Mayors from neighboring cities urge San Diego to roll back Balboa Park paid parking
Opposition to paid parking at Balboa Park is growing, with mayors from neighboring cities now calling on San Diego to repeal the policy as political pressure mounts across the region.
Over the past week, San Diego City Hall has faced repeated calls to change or eliminate paid parking at the park. Now, those concerns are being echoed by leaders from surrounding cities who say the policy impacts residents well beyond San Diego.
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Volunteers at Balboa Park say parking fees are already a frequent topic of conversation.
“A lot of folks will come in to the visitor center, and that’s the first thing they’re starting to talk about,” one volunteer said.
Chula Vista Mayor John McCann joined San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones, El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells and La Mesa City Councilmember Laura Lothian in opposing the policy, saying Balboa Park serves the entire region.
“Balboa Park is a regional asset, and many of our local residents, especially lower income families, have been hit tremendously by the cost of living,” McCann said. “I have been opposed to this from the start.”
According to San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s office, 1,754 parking passes had been issued as of Sunday. Of those, 1,628 went to San Diego residents, who receive a 50% discount on the passes.
McCann said some residents now feel discouraged from visiting the park.
“Many of my residents feel like they’re tourists now, and they are not going to participate in being a volunteer or going to the park if they have to pay such a exorbitant fee,” he said.
San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who represents the area that includes Balboa Park, is calling for a full repeal of paid parking. Councilmembers Sean Elo-Rivera and Kent Lee are instead pushing to pause charging city residents while issues with the rollout are addressed.
Gloria defended the policy in a statement Monday, saying, “The proposal discussed today would dismantle the city’s progress in creating a direct funding stream for Balboa Park’s operations and improvements … We understand this is a major change, but it is a necessary one.”
Balboa Park volunteer Shelly Long said she worries paid parking could keep visitors away.
“I love Balboa Park, and I hope we don’t lose visitors,” Long said.
The mayor’s office confirmed the revenue generated from paid parking is required to be reinvested back into Balboa Park for maintenance and infrastructure.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.
