Free parking on Sunday afternoons in Oakland is set to disappear starting in the new year.
The city announced on Monday that it will start charging people to park from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays.
“We’d like to keep these spaces turning over. They’re not really meant to sit and park all day,” said Josh Rowan.
MORE: San Francisco approves plan to start charging for parking at Golden Gate Park
Rowan is Oakland’s Director of Transportation. He says by charging for parking, local leaders believe they’ll increase the flow of traffic, allowing more people to visit nearby businesses.
It’ll also help Oakland raise funds for its projected $40 million budget deficit.
The city says the new parking rules will raise about $1.3 million annually, but people on the streets that we spoke with still say they aren’t happy about it.
“I wouldn’t like it because we already pay enough,” said Sandra Barfield, lifelong Oakland resident.
Barfield tells us that she would like to see the city explore alternative ways to raise revenue.
An opinion shared by people like Goldie Dailey. Dailey says Sunday is her day to run errands, but worries she won’t be able to go out as much if she now has to pay to park.
“As a senior and on a fixed income, it’s a big deal,” she said.
MORE: Oakland passes $4.2 billion ‘back to basics’ budget, erasing record deficit
Others are more accepting of the change.
Charles Franklin says he doesn’t mind paying a little money if it’s used to help living conditions in the city.
“Problems with the roads. Problems with the people who are unhoused. If we all can chip in a little, we can maybe start solving some of those problems,” said Franklin.
In addition to the new Sunday rules, Oakland says it’s been stepping up enforcement of current parking regulations.
And Rowan says his department remains flexible.
“We monitor these situations. We believe there will be improvements. If it doesn’t pan out the way that we anticipate, we’ll certainly address it as appropriate,” he said.
There will be a 30-day grace period for drivers once the new charges begin next month.
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