Residential Parking Permit Evaluation Launches

Familiar signs like this show where a residential permit area has two-hour parking limits.

In 1976, when San Francisco established its Residential Permit Parking program, also known as RPP, corduroy suits were in fashion, Charlie’s Angels made its television premiere and Rocky opened at the box office.

In other words, a lot has changed since then.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the permit program. It has evolved little over the last 39 years.

Now, with the help of a federal grant, the SFMTA has the opportunity to do a comprehensive, data-driven evaluation of the program to figure out what’s working and what can be improved.

The evaluation will include data collection and analysis to reveal existing trends; a review of best practices for on-street parking management in residential areas; and robust public engagement, including a citywide survey on residential parking.

Today we presented this project to our Board of Directors, and a full program evaluation, including policy and process recommendations, is slated to be presented to them next fall.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors established the Residential Parking Permit program nearly forty years ago in response to increasing commuter traffic in residential neighborhoods. The program’s goal is to protect residential neighborhoods from the spillover effects of being near major destinations like train stations, employment centers, tourist attractions, hospitals and colleges. To do this, parking time limits were created for non-residents.

The program has grown to encompass 29 permit parking areas covering 25 percent of San Francisco, and the SFMTA recognizes it’s time to update the program to meet the needs of an evolving city.

Here’s just a few things that have changed in San Francisco over the last 39 years:

• The population has increased from roughly 686,000 people to more than 840,000 – all in 47 square miles, making San Francisco the second-most densely populated city in North America after New York City.
• Muni Metro service was inaugurated in 1980 and now includes six lines.
• Vehicle-sharing services like City CarShare and Scoot were invented.
• San Francisco’s weekday commuter population has grown to approximately 1.3 million. 

On top of that, by 2040, San Francisco is projected to add 100,000 new households and 190,000 new jobs.

To learn more about the evaluation of San Francisco’s residential parking program and to sign up for updates, please visit our project page, sfmta.com/neighborhoodparking.