes difficult decisions like this have to be made and there is little we can do as the rate has not been increased in four years. Thank you for your email and for your efforts to lessen pollution and congestion in the city.
Best,
Eugenie Montague
415-554-5144
Also consider the following:
– This is done during a time where many residents lost their jobs and those of us who are still employed did not receive raises and in many cases took a paycut?
– A motorcycle only takes up 1/5 to 1/4 of the space of a car. This effectively means that they now charge motorcycles 2-3x the amount for the same “floorspace” that a car uses.