SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- A curbside parking space in San Francisco can be a very valuable commodity, and city transportation officials plan to capitalize on one of the city’s most famous problems.
Pretty soon, how much you have to feed the meter will depend on how many other people are interested in your parking spot at the time. The Municipal Transportation Agency is expected to authorize a pilot program on Tuesday that will test a demand-based pricing system.
KCBS' Barbara Taylor reports
Underground sensors that gauge how many cars are cruising for nearby spaces will relay information to the demand-based meter to up the ante, or offer a discount.
Initially, meters will be adjusted every few weeks to accommodate seasonal changes and the ebb and flow during the course of any given day.
Some parking will undoubtedly become cheaper, but the spots most people want will wind up costing more. The silver lining, if there is one, comes in the form of a new consumer comfort.
“They’ll take credit cards,” said a spokesman for the Municipal Transportation Agency, Judson True.
Barring any major complications, True said the first demand-based parking meters should be operational in the spring.
(jro)
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