Leaders of Balboa Park museums and other organizations are calling on San Diego officials to immediately eliminate parking fees because of a sharp decline in park visits since the fees began Jan. 5. They say declines in park visits, which range from 20% to more than 50% depending on specific day and attraction, could reduce overall annual revenue between $20 million and $30 million. “The volume, consistency and intensity of public feedback have made clear that this program is causing significant harm to park access, public trust and the sustainability of Balboa Park’s cultural institutions,” the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership said in a Wednesday letter to city officials. The partnership, an umbrella group for organizations within the park, said in the letter to Mayor Todd Gloria and the City Council that paid parking could force institutions to lay off workers and reduce exhibitions. “The paid parking program is eroding public trust, limiting access and destabilizing the very institutions that bring the park to life,” the letter says. “The reduction in attendance is not just a downward spiral – it is a potential death spiral where declining earned revenue drives reduced programming and further suppresses visitation, destabilizing already fragile operating budgets.” The partnership said the attendance and revenue numbers are based on direct comparisons to the same period in January 2025. But they declined to provide specific comparison data for individual organizations. They said paid parking is creating a financial barrier for seniors, students and low-income residents. People are canceling memberships in park organizations and citing the new fees as the primary reason, they said. The partnership is also raising safety concerns. While the city is allowing park workers and volunteers to park for free, they are required to park in lots roughly half a mile from the park’s center. The partnership has created a new website, savebalboapark.org, and is encouraging opponents of paid parking to post there, urging city leaders to reconsider the fees. The partnership contends their financial losses will be larger than the revenue the city is projected to get from the parking fees. They say the estimate of $20 million to $30 million is based on across-the-board attendance drops of 20%. City officials have estimated annual parking revenue in the park at about $15 million. But the partnership said it has doubts the city will get that much revenue. “Early revenue figures indicate that the paid parking program is generating only a small fraction of what was originally projected,” the partnership says in its letter. The partnership doesn’t provide specific numbers to back up those claims. The partnership said the city should search for other ways to solve its budget problems. “We respectfully urge the city to reconsider the paid parking program and to pursue alternative budget solutions that do not compromise equity, access or the long term vitality of Balboa Park,” the letter said. San Diego Councilmembers Kent Lee and Sean Elo-Rivera sent the mayor a memo earlier this month calling implementation of paid parking “haphazard” and “not ready for prime time.” Lee and Elo-Rivera said the process for city residents to get approved for discounts was so complex, cumbersome and confusing that Gloria should waive fees for residents until they have had time to adapt and learn. Gloria defended the rollout. But city officials said they would delay any citations for about a month from the Jan. 5 start date. The complicated way city residents must apply for discounts has been a controversial topic. City residents must apply for discounts online, pay $5 to have their residency verified, wait two days for that verification and choose the day they will visit in advance. The paid parking system the city is launching is complex and features varying fees and discounts. To park in the most centrally located lots — Space Theater, Casa de Balboa, Alcazar, Organ Pavilion, Bea Evenson, Palisades and South Carousel — the nonresident fees are $16 per day and $10 for up to 4 hours. In Level 2 lots a bit farther away — Pepper Grove, Federal, Upper Inspiration Point and Marston Point — the fee is $10 per day for nonresidents. Parking at Lower Inspiration Point is free for the first three hours and $10 per day after that. The dividing line between upper and lower Inspiration Point is President’s Way. Residents get 50% off all parking fees. Frequent-user discounts are also available on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. ...read more read less