Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
32
Tips
San Francisco Parking Secrets
• Purchase a r oll of quar ters f or the met ers and keep them in the glo ve
compartment so that y ou can take advantage of an y street spaces you're
lucky enough t o encounter.
• Depending on ho w long y ou plan t o stay in the cit y, you may want t o buy
a $20 or $50 elec tronic card that fits in nearly all SF park ing meters. These
can be pur chased at man y drugstores, hardware stores, some str eetcar sta-
tions, and elsewher e. You can also buy them online at w ww.sfmta.com.
• Between 4 and 6pm, park ing is pr ohibited on major cr osstown roads and
pretty much an ywhere do wntown. Star t cruising the F inancial Distric t,
Union S quare, Nob H ill, or S oMa about 10 minut es bef ore 6pm and get
ready to pounce on the spac e of y our choice.
• Take the first park ing spot that 's within walk ing distance of y our destina-
tion. (And by walking distance I don't mean two doors down; I mean mor e
like 4 blocks .)
• Street parking spaces are usually spoken f or before they ar e actually avail-
able. Watch for people walking toward cars with keys in hand and for brake
lights turning on. Wait for the spac e to open up and take it.
• Pay close att ention t o str eet sig ns. I n some neighborhoods , park ing f or
non-residents (those without a cit y-issued sticker on their bumper) is lim-
ited to 1 or 2 hours .
• If park ing places suddenly seem widely a vailable, check the sig ns. I t may
be street sweeping time. Meter maids parade along the str eet writing $50
tickets just before the sweepers show up. Once the machines have rumbled
by, you can saf ely park.
• Curb your car's wheels when park ing on a hill: turn them t oward the curb
when facing do wnhill and a way fr om the curb when park ing uphill .
Although this w on't actually contribute to your finding a park ing place, it
will help y ou r etain an y that y ou ha ve f ound. I t will also keep y ou fr om
getting a ticket.
• Be g rateful f or park ing garages and use them. Cit
2
y-owned garages ar e
cheaper than privat ely owned ones.
• Sometimes, the old park ing k arma just isn 't w orking. I f valet park ing is
available, take it. I t's worth it t o avoid a headache .
have the right-of-way , as do pedestrians,
whether or not they use intersections and
crosswalks—although if they don't, they're
at risk for a jaywalking ticket or worse. On
Market S treet, one lane is ex clusively for
buses. A void driving on M arket S treet
anyway, because the way the lights ar
timed is infuriating, and y ou can't make a
left turn anywhere.
Parking
Park in a city-o wned garage. They seem
expensive, but not compar ed to the ticket
you're going to get if y ou attempt to par k
e
