The fate of the long-brewing Area Q residential permit parking zone, which would encompass roughly 50 square blocks between Webster and Masonic, will finally be decided next week.

At its upcoming meeting on Tuesday afternoon, the SFMTA Board of Directors will vote on whether to approve or reject the creation of Area Q, which has been in the works for more than two years.

A brief history of the zone's evolution:

• The first rumblings for a parking permit zone arose back in October 2012, when the Fell And Oak Bikeway Project received approval. At a public hearing, some residents bemoaned the effect the project would have on parking in the area, as roughly 55 spots were slated to be removed. A solution that was offered: more permit parking in the neighborhood.
• About six months thereafter, in April 2013, the rumblings had turned into an online petition, with proponents suggesting that a permit parking zone in the area would allow residents to "park closer to your homes" and "save countless minutes of circling."
• When that petition received 250 signatures, it triggered a study by the SFMTA, as per the SFMTA's RPP process. That study began in December of 2013. The boundaries of the proposed area were Webster and Masonic on the east and west, and Golden Gate Avenue and Page Street on the north and south. The SFMTA sent 13 staff members out to survey various blocks four times a day, recording the license plates of vehicles and noting how many spaces were occupied.
• The results of that study were revealed in May of 2014. The SFMTA found that 60 percent of parked vehicles in the area belonged to non-residents, and 91 percent of parkings spots were occupied. Those stats exceeded the respective 50 percent and 80 percent thresholds that the SFMTA uses to determine whether an RPP is justified. So, the project moved forward.
• Over the next few months, the SFMTA worked with local neighborhood groups to refine the zone's boundaries and determine the specifics, like the zone's hours of operation, and what happens on non-residential strips like Divisadero and the borders of Alamo Square itself.  
• Those results were then subjected to a number of public hearings, in November 2014, December 2014, and January 2015. As a result of public input, various tweaks were made, including removing the southwest chunk of the zone (south of the Panhandle), and extending the southern border so that wary residents between Page and Haight would not be excluded.

Now, finally, the zone's contours and details are set, and the project is ready for an up-or-down vote.

While the zone has its proponents, it does have its detractors as well. Some residents who have started a petition dubbed "Keep Alamo Free" call the proposed zone "unfair, unequitable, and unnecessary," as it would impose an annual cost of $110 on residents who were previously able to park in the area for free. At the January meeting, representative from local churches also raised concerns about the new zone.

If you have a feeling one way or the other on the zone, this coming Tuesday, March 3rd, will be your last chance to make your voice heard. The SFMTA Board will consider the proposal, and members of the public will each be allowed two minutes to speak on the matter. The Board will then vote on the proposal.

The SFMTA Board of Directors meeting will take place on Tuesday at 1pm at City Hall, Room 400.