The city of San Francisco has launched its storied SFPark program. They a limiting it to certain areas to start and will then expand to most of the city. It is complete with variable rates, in street sensors, credit card meters, and an app to let people know where there is available space.
It's getting a lot of press in the bay area, and rightly so. It will take a lot of publicity and marketing to help in the birthing of this project. It sounds like they are on track. We will be watching it carefully and then go take a look in a month or so to see how they are doing. (I'll do anything to get a trip to Baghdad by the Bay).
This is a Shoupista wet dream. They are taking Shoup's theories right from the book -- at least the market based on street rate rates and the concept of keeping on space open on each block fact part- and is using the most cutting edge technology to make it happen. Rates will be adjusted to keep that space open, block by block.
I really hope this works – it will be a tremendous shot in the arm to the parking industry, and show many cities the way to parking sanity.
Yes it was initially paid for by stimulus money. I hope they have determined a way to keep it funded. Of course parking fees should go for it, but like most cities the parking fees and citation revenue goes into other mysterious funds, like transportation for buses and trains, and the infamous general fund.
JVH
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