Parking in the city can be notoriously difficult, with rules often varying block by block. While parking signs are regularly posted throughout the city, it can often be confusing to accurately understand the rules.
That’s where a new website, created by a San Francisco Reddit user, comes in. A user, @/Bowenyin, posted a link to ParkSF, a website that details the parking rules on every block in San Francisco. The website details the parking rules per block, with a color-coded system. You can find free parking, metered spots, and spots that have time limits on the map.
A major plus of the map is that it also includes pricing for metered spots and the typical occupancy during a particular time of day. You can also enter a specific time on the map, which will update to show you the parking rules for that time of day. Another helpful feature is that you can select how long you need parking, and the map will only show you blocks that allow parking for that duration.
For example, if you need parking for 2 hours at 9 am, you can filter the map to see what blocks have 2 hour parking, and whether it is metered or free.
The website was created by a Reddit user, who hasn’t shared many details on his inspiration for the project. Commenters speculate that the data is pulled from San Francisco’s public data platform, which includes many helpful resources, such as a map of parking meters and parking regulations.
The DataSF portal is the most reliable source for parking rules and regulations. However, the ParkSF map combines multiple formats nicely to make an ideal user experience. Of course, be sure to look for street signs when you park to follow SF parking laws correctly.
You can find SF’s open data portal here.
