Berkeley Street Cleaning & Parking Guide

Residential street sweeping is a city service that helps to beautify our community by removing litter and debris from our streets. It also protects our environment, because street sweeping reduces the pollutant load (litter, leaves, pet/animal debris, heavy metals, sediment, etc.) that could clog our storm drain system or might otherwise reach our waterways or the Bay.

You can also check the schedules below:

• STREET SWEEPING SCHEDULE: STREET NAMES A-G
• STREET SWEEPING SCHEDULE: STREET NAMES H-Z
• STREET SWEEPING SCHEDULE: NUMBERED STREETS

The City of Berkeley uses parking meters as a parking management tool, primarily in commercial areas and around public spaces or facilities that are major trip generators. Meters are typically used to improve access, promote commercial activity, and discourage long-term car storage. The city may adjust a meter’s hourly rate and/or limit the amount of time one can park in a metered parking space to encourage turnover and increase parking availability for short-term visitors and customers. Parking customers interested in long-term parking (over 2 hours, all day, or commuter parking) may park in the City’s off-street parking garages and lots or goBerkeley Value pricing areas around downtown Berkeley and the Southside/Telegraph areas.

Berkeley, CA Parking Meter Rates

Permit neighborhoods have restricted two-hour parking zones unless a residential parking permit is displayed on the vehicle. These zones are marked by signs that indicate the neighborhood parking permit areas and the days and times enforced. Residential Parking Permit Areas are enforced from 8:00AM to 7:00PM, with the day of enforcement varying, depending on the area. Vehicles without a Residential Parking Permit for the area may park for a total of up to 2 hours per block face, defined as both sides of the street between intersecting cross-streets.

"Block party" means a gathering, sponsored solely by owners, residents or tenants of properties fronting a street, which causes a closure of the entire street, or a portion thereof, to vehicular traffic and use of the street for the gathering.

Curbs marked by red indicate no stopping, standing, or parking under any circumstances and are enforced 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.

Curbs marked yellow are for commercial use and are for loading and unloading merchandise or materials. These zones are enforced from 7:00 AM to 6:00PM, Monday through Saturday except when otherwise designated by appropriate signs. Some metered parking spaces may be yellow zones during certain hours. To use a yellow zone for up to (20) twenty minutes drivers must have any one of three requirements; 1) A City of Berkeley Business license decal affixed to the left rear bumper of the vehicle; 2) A marked commercial vehicle with logo or lettering; 3) Commercial plates issued by Department of Motor Vehicles. Drivers must be actively engaged in loading or unloading. Noncommercial vehicles may load or unload passengers for only up to three minutes at a yellow curb.

Curbs marked green indicate short-term, restricted, or limited time zone parking. These zones are marked by signs that usually indicate five (5) minutes to thirty (30) minutes limited parking. Green zones are enforced Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, except when otherwise designated by appropriate signs.

Curbs marked in white are designated passenger loading zones. Unless signs are posted otherwise, drivers may use white zones for up to three minutes to drop off or pick up passengers or to deposit mail in an adjacent mailbox. White curbs are enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except when otherwise designated by appropriate signs.

Blue curbs and disabled parking spaces are reserved for vehicles displaying valid disabled placards or disabled persons license plate from any state. The crosshatched areas adjacent to disabled parking spaces, accommodating side-loading vans for the disabled are identically enforced. These curbs and spaces are enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on public streets and in private lots.

The City of Berkeley and/or a person authorized by the City of Berkeley must post "No Parking, Tow Away" signs at least 72 hours in advance of a construction project and 24 hours before any other event. To avoid receiving a citation and/or having the vehicle towed, a driver should check his parked vehicle at least every 24 hours, as it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure the vehicle is not parked in a tow away zone.

Coach Zones or Bus Zones are reserved for buses only. Standing, stopping, or parking under any circumstances is prohibited. Bus zones are marked by signs or red colored curbs and are enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

It shall be unlawful for any person to park any heavy-duty commercial vehicle on any street between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. for a length of time greater than one (1) hour.

It shall be unlawful for any person to park, keep or store any motor vehicle which has been damaged, wrecked or is in a state of disrepair upon any public street in the City of Berkeley in connection with or as a part of the business operation of any automobile repair garage, body repair shop, auto wrecking establishment or similar business activity.

"No Parking" signs have been installed along narrow hillside streets to improve fire truck access. During the October 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Hills Fire, many of the streets were impassable to fire trucks. After the fire, the Fire District was established, and those streets that are most difficult to traverse were identified. Parking restrictions have been marked with either red curbs or signage in these locations.

Please note that, "It is unlawful for any person to park or leave standing, or cause to be parked or left standing any vehicle upon any public street in the City for seventy-two or more consecutive hours. (Ord. 4006-NS § 1 (part), 1964: Ord. 3954-NS § 2, 1963)" BMC Section 14.36.050

The "72-Hour Rule" applies to any public street in the City, regardless of other parking designations or restrictions.

Vehicles parked in violation of Residential Parking Permit restrictions in Areas A, B and D will be issued double parking fines on football game days.

Parking Enforcement Officers are assigned to work weekly rotations on enforcement beats throughout the city. The Parking Enforcement Unit can be reached at (510) 981-5890 Monday-Saturday, generally from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Parking issues can also be reported through the Police Departments non-emergency number, at (510) 981-5900, at all hours.

Parking citations may be paid through the Online Service Center, by phone on a 24-hour Citation Information and Payment line at (866) 226-9288, or by visiting the City of Berkeley Customer Service Center at 1947 Center Street, Monday-Thursday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 p.m.

The closet airport to the city of Berkeley is Oakland International Airport which is located approximately fifteen miles south of the city. You can see parking restrictions and rates for OAK on the Oakland Airport parking page.

• STANDARD PARKING RESTRICTIONS