Lake Merritt Parking Management Plan

In the summer of 2020, the City Administrator created a Lake Merritt Working Group (Working Group) to ensure an interdepartmental approach to the City’s response to increased activity and parking, traffic and safety issues at Lake Merritt. The Working Group implemented several measures in the summer and fall of 2020 including the launch of a pilot street vending program, street closures, parking restrictions, enhanced public outreach and enforcement activity. While well received, this effort required extraordinary resources to maintain each weekend. In the summer of 2021, the Council-adopted budget provided additional funding for Lake Merritt operations but also directed staff to develop alternative measures that would be financially sustainable and require fewer staffing resources. The Working Group identified metered parking, combined with all week metering, pay-by-plate meters and flexible parking zones, as a more cost-effective alternative to traffic and parking restrictions. Collectively, these proposals constitute the Lake Merritt Parking Management Plan.