Balboa Park Parking Plan Backfires Spectacularly

San Diegans Fuming Over New Balboa Park Parking Fees

If you've visited Balboa Park lately, you've probably noticed two things: plenty of empty parking spaces and a lot of very angry people.

After more than a century of free parking, San Diego has officially started charging visitors to park at the city's beloved cultural hub. The result? Museum attendance dropped 20 percent almost immediately, vandals attacked the new pay kiosks with spray foam, green paint, and yes, even feces, and mayors from across the county are demanding the city reverse course.

Parking now costs between $2.50 per hour on streets up to $16 per day in the closest lots. City residents can get discounted rates, but only after navigating a clunky online registration system that many found confusing and frustrating.

The backlash was swift. Free Tuesday attendance hit its lowest numbers in a decade. Senior volunteers at the Model Railroad Museum now have to haul their equipment from distant lots. Museum directors warn that declining visitor revenue could create a "death spiral" that far outweighs whatever parking fees generate.

Mayor Todd Gloria defended the fees as necessary to address the city's roughly $300 million budget gap, calling Balboa Park the city's "crown jewel" that needs stable funding. Originally projected to bring in $15 million, current estimates have plummeted to about $2.9 million.

Council members who initially supported the plan are now calling for suspensions or outright repeal. One urban planning professor noted that charging for parking is standard practice elsewhere, but acknowledged his neighbors literally walk away when he defends the policy.

The three-hour free parking at Lower Inspiration Point remains available. For everyone else, the honeymoon with Balboa Park just got a lot more expensive.

Sources: NBC San Diego | KPBS | Times of San Diego | City of San Diego