SAN DIEGO — The Hillcrest community continues to reinvest its share of parking meter funds with another new service, The Park Hillcrest Lunch Loop! The Uptown Community Parking District has partnered with the UC San Diego Health System, the Hillcrest Business Association and coordinated with Scripps Mercy along with Hillcrest restaurants to pilot this project that aims to shift the demand for parking spaces during weekday lunch hours. A free trolley will loop through Hillcrest connecting major employment hubs and residents with the Hillcrest business core from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm Monday – Friday from now to July 31.
“We are grateful for this community partnership that will provide new transportation options for our employees and visitors, as well as the broader Hillcrest community,” said Aaron Byzak, director of government and community affairs for UC San Diego Health System. .
Elizabeth Hannon, COO of the Parking District, “We surveyed local employees and discovered that there are hundreds of drivers that bring their car into Hillcrest for lunch. With our free parking shuttle employees and residents can hop on the 10 minute Lunch Loop and be dropped off just steps from more than 50 restaurants. The Parking District is interested to see if we can decrease the number of cars circling the business core looking for parking and make having lunch in Hillcrest an easy choice.”
“Hillcrest is filled with fabulous places to eat and with the new Hillcrest Lunch Menu, finding great affordable eateries is just one click away at FabulousHillcrest.com,” Ben Nicholls, executive director of the Hillcrest Business Association.
The Uptown Community Parking District currently operates a parking shuttle on weekend evenings connecting riders with free parking at the DMV lot on Normal Street with stops along University Avenue and Sunday service to the Hillcrest Farmers Market with a stop on Fifth Avenue. There’s also a $5 community-wide valet service on Fifth and a free mobile app.
The trolley can be tracked live by downloading the free and simple Park Hillcrest App. Users can view the routes, stops and see the location of the trolley along with parking lots, on-street parking and validation programs in Hillcrest. “Everyone who visits or lives in Hillcrest should download the free Park Hillcrest app to see what parking spaces are available based on where they are heading. It’s your own personal parking fairy!” said Hannon.
The Park Hillcrest Lunch Loop is being offered free of charge as a pilot project Monday – Friday from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm now through July 31.
For more information, contact the Uptown Community Parking District at 619-794-8612 or better yet, download the Park Hillcrest App or check it out online: www.ParkHillcrest.com
