November 2022: Vote Yes on Prop N to Improve Parking Oversight in Golden Gate Park

Prop N would dissolve the Golden Gate Park Concourse Authority and transfer responsibility for the underground parking garage to the SF Recreation and Parks Department. This is a good plan because the Concourse Authority has served its purpose. By dissolving the Concourse Authority, this change would allow the City and the neighboring museums to better serve Golden Gate Park visitors who need to drive, while alleviating demand for on-street parking that creates heavy car traffic in the park.

The Golden Gate Park Revitalization Act of 1998 (Prop J) created the Golden Gate Park Concourse Authority, a non-profit public benefit corporation, to build and operate the underground parking garage. Although the garage was to be built with philanthropic donations, those charitable dollars did not cover the full cost and bonds were also issued to pay for some of the cost. The Concourse Authority pays both garage operating costs and debt obligations with garage revenues. About $25 million in debt remains, and the City would assume this debt and any other liabilities.

The 1998 proposition stipulates that no City funds may be used to pay for garage operations or debt obligations. And the Concourse Authority sets parking rates based only on the cost of operating the garage and paying back the debt. As a result, the garage cannot offer discounted or subsidized parking for low-income visitors and visitors with disabilities, despite widespread support for utilizing this existing parking to make the park more accessible and reduce traffic congestion.

We agree that the City can and should do more to make existing parking infrastructure more accessible to a wide range of visitors. Taking control of the garage is the first step to many accessibility improvements.

Prop N makes smart environmental and good government sense. We urge you to support Prop N.