San Francisco becomes first U.S. city to introduce on-demand pricing system to all parking meters

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- San Francisco will become the first U.S. city to sharply raise parking fees next year as its transportation authorities are considering a plan to expand an on-demand pricing system to all the city's parking meters.

Under the proposed program, each of the city's 30,200 meters would be subject to hourly rates that vary depending on demand, with the charges fluctuating block by block and by time of day, media reports said Wednesday.

The new pricing scheme, which could cause a surge in parking fees across the city, was designed to ensure that one or two spaces per block are always available, according to an official of San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency.

The city's plan aims to increase the availability of coveted city parking spaces, particularly in areas where demand is high. It prevents people who are unwilling to pay higher rates from occupying a parking space for an unnecessary long time or force them to park farther away.

The demand-based parking rate has already been put in place in about 7,000 metered parking spaces in the city, but it will be the first time for San Francisco to expand the practice to all parking meters on a citywide scale.

San Francisco has long been plagued with an extreme scarcity in available parking spaces in its downtown areas or business centers.

It's common for a driver to take up half an hour or more to find an available parking space around an office building that is within just a few minutes' walking distance. Enditem