Believe it or not, San Francisco used to more or less shut down on Sundays. That was the reason the city decided back in the 1940s not to charge for parking at meters during this public recognition of the Christian sabbath.

Now that's all changed, says Paul Rose, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. "Seventy percent of businesses are open on Sundays." And starting this weekend, so will parking meters.

Throughout the city, the meters will operate from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays, which is the same hours they have operated on Saturdays for several years.

One exception is meters operated by the Port of San Francisco around Fisherman's Wharf and the Port, which already operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

If paying for parking on Sunday sounds like a bummer to you, just think of all the advantages. "It will allow more parking and ease congestion," says Rose. Plus the money from meters will go to improving Muni.

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For details of what the meters charge at what time of day, the city is offering an online parking map.

For more more information about Sunday parking, check out the city's Frequently Asked Questions.

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Don't Forget: No More Free Parking in SF on Sundays!