MTA to enforce meters on Sunday

The SF Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) is getting ready to roll out a 90-day trial program that would enforce parking meters in the Inner Richmond District on Sundays.

According to MTA Chief Financial Officer Sonali Bose, the motivation for the Sunday meter charges is to speed up the Muni #2 Clement bus. She said up to one-third of the vehicles on Clement Street trying to park are drivers looking for a parking space. If there were more spaces to park in, there would be less traffic slowing down the bus, she said, as well as more opportunities for merchants' customers to be able to reach them.

Bose made her comments at a meeting with the Planning Association for the Richmond April 21. Joining her to make the presentation was MTA Director Bond Yee.

Not everyone at the meeting supported the proposal to expand meter hours.

"To tell us (Sunday meter charges) is to move the #2 Clement bus faster is ludicrous," said PAR member Maria Souza.

The meter plan will be enforced from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., from June 1 to Aug. 31. After that time, the department would evaluate its data to determine if the plan was a success. If it is, there would be more meetings in the Richmond before moving forward with a permanent Sunday meter charge.

According to Yee, the public will have an opportunity to veto the plan if they do not want it after the pilot program evaluations are completed.