SF Merchants Concerned About Sunday Parking Meter Enforcement

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— Merchants in San Francisco are not happy for the most part that parking meters are going to be enforced citywide starting Sunday, January 6th. They're concerned the new policy will ruin or at least slow what little business some of them now get on Sundays.

Sunday enforcement has been the rule at Fisherman's Wharf, but now it spreads throughout the city. Some merchants said it will be hard on them with customers not having as much time as they need to spend in their stores.

Bruno Porcini with Pane e Vino on Union Street doesn't like the new policy.

"I think that Sunday is a day that you should have a break at least. It's been like this forever and now all of a sudden there has to be a change because 2013 is the lucky number," he said.

Anthony Giannino at Café Union had mixed feelings about the new policy.

"For the neighborhood as a business community, [it'll] probably work for us to get the turnover and people moving, but for the overall city lifestyle; Sunday is a good day to relax and not have to worry about your car," he said.

Come Sunday such a leisurely lifestyle will no longer be the case. The city expects to raise $2 million with the new fees, but no tickets will be issued for expired meters the first three Sundays through January 27th.

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