The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department Board of Supervisors this week approved a new fee structure for city parks, pickleball courts, golf courses and more. Residents told the San Francisco Standard that outdoor recreation is becoming ācost-prohibitiveā in the city.
Per the new fee structure, parking at Golden Gate Park will now be $3 per hour, seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be a $6 charge to play golf on the public course, a $5 to $25 fee to reserve outdoor picnic areas, and a $5 charge to reserve a pickleball or tennis court at one of the cityās 66 total locations.
The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department Board of Supervisors this week approved a new fee structure for city parks, pickleball courts, golf courses and more. Residents told the San Francisco Standard that outdoor recreation is becoming ācost-prohibitiveā in the city.
Per the new fee structure, parking at Golden Gate Park will now be $3 per hour, seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be a $6 charge to play golf on the public course, a $5 to $25 fee to reserve outdoor picnic areas, and a $5 charge to reserve a pickleball or tennis court at one of the cityās 66 total locations.
The San Francisco Standard reported that pickleball court reservation fees could rise as high as $20-$40 per hour if players make the reservations more than a week in advance.
The Board of Supervisors estimates that the parking fees alone will generate roughly $4.9 million in six months, with golf fees bringing in an additional $4 million over two years. That revenue will cover 10% of the power and water costs for these areas.
āI feel like most things are cost-prohibitive at this point for an average family,ā resident Anne Keller told the Standard. āJust going out for little outings, everything, everywhere. Youāre paying for every little thing, and everything is hiking up.ā
āEverybodyās struggling to begin with to afford rent and afford parking everywhere else. This just seems like a cash grab on people who canāt afford it,ā said resident Oxama Arafeh.
The Board of Supervisors said the only other option, besides invoking these fees, would have been cuts to parks department services, including shortening rec center hours and closing pools. Said parks department spokesperson Tamara Barak Aparton, āThey allow us to maintain safe, well-kept parks in every neighborhood, preserve cherished programs like summer camps and senior classes, and continue offering affordable, enriching activities for families across the city.ā
