Poll shows 80% of San Diegans want parking fees in Balboa Park eliminated or reduced

A new poll of San Diego residents shows 80% want new parking fees in Balboa Park eliminated or reduced, and 69% say the new fees will make them visit the park less often.

When told revenue from the fees could help the city avoid budget cuts, the share of residents calling the fees reasonable nearly doubled to 37%. But 51% said parking should be free in Balboa Park even if that requires budget cuts.

The poll of 500 city residents, which was conducted Monday through Wednesday online, comes as pressure increases on city officials to reconsider the fees a little more than two weeks after they were launched on Jan. 5.

Leaders of Balboa Park museums and other organizations say declines in park visits have ranged from 20% to more than 50%, depending on the specific day and attraction.

The poll, which was conducted by Survey USA for The San Diego Union-Tribune and 10News, also shows 74% of city residents think new special event parking fees downtown are too high and that 36% say those fees are prompting them to attend fewer downtown events.

Poll respondents give the city low ratings for its overall handling of parking changes and efforts to keep the public informed about those changes, with 42% calling those efforts poor and only 21% calling them excellent or good.

On Balboa Park paid parking, 57% of respondents said...