Good morning, San Diego!
Starting today in downtown San Diego, parking meter rates in the area near Petco Park are going up to $10 per hour. We break down where the prices will skyrocket and how nearby businesses are reacting.
There will be cooler temperatures to start this short work week, and Max Goldwasser has the microclimate forecasts to prepare you for the possibility of rain and thunderstorms for some parts of San Diego County this week.
Here's the September 2 edition of your morning newsletter:
TOP STORY:
Get ready to pay a lot more for metered parking in downtown San Diego.
After weeks of public warnings, the City of San Diego’s new special event rate takes effect on Tuesday -- with parking prices jumping from $2.50 per hour to $10 per hour during Padres games and other events at Petco Park.
The higher rates will begin two hours prior to an event and remain in effect until about four hours after the event’s scheduled start time. City officials said the rate will only be in effect during Petco Park events with 10,000 people or more.
Per the city, the affected area is within a half mile of Petco Park -- from State Street to 17th Street, between Broadway and Harbor Drive.
Since the change was announced by Mayor Todd Gloria and city leaders, many business owners are worried that the higher rates could lead to fewer customers and frustrated employees.
In response to the concerns, the mayor called on workers to use public transit or find alternative parking options.
Some have called the mayor’s suggestion insulting.
“At the end of the day, you’re hurting the staff, you’re hurting working-class people trying to make a living,” said Bill Murken, the manager of the Cuban Cigar Factory.
Michael Harmon, the manager of Whiskey Girl, added, “They’re trying to make some money, trying to do their job. I don’t know, it just looks like a slap in the face.”
"The city's decision to raise parking meter rates by 700% since last year, reaching $10 per hour before and during events at Petco Park, will make it significantly more expensive for fans, workers, and residents to park on the streets surrounding the ballpark," a Padres spokesman told City News Service earlier this summer.
"The city made this decision without meaningful input from key stakeholders, including the Padres organization. We have not yet received information regarding how the new parking revenue will be reinvested locally but look forward to better understanding the city's plan."
According to the city, revenue from the parking fees will be reinvested into downtown through transportation projects and repairs.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Gaslamp business owners frustrated by high parking rates downtown
- City: Downtown employees should take public transit to avoid special event parking fees
- Gaslamp Quarter Association expresses concerns about $10 per hour parking during special events
- $10 per hour to park downtown: When, where, and why?
- Parking meter hours extended in some parts of city of San Diego
MICROCLIMATE FORECASTS:
Coasts
Inland
Mountains
Deserts
BREAKING OVERNIGHT:
JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AP) — The death toll from a major earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has passed 1,400, a Taliban government spokesman said.
Rescuers were in a race against time on Tuesday to access the mountainous area hit by the powerful 6.0 quake.
A U.N. official has warned of an exponential rise in the number of casualties. The Taliban government has appealed for help.
The quake struck late Sunday in several provinces, flattening villages and trapping people under the rubble of homes that were constructed mostly of mud bricks and wood.
CONSUMER:
The Better Business Bureau is raising the alarm over criminals taking advantage of love to steal your money.
WATCH — Joe Ducey has more information on the rise in romance scams and how you can spot them:
WE FOLLOW THROUGH:
From his hospital bed, 21-year-old Vista resident Leo Peralta described to ABC 10News the sight that sent him running for his life before he was struck by an alleged hit-and-run driver on Aug. 24.
WATCH — Reporter Michael Chen follows through as investigators believe a domestic violence incident ended with two drivers in custody and Peralta with serious injuries:
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