San Diego’s long-brewing parking fight at Balboa Park is officially going to the clipboard stage.
A coalition led by former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey kicked off a citywide signature drive this weekend to overturn the new paid parking program at Balboa Park, setting up a likely showdown on a future November ballot. Organizers say the effort is about restoring free access to the city’s crown-jewel park after months of frustration over parking kiosks and a resident verification portal.
As reported by FOX5 San Diego, the citizen initiative is being promoted as the Balboa Park Fee Parking Restoration Act and launched with a public kickoff at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. SanDiegoVille reported that organizers say they need roughly 82,000 valid signatures to qualify the measure for the November 2026 ballot, while a smaller petition of about 25,000 signatures would compel the City Council to formally consider repealing the fees.
What the measure would change
The proposal’s legal language, filed with the city and published in the San Diego Daily Transcript, would amend the municipal code to bar the city from imposing or enforcing parking fees anywhere in Balboa Park. The measure preserves the city’s authority to manage parking for safety reasons and special events but would eliminate meters and paid lots inside the park and require voter approval before any new Balboa Park parking fee program could be put in place.
How parking changed this year
The City Council signed off on the paid parking plan last year, and the city says enforcement began on Jan. 5, as part of a broader system of paid lots, meters and tiered passes. According to a release from the City of San Diego, along with information on the park’s visitor page, verified San Diego residents can register for discounted passes, while nonresidents pay higher daily rates.
Backlash and impact
The rollout has not gone quietly. Museum leaders, volunteers and regular parkgoers have sharply criticized the new system, and several cultural institutions report steep drops in attendance since the fees took effect. Coverage from KPBS and other local outlets has documented public protests, reports of vandalized payment kiosks and warnings from arts organizations that the new policy is hitting both visitor numbers and revenue.
Politics and what comes next
Bailey and other backers are treating the repeal as both a policy fight and a political test. Bailey, a familiar figure in regional politics who is running for City Council District 2, filed initial paperwork in March and told reporters he plans a high-profile petition push, according to Times of San Diego. Organizers have lined up public petition events at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion and in neighborhoods across the city, and community calendars already list multiple April signature-gathering dates…