What to KnowParking meter rates in 200 square-block zone around Petco Park will begin charging $10/hour in September.The rates will start two hours before and four hours after the start of “major stadium events.”The special event zone includes areas south of Broadway, west of Interstate 5, east of State Street and north of Harbor Drive and S. 16th Street. Parking meters will also have six-hour time limits during special events. Also beginning in late August, the city is extending paid street parking hours by two hours with some meters charging as late as 10 p.m.

The city of San Diego on Monday began installing new parking signs in downtown San Diego warning drivers that meter rates are jumping to $10 an hour during special events beginning in September.

The city of San Diego said the new rules will affect parking meters within a half-mile radius of Petco Park two hours before and four hours after the start of “major stadium events” — anything with over 10,000 guests — including San Diego Padres games.

A map of the special event zone highlights areas south of Broadway, west of Interstate 5, east of State Street and north of Harbor Drive and S. 16th Street. The city encouraged visitors to instead take public transportation to avoid parking meter fees.

a map of the Petco Park special event zone highlighted in blue. (City of San Diego)

Parking meters will also have six-hour time limits during special events.

Parking meters in the areas furthest from Petco Park may change after the city analyzes usage, according to City Councilmember Joe LaCava.

One of the first events that will be affected by the price increases will be the Savannah Bananas baseball game on Sept. 5 and 6. A Chris Brown concert on Sept. 17 and about 14 Padres home games will also be among the first affected. A full list of events that will be affected can be found here.

Also beginning in late August, metered parking will no longer be free after 6 or 8 p.m. The city is extending paid parking hours by two hours with some meters charging as late as 10 p.m.

The new rates do not affect those with disabled placards or license plates.

The city said the parking changes were made to improve the management of on-street parking and “enable greater investment” in areas with meters, and to bring San Diego in line with parking fees in other major cities.

In a news release, the city compared its fees to the city of San Francisco’s, which charges $12 per hour during events at Oracle Park and Chase Center. The city of Los Angeles, on the other hand, does not increase fees during special events but has a tiered system where meters in high-desired areas are higher. Hourly rates do not exceed $6.

Parking meter revenues are limited by law to specific areas and uses. They “must be reinvested to benefit parking and mobility-related needs within the meter zone where they were collected,” the city statement said.

Parking has been at the forefront of the minds of the San Diego City Council. In late July, the council approved the creation of a parking district on Park Boulevard and Sixth Avenue around Balboa Park where it will begin charging $2.50 an hour for a maximum of four hours between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., seven days a week.

Prior, the council passed a package that changed the municipal code to allow for the increase of parking rates — which in turn allowed for September’s parking rate changes.