SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Nearly a month after Mayor Todd Gloria announced the expansion of free parking areas at Balboa Park, the city said Thursday that seven parking lots will be available for verified San Diego residents at no charge starting March 2.
According to the city, the following general parking lots (Level 2 and 3) will be available for verified city residents:
- Pepper Grove
- Federal
- Upper Inspiration Point
- Lower Inspiration Point
- Marston Point
- Palisades
- Bea Evenson
City officials noted payment will be required to park in the park’s other five Premium lots; residents verified by the city can pay half the price online to park in the Premium lots.
Click here for an enlarged version of the map
To apply for a free parking permit, City of San Diego residents can register their vehicle license plate at https://sandiego.thepermitportal.com.
Additionally, parking enforcement at Balboa Park will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 6 p.m. and drivers “with a disabled-person license plate or placard may park for free all day at any available spot in the parking lots and on park roads, not only the ones marked in blue for ADA parking.”
City officials said enforcement of the updated parking process will begin the week of March 9 with warnings. Ticketing for violations will begin March 16.
Verifying your residency
Complete information on Balboa Park parking, including how to verify City of San Diego residency, is available at https://www.sandiego.gov/parking/balboapark.
Per the city: “To become verified as a city of San Diego resident, applicants will be required to upload one document proving residency, such as a driver’s license, utility bill, property tax bill or rental agreement.
Residents and nonresidents will need to pay a one-time $5 registration fee, which covers the vendor’s costs to process the applications and is not collected by the City.
Following registration city of San Diego residents will need to select the General, Level 2 and Level 3, free parking pass. Once verified, the account and free pass are valid for three years.
The resident verification process could take up to two business days. This timeline could vary depending on the number of applications received.
Please note that residency verification must be done online in advance and cannot be done at the meter kiosks within the park.
The option to choose a free city resident pass is now available via the parking permit portal – no need to wait until March 2 to apply.
City residents who have previously purchased parking passes do not need to reverify residency. They will need to login and select a free pass, which will be available instantly on their account.”
Anyone who needs in-person guidance on the parking permit registration process can contact the city’s Digital Navigator Program at 800-350-6945.
More info is available on the Digital Navigator Program webpage at https://www.sandiego.gov/digital-navigator-program.
