Parking passes for Balboa Park are available Friday through an online portal before the city of San Diego begins charging the public to park in the city’s centerpiece on Monday.
The passes are discounted to San Diego residents who verify said residence through the portal, https://sandiego.thepermitportal.com/. Verifying your address could take up to two business days, so the city on Friday encourages residents to apply now.
The San Diego City Council voted last year to begin charging for vehicle parking in surface lots and along streets within the park as part of an effort to erase a budget deficit. It goes into effect Monday for all lots but the San Diego Zoo’s lot, which will run its own parking program.
Besides annual and monthly passes, park-goers can also purchase daily and hourly passes for their vehicles. Kiosks in the park do not have the ability to verify San Diego residence for a discount, but the city said its vendor is working to fix that.
Parking revenues must be reinvested in the park because of both state and local law, with eligible expenses including park operations and maintenance.
Balboa Park parking lot rates
The cost of each lot varies depending on how close it is located to the center of the park. The rates going into effect Monday are:
Level 1 lots: Space Theater, Casa de Balboa, Alcazar, Organ Pavilion, Bea Evenson, Palisades and South Carousel, $16 per day and $10 for up to 4 hours for non-residents and $8 per day and $5 for up to 4 hours for residents;
Level 2 lots: Pepper Grove, Federal, Upper Inspiration Point and Marston Point, $10 per day for non-residents and $5 per day for residents; and
Level 3 lot: Lower Inspiration Point, $10 per day with the first 3 hours free for non-residents and $5 per day with the first 3 hours free for residents.
According to the city, one pass is needed per vehicle. The passes are virtual, there will be no physical placards or tags and passes will be verified via license plate information.
The city is in the process of installing meters on roads in the park — including Balboa Drive, El Prado, Juniper Road, Presidents Way, Quince Drive and Village Place — and around the park on 6th Avenue and Park Boulevard. Those rates will be $2.50 per hour with a maximum of $10 per day. Annual and monthly parking passes apply to the meters inside the park, but not to those outside.
Hours of enforcement will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Additionally, those with a disabled Person license plate or placard will still be able to park for free in and near Balboa Park in blue ADA parking spaces marked.
Starting Monday, the city will expand its in-park tram service from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for anyone to use, and a free on-call shuttle will be available for park employees and volunteers before and after regular tram operation times.