Survival Guide - San Francisco and Northern California - page 280

Driving in San Francisco
Congestion, a shortage of parking areas (and their high
prices), and strictly enforced parking laws discourage
many visitors from driving in San Francisco. Speed limits
vary, but the maximum is 35 mph (56 km/h) within the
city. Many streets are one-way, with traffic lights at most
corners in the city center.

paid. If your car has been
towed away, call the Police
Department Towed Vehicle
Information line. You'll need
to go either to the city's
Department of Parking and
Transportation or to Auto
Return , depending on whether
a private towing company or
the municipal towing service
has towed your car. Expect to
pay a towing and storage fee.
For rental cars, you'll need to
show the contract before the
car will be released. Cars taken
to the city lot face an additional
parking ticket.

and “Yield” signs are yellow
and black. “One Way” signs are
black and white. If there is no
oncoming traffic, drivers may
turn right at a red light.
Otherwise, red lights mean
stop and amber lights mean
proceed with caution.

Car Rental
You must be at least 25
years old with a valid driving
license (a US or International
Driver's License is best) to rent
a car. All agencies require a
major credit card or a large
cash deposit. Damage and
liability insurance is
recommended. Always return
the car with a full tank of gas to
avoid the inflated gas prices
charged by the rental agency.
Many agencies now offer the
option of pre-paying for a tank
of gas at lower-than-average
gas prices, which is well worth
doing if you know you'll use
at least a tank of gas. It is less
expensive to rent a car at the
airport: rental taxes are $2
a day more in the city.

Driving Outside
the City
No toll payment is required to
leave the city via either the Bay
Bridge or the Golden Gate Bridge,
but you will need to pay coming
back in. Speed limits on highways
in and out of San Francisco are
55 mph to 70 mph (88km/h to
112km/h). During rush hour, cars
with three or more occupants
can use the carpool lane,
avoiding both traffic and tolls.
Further east, north, and south,
only two occupants are needed.
It is legal to drive in the carpool
lane when it's not rush hour, but
not to avoid the bridge tolls.
Those caught using the car pool
lane illegally face steep fines.

Parking
Parking meters operate 8am
to 6pm Monday to Saturday,
except on national holidays,
when parking is free. Most
meters have short time limits,
usually of 1 hour. City center
parking garages cost $15 to
$30 a day, and most accept
cash or credit cards.
Curbs are color coded: red
means stopping is prohibited;
yellow is loading zones; green
allows 10 minutes' parking,
while white permits 5 minutes
during business hours. Blue
curbs are reserved for the
disabled. Some parking spaces
are tow-away zones: check
signs for information. By law
you must curb your wheels
when parking on steep hills.
Turn wheels into the road
when facing uphill and toward
the curb when facing downhill.

Traffic Signs
Colorful signs and symbols
point the way to the main
tourist areas, such as
Chinatown (a lantern);
Fisherman's Wharf (a crab);
North Beach (outline of Italy).
“Stop” and “Do Not Enter” signs
are red and white. “Caution”

DIRECTORY
Car Rental Agencies
Avis
Te l (1) [phone].
∑ avis.com
Hertz
Te l (1) [phone].
∑ hertz.com
Useful Numbers
Auto Return
450 7th St.
Map 11 B2.
Te l 621-8605.
Department of Parking
and Transportation
Te l 553-1631.
Police Department Towed
Vehicle Information
Te l 553-1235.

Penalties
If you park your car at an out-of-
order meter, expect to get a
parking ticket. Blocking bus
stops, fire hydrants, driveways,
garages, and wheelchair ramps
will also incur a fine, as will
running a red light. For details of
traffic regulations, contact the
Department of Parking and
Transportation . If you receive a
ticket, you are expected to pay
the fine or appear in court. After
five parking tickets, a “Denver
Boot” may be clamped to the
wheel, immobilizing the car. This
is removed when the fines are

Driving across the city's landmark, the
Golden Gate Bridge (see pp64-7)