white zones
White zones are for passenger loading and unloading with a time limit
of 5 minutes. The effective time of white zones vary and are indicated by
signs or by stencils on the curb. The driver MUST remain with the vehicle
at all times (limited exceptions apply at preschools and hospitals.)
White zones are NOT intended for private parking. Such zones are
intended for establishments that have active passenger loading and
unloading needs. Typical establishments that may qualify for a white zone
are hospitals, senior centers, medical offices with 5 or more practitioners,
restaurants with a 100 or more seats or valet parking, hotels, apartment
or condominium buildings with over 50 units, theaters, churches or other
large places of worship or assembly, schools and government buildings.
Other establishments are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Among other
reasons, white zone requests may be denied if private off-street parking is
available, seating or unit requirements are not met, or if there are adjacent
passenger loading zones nearby.
A processing fee is required for white zones, and if approved at the public
hearing, white zones are required to be renewed every two years (see
fee schedule). When applying, please do not combine processing and
paint/installation fees. Please send only the processing fee with your
application.
yellow zones
Yellow zones are for active freight loading and unloading only by
commercial vehicles. Yellow zones are NOT intended for long-term parking
of vehicles with commercial license plates. The effective times of yellow
zones vary and are indicated by signs on the meter and/or by stencils on
the curb. Non-commercial vehicles (those without a commercial license
plate) parked in a yellow zone will be cited and can be towed if the sign
specifies it is a tow zone. Six-Wheel Truck Loading Zones are indicated
by signs only. When signed for six wheels or more, such trucks can use
the zone. Six wheel loading zones can typically be distinguished by their
red-capped meters in metered areas. There is no fee for establishing
yellow zones.
blue zones
A Blue zone designates parking spaces for persons with a
valid disabled parking permit. Blue zones are normally located
in areas with high public use, such as in dense commercial
areas, and near public parks and playgrounds, where the blue
zones can serve a large number of individuals. (Blue zones
are not established for a specific individual or a small select
group of individuals at a specific location.) There is no fee for
establishing blue zones.
Color Curb Program
Public Hearing Process
Public Hearings are held twice a month at City Hall to legislate the
installation of new colored zones. The zones usually recommended
for this process are yellow, green, white and blue. The purpose
of the hearing is for residents to express their concerns regarding
proposed changes affecting their streets. At the Public Hearing,
the Hearing Officer will review the items, listen to residents, and
then make a final decision. All interested parties are encouraged to
attend. Postings for proposed changes are posted in the vicinity of
the proposed zone approximately 10 days before the hearing date
and requestors are notified. Agendas are also posted on the MTA
website at http://www.sfmta.com/cms/ccurb/curbindx.htm .
A Division of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
Upon approval at the public hearing, invoices are mailed to the
requestor for payment (see fee schedule). Paint/installation fees
for white and green zones are required before installation begins.
Zones will be installed as soon as scheduling permits.
Traffic Engineering Division
1 South Van Ness Avenue, 7th Floor
San Francisco, California 94103-5417
www.sfmta.com/dpt
A Division of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
Traffic Engineering Division
1 South Van Ness Avenue, 7th Floor
San Francisco, California 94103-5417
www.sfmta.com
SFMTA
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
how to apply
Merchants
If you are a merchant applying for a color curb zone near your
business, please call 311 and they will take your application
over the phone. You may also visit our website at www.sfmta.
com – click on ”Parking” then “Color-Curbs” and download
the application. Once you send in the processing fee (on fee
required zones), we will process and review your request. If
your request is for a yellow, green, white, or blue zone and
is recommended for installation, a public hearing will be
scheduled to consider the matter. Upon approval at the public
hearing and payment of any applicable paint/installation fees,
the zone will be installed as soon as scheduling permits. Since
the application processing fees are non-refundable, you may
wish to carefully consider the requirements for fee-required
zones prior to submission of your application.
Please do not send paint/installation fees prior to receipt of
an invoice or combine processing and paint/installation fees.
Please send only the processing fee with your application.
Residents
If you are a resident applying for a driveway red zone, please
call 311 and they will take your application over the phone.
You may also visit our website at www.sfmta.com – click on
”Parking” then “Color-Curbs” and download the application.
Once we receive your application and processing fee for the
driveway red zone, we will process and review your request.
After our investigation is complete, we will send you an invoice
or a response with our recommendation. Since the application
processing fees are non-refundable, you may wish to carefully
consider the requirements for fee-required zones prior to
submission of your application.
Please do not send paint/installation fees prior to receipt of an
invoice or combine processing and paint/installation fees. Please
send only the processing fee with your application.
red zones
green zones
Red zones are “No Parking” zones. Red zones may be installed near
intersection corners, at certain bus stops, fire hydrants, curb ramps,
and most commonly, at the edges of driveways. Driveway red zones
are intended to provide additional turning and clearance for vehicles
entering and exiting driveways. When driveway red zones are
requested, consideration is also given to the preservation of
adjacent parking spaces.
Some driveway red zones may not be approved for a variety of
reasons, including, but not limited to: the loss of legitimate parking
spaces (for example, where a 15-feet to 19-feet space exists
between driveways on streets with parallel parking) or over-wide,
abandoned or improperly constructed driveways. Because
application fees are non-refundable, assessing your specific
driveway situation prior to applying for driveway red zones is
advised.
Standard driveway red zone installations are two-foot red zones on
each side of the driveway. Multiple driveways of the same property
are invoiced accordingly (see fee schedule). Driveway red zones are
not required to be renewed at regular intervals and may be
repainted on an as-needed basis upon request. Renewal requests
are fee-required and include the processing fee as well as the paint/
installation fee. The new requests are reviewed again and may be
subject to denial.
When applying, please do not combine processing and paint/
installation fees. Please send only the processing fee with your
application.
Green zones are for short-term parking (generally less than 10
minutes). In non-metered areas, green zones are indicated by a
green curb marking with a ten-minute time limit. Standard effective
hours are 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
In metered areas, short-term parking can be designated by a
green meter with either a fifteen or thirty minute time limit, in
lieu of a painted curb. The effective hours for green meters are
the same hours of operation as adjacent meters. Green zones and
green meters are for public use and are not reserved for particular
establishments. Please also note that vehicles bearing disabled
placards or plates are exempt from the time limits for green zones
or green meters.
Green zones or limited time meters are NOT intended for private
parking. Such zones are intended for establishments where
transactions are predominantly short-term (10-minutes) in nature.
Typical establishments that may qualify for a green zone are dry
cleaners, florists, small neighborhood grocery/deli convenience
stores, audio-visual repair shops, shoe repair shops, postal shipping
centers, and hardware stores. Other establishments are reviewed
on a case-by case basis. Among other reasons, green zone requests
may be denied if private off-street parking is available, there
are adjacent limited time zones nearby, or the establishment’s
transactions are not predominantly short-term in nature.
A processing fee is required for either a green zone or a green
meter. If approved at the public hearing, painted green zones
are required to be renewed every two years thereafter (see fee
schedule). When applying for a painted green zone, please do not
combine processing and paint/installation fees. Please send only
the processing fee with your application. Green meter zones are not
required to be renewed and there is no paint/installation fee.