It has been almost three weeks since paid parking began at Balboa Park, and admissions and revenue at popular park venues already are taking a hit, officials said at a Wednesday press conference.
Take Free Tuesdays, the popular promotion that provides San Diego County residents with free admission to park museums on a rotating basis. A letter from the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership to Mayor Todd Gloria said those admissions have dropped between 25% and 50%.
Jessica Hanson York, the partnership’s chair and president, said the sharp decline signifies a “very early and loud” indicator that without free parking many residents may not be able to afford trips to Balboa Park.
That’s why the partnership, which serves as “the collaborative body and collective voice” for 24 arts, science and cultural institutions in the park, is asking city leaders to immediately reconsider the paid parking program, via the letter to Gloria, sent Wednesday.
The organization also introduced a new website, savebalboapark.org, where residents can send letters to their councilmembers regarding the parking fees.
The fees, up to $16 a day for parking in lots nearest to popular park attractions, began to be enforced Jan. 5 and sparked immediate backlash from residents – who receive discounts – to those outside the city who must pay full price.
At the press conference, held at Alcazar Garden outside the Museum of Us, the partnership joined the critics, using data from the first week of paid parking that show a noticeable decrease in admissions compared to last year.
The partnership’s executive director, Peter Comiskey, said that the data point to a 25% decrease in visits from local residents to the Fleet Science Center, and a 3% decrease by tourists.
The Fleet is not the only institution that has seen declines, a trend that Comiskey and other park backers said calls into question the future sustainability of park programs.
“The paid parking program as it’s currently implemented is eroding public trust, restricting access, altering the character of the park and destabilizing the very institutions that bring it to life,” Comiskey said.
Judy Gradwohl, president and CEO of the Natural History Museum, said that 40% of guests at the NAT receive free admission through a variety of programs. However, with paid parking, she said that these programs are no longer free.
On the NAT’s most recent free day, she added, the museum experienced its lowest Free Tuesday attendance in a decade.
“The paid parking is simply shifting the financial burden onto the nonprofits themselves,” Gradwohl said.
In addition, many of the park’s organizations, such as the NAT, are shouldering additional costs due to the parking fees, subsidizing parking for staff, while dealing with decreased volunteer hours and fewer membership renewals from visitors.
With admissions declining, many of the museums inside the park are concerned for the fiscal impact to their programs. Comiskey said that an estimated 20% decline in admissions throughout the year could lead to a total revenue loss of approximately $30 million for the park.
“We look forward to any discussions that succeed in reopening the park, remove the impacts of decreased visitation and ensure that Balboa Park is the vibrant, exciting and accessible place that we all know it was, and can be again,” Comiskey said.
Gloria’s office did not return an email seeking comment on the partnership’s letter. However, two weeks ago, he refused two councilmembers’ call to suspend the fees by saying the action “would have immediate and serious fiscal consequences” for the city, which is facing a significant budget deficit.
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