Parking meters on commercial streetParking meters on a commercial street in San Diego. (File photo courtesy of the city of San Diego)

The San Diego City Council gave the green light Monday for the city’s first paid parking in a portion of Balboa Park, but with a twist: the start date has been pushed back several months.

Officials said the metered parking fees, originally slated to begin Oct. 6, will now roll out in early 2026.

The ordinance, approved after a four-hour public hearing, sets higher fees for nonresidents: $16 a day in central lots and $10 in outer lots, up from Mayor Todd Gloria’s original $12 and $6 proposals. San Diego residents will play $8 in central lots (or $5 for stays under four hours) and $5 in outer lots.

Gloria praised the vote as an important step in strengthening the park’s sustainability.

“Today’s vote was a step toward adopting a paid parking program that will finally deliver on our long-standing goal of creating a dedicated funding source for the park, ensuring it can be self-sufficient and well maintained. Every dollar collected will stay in the park, supporting upkeep and improvements for the more than 13 million people who visit San Diego’s crown jewel each year,” he said in a statement.

Councilmembers Sean Elo-Rivera, Kent Lee, Joe LaCava, Jennifer Campbell, Marni von Wilpert and Henry Foster supported the 6-2 vote. Councilmembers Vivian Moreno and Stephen Whitburn opposed the measure.

“Our city’s crown jewel should not become a place where working families, seniors, or young people have to think twice about whether they can afford to visit,” Whitburn said in a statement.

The delay, along with concessions such as free parking for San Diego High School students and passes for frequent users who play bridge or other activities, will cost the city several million dollars it had counted on to balance its budget and avoid emergency cuts, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The FY 2026 Adopted Budget includes a total of $15.5 million in parking revenue that is expected to be generated from Balboa Park, including $12.5 million in user fee parking revenue in Balboa Park and at least $3 million in revenue that is assumed to come from zoo parking.

Gloria acknowledged the challenges ahead.

“There is still work to be done to realize this vision, as the program approved today falls short of the aggressive revenue assumptions for the program in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget adopted in June – a budget that, as Budget Committee Chair Henry Foster noted tonight, was based on shaky revenue assumptions by Council.

“The stakes of this program are high, given the reliance on the revenues in this fiscal year’s budget. It’s now incumbent on all of us to ensure it delivers so we can avoid steep and painful midyear cuts that will impact neighborhood services throughout the city.” 

The city’s parking kiosks will accept credit cards and coins, but not cash, the Union-Tribune reported. Apps will let Inspiration Point visitors pay a daily fee from their phones if they exceed the three-hour free parking limit.

The new fees will not impact the park’s accessible parking spaces, which remain free for vehicles with placards, nor will they apply on major holidays.

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