San Francisco Parking

San Francisco Parking Guide

About San Francisco San Francisco is the most densely settled large city in the state of California and the second-most densely populated major city in the United States after New York City. It is officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the leading financial and cultural center of Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area.

San Francisco is one of the top tourist destinations in the world, and is renowned for its cool summers, fog, steep rolling hills, eclectic mix of architecture, and landmarks. Tourism, the city's largest private-sector employer, is the backbone of the San Francisco economy.

Parking in San Francisco The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) manages transportation in San Francisco, California, including the San Francisco Municipal Railway transit system, bicycles, pedestrians, taxis, parking and traffic. SFMTA operates public garages; manages on-street parking through meters, color curbs, various permits; and sells parking meter cards. SFMTA also enforces parking regulations through the Enforcement Division. The Parking Authority strives to provide clean, safe and convenient parking at reasonable rates.

The state-of-the-art meters in San Francisco are easy to use and allow drivers to pay with coins, credit/debit cards, and SFMTA parking cards. The meters include single space and multi space meters to monitor approximately 24,000 spaces. These meters use a quartz timer to keep accurate time; they accept nickel, dimes, quarters, the small dollar coin and prepaid cards as payment.

If a meter is broken you are allowed to park at that meter for the posted time limit. To report broken meters, call 415.920.4090.

Residential parking permit (RPP)program us designed to promote the safety, health and welfare of all San Francisco residents by reducing unnecessary personal motor vehicle travel, noise and pollution, and by promoting improvements in air quality, convenience and attractiveness of urban residential living, and increased use of public mass transit. Parking Permits are issued to a license plate number and may only be used with that plate.

The SFMTA manages 20 public parking garages across San Francisco. Of these, 14 are part of the SFpark project. To attract drivers and to ensure the availability of spaces, rates at these SFpark garages vary by the time of day and are adjusted quarterly in response to demand.

One may choose to park in a garage if the parking requirement is for more than just an hour or two. Parking Garages are highly suitable for both short and long term parking requirements. Since it is a tourist place, it is better to reserve the parking space in advance when you plan your trip to San Francisco. Best Parking helps you choose the best suitable parking facility for off street parking via an interactive map. Most garages are suitable options for economical long term parking.