Limited parking may be on way out in San Francisco

San Francisco's tightly packed 43 square miles makes curbside parking tough. As in all big cities, th downtown is heavily striped and metered. Parking garages are expensive, and double-parking is widespread.

Now, one city official is proposing a way to jar loose more residential spaces. Supervisor Carol Ruth Silver wants to eliminate prohibitive zones.

''I have surveyed my own block,'' Supervisor Silver said, ''-- with a tape measure, too -- and found enough extra off-limits space for five more parking spaces.'' She is encouraging all San Francisco residents to do the same thing and report their findings to City Hall.