To: Ed Lee, Mayor, Ed Reiskin, Director of Transportation, SFMTA, Roberta Boomer, Secretary to the SFMTA Board, and SFMTA Board of Directors, Board Members
Leave Sunday Parking Meter Enforcement Alone
Please do not let silly politics stand in the way of smart policy and of doing what is right. Sunday afternoon parking meter enforcement provides benefits to our health, our economy, and our transportation system and should be left alone.
According to the SFMTA's own report, Sunday parking meter enforcement has cut down on the amount of time spent circling the block, looking for a parking space from four to just two minutes.
In South of Market, where air pollution levels are high, our health will be worse off if Sunday parking meters are no longer enforced and traffic congestion increases. The World Health Organization told us in March 2014 that air pollution contributed to the premature deaths of over 7 million people in the year 2012. Enforcing parking meters on Sunday is a small, but measurable mitigation towards helping our children develop healthy respiratory systems by reducing the poisons in our air.
Please leave Sunday Parking Meter Enforcement Alone.
Why is this important?
Air pollution caused by traffic congestion contributes to asthma attacks, especially for kids, increases the probability of cancer, increases the probability of heart disease, and increases the probability of premature death. The World Health Organization categorizes air pollution, including that from cars, as a carcinogen just like cigarette smoke.
Parking meter enforcement on Sundays is proven to reduce traffic congestion because drivers are spending only 2 minutes circling, looking for parking instead of 4 minutes or more when Sunday meters were not enforced.
See: http://sf.streetsblog.org/2014/04/01/reiskin-lets-keep-sunday-parking-meters-but-not-enforce-them/
http://sf.streetsblog.org/2014/01/16/mayor-lees-spineless-sunday-meter-reversal-bad-for-business-bad-for-sf/