Vote no on SF Measure H - parking brings congestion

If you wanted to increase congestion, energy use, and air pollution, San Francisco Measure H would be the right strategy.

When people have ample parking near their homes and ample parking at destinations, they tend to drive. Congestion is what happens on the roads in between. In downtown San Francisco, fortunately, parking is scarce and/or expensive. As a result, more than half of workers get to their jobs without a car. Imagine the congestion if more parking were available, and more people drove.

If Measure H passes, we won't have to imagine. The measure is designed to increase the supply of parking at homes and destinations. For 40 years the Planning Code has limited parking supplied with office buildings; H would increase the allowable supply with new buildings by 400%. Even worse, the charges for the new parking would probably be included in office rents so that people with the highest-paying jobs would get free parking. The charges would also be exempt from the parking tax, which is an essential funding source for Muni.

The measure would in addition change the Planning Code to allow for new parking spaces even where this would disrupt transit.

Since these increases would be made by ballot measure, it would be particularly cumbersome to change them.

If Measure H passes, almost all the additional parking will be under new office buildings and expensive condominiums, but the additional congestion will be on Muni routes.

The Sierra Club San Francisco Group urges voters to reject Measure H.

WhatYouCanDo

To volunteer to help defeat Measure H, contact conservation organizer or call (415) 200-8975