The preferential residential parking system was established in 1976 to preserve neighborhood living within a major urban center. It is designed to promote the safety, health and welfare of all San Francisco residents by reducing unnecessary personal motor vehicle travel, noise and pollution, and by promoting improvements in air quality, convenience and attractiveness of urban residential living, and increased use of public mass transit. The program’s main goal is to provide more parking spaces for residents by discouraging long-term parking by people who do not live in the area.  There are now 27 residential permit areas in the City.