Residential parking permits, San Francisco’s strict street cleaning schedules and parklets are added pieces of the San Francisco parking puzzle. With students and faculty commuting from around the The Bay Area, parking is often essential. 

“I drive to school everyday and parking can definitely be difficult if you don’t know where to go,” junior Ginny Cross said. “I tend to park in spots based on which campus I end the day on.”

While Pine-Octavia offers parking spaces to faculty and staff, the Broadway campus does not have parking available. 

“If I get to school around seven in the morning, then it’s really easy to find parking,” english teacher Mark Botti said. “ If you don’t get here early then you can easily spend 30 minutes or more looking for parking, which can make it very difficult to arrive on time.” 

Students and faculty who drive to school have to move their cars every two hours because of a city wfaide parking rule, unless they have a Residential Parking Permit which neighborhood residents can apply for. 

Teachers, new or short-term residents and visitors, business owners, medical and child care givers, diplomats, active military and higher education students are also able to apply for a Residential Parking Permit online according to the Municipal Transit Agency.

“I get dropped off at school everyday by my dad,” senior Madison Wong said. “This is the most efficient way for me to get to school, because I don’t have to worry about having to find a parking spot, moving my car or waiting for the MUNI.”

The two hour limit is not the only reason that students and teachers struggle with parking. Additionally, the  price of meter violations can be up to $78 and the price of evading street cleaning zones can cost an $85 fine. 

“When I have a parking permit I do not have to move my car every two hours,” Botti said. “This makes parking in the city very convenient as long as I have my permit with me.”

Some students choose to opt out of street parking in areas near Convent or Stuart hall. Instead, some park down by the Marina District, or in a public parking garage to avoid having to move their cars throughout the day.

“I use Muni everyday because the spots I park in are a distant walk away from campus,” Cross said. “I haven’t needed to move my car in the middle of the day because I normally find a meter I can park at for six hours or more in the Marina.”