San Francisco should charge for on-street parking city-wide. We could encourage transit ridership by funding transit improvements and making drivers, not the general public, bear the cost of parking. This could generate $250 million per year or more for transit.*

There are roughly 250,000 non-metered on-street parking spots in San Francisco. Most of them are free to use, while those covered by the Residential Parking Permit program cost residents less than $12 per month. Providing low- and no-cost parking is a subsidy to drivers, encouraging car use and discouraging transit ridership. It's also an equity issue, since car owners are older and wealthier than non-drivers.

*Assuming a $1.50/hour, 8 hours/day, and 30% occupancy