Parking meters won't matter from Nov. 30 to Jan. 1, as the city again allows free two-hour parking in commercial corridors for the holiday shopping season.
San Diego, California – Beginning in September, parking in downtown San Diego will cost significantly more during major events at Petco Park, with rates for certain meters reaching $10 per hour. The change, announced by city officials, applies to parking meters within what they describe as a half-mile radius of the stadium — though the exact boundaries have become a point of contention.
Residents at the edge of the designated “Special Event Zone” argue the map overreaches. Some say they live closer to a mile from Petco Park yet are still included in the higher-rate zone. “The bigger issue is they said it’s within a half mile of Petco Park, and we are further than a half mile but included in the increased rate,” said Kristine Kappel, who lives in the Marina District. “It’s not right for us, it’s not right for residents.”
The higher rates will take effect two hours before a stadium event and remain in place for four hours after it begins. For a standard 6:40 p.m. Padres game, that means $10-per-hour parking from 4:40 p.m. until 10:40 p.m. City officials have also set six-hour limits for parking meters during those periods.
According to a city representative, the boundaries were drawn to avoid confusion that could result from charging different rates on the same block. State law does not restrict the size of the special event zone, allowing the city flexibility in defining its borders. Funds collected will go back into the city budget, while vehicles with disabled placards or plates will continue to park for free.
The special event designation applies to gatherings of more than 10,000 people, which in September includes 14 Padres home games, two sold-out Savannah Bananas baseball games, and a Chris Brown concert. New parking signs are already being installed in the affected areas, which span from south of Broadway to north of Harbor Drive, west of Interstate 5, and east of State Street.
For some residents, the change means adjusting daily routines. “Now with the new rates, we’re gonna have to pay attention to when are the Padres games, when are the concerts,” Kappel said. “I have to schedule my life around when these games are and when I can have people come over.”
The city has encouraged visitors to consider public transportation to avoid the steep parking fees, noting that event nights will now bring not only larger crowds but a more expensive curbside experience.
