More than 5,000 repairs made since parking meter fees reformed in October

City News Service
Posted

SAN DIEGO (CNS) — Since city leaders reallocated $1.8 million in community parking district program funds in October, San Diego city crews have completed more than 5,000 neighborhood repairs funded by meter fees, it was announced Thursday.

Since the Oct. 27, 2025, City Council vote, crews have patched more than 3,000 potholes, turned on nearly 2,000 streetlights, implemented traffic safety upgrades at over 80 locations, fixed "some of the worst sidewalks" in Downtown and Uptown, and paved a popular corridor for downtown visitors and residents, according to the city.

"When San Diegans pay into parking meters, they should see that money come back to their communities," said Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera, who represents District 9, which includes Mid-City. "These repairs are exactly the kind of practical, neighborhood-level investment residents deserve -- safer crossings, smoother streets, repaired sidewalks and working streetlights. I was proud to support this effort because making San Diego work for San Diegans means putting public dollars toward the needs people feel every day."

The rearranging of funds from four community parking district areas -- Downtown, Mid-City, Pacific Beach and Uptown -- came about as part of a larger parking reform package passed by the City Council in June. Before the change, money collected in parking districts was tied up in other costs, and only around 30% could be spent on infrastructure repairs.

An internal review by the transportation department last year found several issues with how funds have been managed and documented. In fiscal year 2025, the share of revenues available for CPD organizations was $3.3 million, but CPDs were only able to expend around $1 million.

In April 2025, the San Diego County Grand Jury released a report calling on the city to disband the CPDs, noting that they do not meet the transparency requirements of their agreements with the city and "spend a significant percentage of allotted revenues on administrative costs and create unnecessary layers of bureaucracy," among other findings.

The council action freed up the money to complete some badly needed repairs by waiving the CPD programs for the next two fiscal years.

"Residents in District 3 expect safe, well-lit streets and this program is delivering," said Councilman Stephen Whitburn, who represents Council District 3, which includes Downtown. "By reinvesting parking meter revenue back into much needed street repairs, we're fixing potholes, restoring streetlights, improving sidewalks and making targeted safety upgrades. It's a smart, accountable approach, and I'm proud to support it."

Total repairs since October include:

Downtown: 936 street lights repaired and 572 potholes repaired
Mid-City: 580 street lights repaired and 1,992 potholes repaired
Pacific Beach: 124 street lights repaired and 158 potholes repaired
Uptown: 342 street lights repaired and 584 potholes repaired

Parking meter revenue also paid for the following traffic safety improvements at 81 locations in Downtown, Mid-City and Uptown:

35,379 linear feet of crosswalks installed or refreshed
253 pavement legends to safely guide drivers
197 traffic signs installed or replaced
12,600 linear feet of red curb painted to comply with California's daylighting law
2,134 linear feet of traffic striping

"Feeding parking meters is feeding neighborhood repairs," said Naomi Chavez, interim director of the city's Transportation Department. "The money going into meters is being invested in thousands of repairs and safety improvements in our busiest neighborhoods. We're making good on our promise to deliver real results in the same communities where the funding is collected."

By law, parking meter revenue must be spent within the zones where it is collected and only on transportation-related uses. More than $700,000 of the freed-up cash was allocated toward the Downtown CPD, $734,000 for Uptown, $325,000 for Mid-City and $50,000 for Pacific Beach.

To make requests for infrastructure repairs, both inside and outside of parking district areas, residents are encouraged to use Get it Done, www.sandiego.gov/get-it-done.