Excelsior - Residential Parking Expansion

Project Background
Managing on-street parking was driven by interest from neighbors and community conversations. In 2010, over 200 residents of the Excelsior gathered to discuss parking issues and possible solutions. In 2012, residents conducted field research on neighborhood streets to measure the amount of curbside parking. Starting in 2017, in partnership with District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safai, SFMTA’s Parking and Curb Management team collected and mapped data to show where parking was most difficult. We conducted neighborhood surveys to better understand the nature and causes of parking issues.  

• In mid-2017, at the request of Supervisor Safai, SFMTA staff conducted a study to determine the feasibility of converting parking on some neighborhood streets from parallel to perpendicular. A review by SFMTA staff and the San Francisco Fire Department found that the streets of Excelsior and Mission Terrace are too narrow to accommodate angled or perpendicular parking. [see Related Documents and Reports]
• At the request of Supervisor Safai, SFMTA staff conducted research on vehicle ownership and the feasibility of extending Residential Permit Parking in District 11.  Based on data from the U.S. Census, 18% of Excelsior households have three or more vehicles, compared to 7% citywide.  [See Related Documents and Reports]
• On November 8, 2018, Supervisor Safai hosted a Parking Town Hall for all District 11 residents.  At the Town Hall, SFMTA staff presented findings from their research as well as three alternative approaches to implementing RPP in the Excelsior and Mission Terrace neighborhoods.  Residents were asked to “vote” for their preferred approach to RPP. About half voted for no RPP and the other half voted to have RPP throughout the Excelsior and Mission Terrace neighborhoods. [See Related Documents and Reports].
• Based on the outcome of the November 8th Parking Townhall, SFMTA staff developed a survey to be distributed to all households in the Excelsior and Mission Terrace/Cayuga neighborhoods.   
• The D11 Parking Survey was mailed to 8,962 households in the Excelsior and Mission Terrace /Cayuga Parking neighborhoods in March 2019. The purpose of the survey was to gather information about the nature and cause of neighborhood parking issues and to provide an opportunity for residents to voice their opinion about Residential Permit Parking.  The survey was available in four languages: English, Spanish, Chinese and Filipino.  In all, 1,879 households completed the surveys for a response rate of 21%.  Of these, 150, or 8%, were completed in a language other than English.  

During the required petition gathering process, only two non-contiguous blocks approved of RPP, while no other blocks in the neighborhood had sufficient approval. Then the COVID pandemic hit, which scrambled traffic and parking patterns, and reassigned city staff to other priorities. As a result, the project was put on hold. 

Current Proposed RPP Area 
In 2025, community members re-initiated the effort to expand RPP to address ongoing concerns for available on-street parking. These community members proposed the following boundaries for expanding Area V in the Excelsior: 

Petition Process

• Resident petition: Applicants must collect signatures for a minimum of 50% of the legal residential units on each block. Please note, if you live on a metered block, the meters will not be converted to RPP. However, addresses on these blocks may still be included in the program, allowing residents to apply for permits and park on nearby RPP blocks.
• The proposed boundary must be contiguous and based on the blocks that reach the 50% minimum of residential units in favor of RPP.  
• Residents of the proposed area can complete the petition here today or scan the QR code here.  
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• In past RPP Area projects, resident groups have attended events or done door-to-door to collect the required signatures for an RPP request.
• The SFMTA will also send mailers to each resident with an electronic link to the petition. 

Approval Process for the RPP Area

• Parking occupancy survey: The SFMTA will conduct a parking occupancy study to confirm that the area meets the required threshold, where more than 80% of available spaces are occupied.  
• Board Approval: Once the petition and occupancy survey are complete, the SFMTA Board of Directors must approve the new or extended zone.
• Permits and parking restrictions: If a contiguous zone to expand Area V meets these requirements, the zone would maintain the existing maximum of four active annual residential permits per single household. If the community seeks to collect signatures for a new RPP Area, it would have one permit per driver and a total of up to two permits per household. Typical RPP restrictions are in effect on un-metered blocks Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM, but SFMTA will work with the community to understand their preferences to establish their desired regulations.