BALBOA PARK (KGTV) — A new initiative launched Saturday aims to repeal paid parking at Balboa Park, an issue that has sparked push back, vandalism to kiosks and a drop in museum visitors and vendors since fees were implemented in early January.
Petitioners began gathering signatures after a press conference at the Organ Pavilion announcing the plan to overturn the paid parking program.
"This initiative repeals the parking fees here at Balboa Park at all lots for all visitors," Richard Bailey, the former mayor of Coronado said.
Paid parking was implemented in January for all city and county residents. In March, the city pulled back, allowing city residents to park for free in certain lots.
"It's important to recognize that about half of the people who volunteer work at, and visit our museums are not residents of the city and our county of San Diego residents. They're getting no break whatsoever," Diana Hyatt said.
Bailey, the initiative's leader and a former Coronado mayor who is also running for city council, said the campaign has two potential paths but can only choose one. The Balboa Park Free Parking Restoration Act has three months to gather signatures. If they reach 80,000 signatures, the issue would go before voters on the November ballot.
"If we collect just 24,000 signatures over the next three months, we can go ahead and submit that to the city of San Diego and they are required for their charter to go ahead and rehear this item," Bailey said.
"The upside of submit to the city and having the city council take action on this themselves is that it affects change almost immediately," Bailey said.
Supporters argue the push comes as paid parking is already negatively impacting the park. Hyatt, president of the board of directors for the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, said museums are losing both visitors and volunteers.
"Our revenue and emissions are down, you know, 30 to 40% ever since January 5th when the instituted paid parking," Hyatt said.
"A lot of our, um, elderly volunteers have already told us they won't be coming nearly as often, if at all," Hyatt said.
If something isn't done soon, museum leaders warn they will suffer more.
"We won't be able to to sustain this. You know, we have some money put away, but that's not going to be enough. I mean, you're just limping something along that's, that's dying," Hyatt said.
We reached out to the city for comment and will provide updates when we hear back.
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