Council gets look at peninsula parking plan

Noaki Schwartz

BALBOA PENINSULA -- Come next year, you might want to check how

much time you’ve got on your parking meter.

The City Council on Monday got a close look at the long-awaited Balboa

Peninsula Parking Management Plan and likely will take a vote on it in

November.

The plan, a result of numerous community workshops, included 16

different options to deal with parking problems on the peninsula. At

those workshops it was decided that the city needed to tackle a number of

traffic-related issues, including: giving priority for residential

parking, improving signage, reducing traffic congestion and redesigning

current parking.

Among those options is modifying meter-time limits, creating visitor

parking guides, implementing bus service, chalk-marking tires and

improving red curb and intersection visibility.

About 35 residents and business owners attended the study session, far

more than is typical.

“I’m glad to see we’ve got some specific recommendations to give

priority to,” said Sharon Wood, assistant city manager.

Other options include increasing meter fees and developing a pier lot

validation program.

The plan, with specific cost estimates, should go before the council

for an official vote in early November, said associate planner Daniel

Trimble.

“I think the council is pretty much ready to move on these issues,”

Trimble said.