Cabrillo National Monument (NM) is seeking input from community, stakeholders, visitors, and neighbors regarding a proposed change to park entrance fees in 2018. The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing to increase the daily park entrance fee for vehicles from $10.00 to $15.00 per vehicle (good for everyone in the vehicle,) walk-ins/bicyclists from $5.00 to $7.00 per person and motorcycles from $7.00 to $10.00. An increase in the annual Cabrillo Park Pass from $20.00 to $30.00 is also planned. The new fees could take effect in January of 2018.
Comment Period: September 1st – September 30th, 2017
Comments may be submitted online at:
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/cabr
or
Comment Now
or via email at: cabr_info@nps.gov
Comments can also be submitted in writing to:
Park Superintendent
1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive
San Diego, CA 92106
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Bike Walk San Diego: District-2
opposes raising fees for bicyclist and walkers.
Bicyclists and walk-ins should be encouraged and supported through fair and reasonable fees. If groups of bicyclists and walk-ins want access, they should share similar group pricing advantages as are afforded to single cars with multiple passengers. As it is now, patrons are discouraged from using alternative transportation due to disadvantaged pricing. This is not the public policy we’re hoping for!
The City of San Diego Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) has policies to encourage the use of bicycle transportation and goals of how the City may improve coordination and communication between the community, other public agencies, and stakeholder groups on matters of bicycle policy. The BAC works with the City of San Diego Climate Action Plan (CAP) with stated goals of reducing greenhouse gases by increasing alternative transportation mode share. There will be a greater emphasis on alternative transportation of which the bicycle plays a very prominent part.
At Cabrillo National Monument, bicyclists and walk-ins, some who ride the MTS Bus #84, contribute to this needed mode share increase. They also enjoy healthy recreation and enjoyment of our natural surroundings while minimizing traffic, congestion, noise, pollution, runoff and parking impacts; not only for Cabrillo National Monument, but for the Naval Base Point Loma, access roads and surrounding Point Loma neighborhoods. This is a plus for local communities, the public and the administrations of these facilities.
Bicyclists and walk-in’s are discouraged from visiting Cabrillo by the inequitable fees for entry into the National Monument. Unfortunately, just the opposite effect is realized, vehicle use may be unintendedly encouraged through advantaged pricing. Vehicle traffic on the access roads, and the main parking lot is increased as is the additional traffic down to the tide pools. This is counter to the goals of the Climate Action Plan. It’s also worth noting that the vast majority of bicyclist have very little impact on Cabrillo resources. They often ride out to the Point as a training exercise and do a quick turn around. Maybe a drink of water or a quick pit stop and they are soon on their way.
Cabrillo National Monument
REGULAR ENTRANCE FEES
Walk-ins, bicyclists: $5.00 per person ($7.00 proposed)
Passenger vehicle: $10.00 per vehicle ($15.00 proposed)
Cabrillo Park Pass: $20.00 annually ($30.00 proposed)
The Cabrillo Park Pass: Admits the pass holder(s) and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle (14 passenger capacity or less) to Cabrillo National Monument. If entering as a bicyclists or walk-in, it admits the pass holder and three others as well (4 total). Why the disparity between 14 passengers and 4 bicyclists? It seems that bicyclist and walk-in’s are held to the America the Beautiful card rule, even when holding a Cabrillo Park Pass.
The Regular Entrance Fees for walk-ins and bicyclists is quoted as “per person”. It’s not clear if a single paid receipt will allow the holder and three others into Cabrillo National Monument. We would hope that would be the policy and if it is not, that the policy be modified to make it so.
We oppose raising fees for bicyclist and walk-ins for the many reasons stated. We would also urge you to maintain the $20.00 cost of the Cabrillo Park Pass, at least for bicyclist and walk-ins, especially since that is more of a specifically local fee influenced by our unique setting in an urban area. With inflation running well below 2% per year for the past decade, there is little justification for raising fees by 50%. If more revenue must be realized, raising fees on vehicles will accomplish that as well as providing incentive for using alternative transportation. That will help propel us toward the Climate Action Plan mode shift we aim for.
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Positive impacts for:
- Transportation mode share shift
- Quality of Life
- Climate Action Plan
- local communities
- residents & visitors
- Improves value of neighborhoods
- Patronage of local businesses
Bicyclist, accessing the Cabrillo National Monument via Ocean Beach, Sunset Cliffs and Hill Street or coming up via Nimitz, Chatsworth and Catalina Blvd, or from Harbor Drive and Canon Street, have minimal impact on neighborhood traffic, noise, pollution, runoff and parking.
They are very likely to stop for coffee, lunch or other shopping. The ease of getting to merchants without traffic or parking hassles serves the businesses as well as reduces vehicle impacts on business districts.
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We seek help from our community to support our efforts to provide for equitable fees that encourage bicyclist and walk-ins at Cabrillo National Monument.
Please submit comments to the Cabrillo National Monument administration during the comment period of September 1st, 2017 through September 30th, 2017.
Comments may be submitted online at:
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/cabr
or
Comment Now
or via email at: cabr_info@nps.gov
Comments can also be submitted in writing to:
Park Superintendent
1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive
San Diego, CA 92106