Spring Break
Downtown to enforce increased parking fees
Meter prices also higher
LIZZIE POWELL
Issue date: 7/2/09 Section: News
The Downtown Athens Parking System began enforcing increased costs for downtown parking and harsher penalties for parking violations this month.
"On Wednesday, July 1, the price of meters increase[d] from 25 cents per hour to 50 cents per hour," said Laura Miller, director of parking and security for DAPS.
Miller said the penalty for an expired meter increased from $3 to $10, and the fine for parking beyond the posted legal time limit rose to $15.
Additionally, the parking violation officers lengthened the hours of monitoring meters during the week and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., she said.
Miller said she does not believe the increase in costs will negatively effect businesses downtown.
"Business owners were heavily involved in determining prices," she said.
However, Nick Heck, an employee at East West Bistro, said he thinks it is unfair there is no downtown parking catered toward employees.
"Without the employees, there would be no downtown," he said.
Last year, DAPS' five parking violation officers wrote nearly 106,000 tickets, Miller said.
After five outstanding tickets, drivers are subject to receive a boot on their car or be towed, according to the downtown Athens Web site.
Though parking in metered spaces downtown leaves room to receive a ticket, or even a boot, there are other parking options.
In addition to the 815 public on-street parking spaces, the parking deck on College Avenue offers hourly, daily and monthly rates. Spaces in surface lots are also available.
Christina Shatzen, a junior from Lawrencevill, said, "the change from $3 to $10 is a drastic increase, and it makes me rethink parking downtown."
"On Wednesday, July 1, the price of meters increase[d] from 25 cents per hour to 50 cents per hour," said Laura Miller, director of parking and security for DAPS.
Miller said the penalty for an expired meter increased from $3 to $10, and the fine for parking beyond the posted legal time limit rose to $15.
Additionally, the parking violation officers lengthened the hours of monitoring meters during the week and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., she said.
Miller said she does not believe the increase in costs will negatively effect businesses downtown.
"Business owners were heavily involved in determining prices," she said.
However, Nick Heck, an employee at East West Bistro, said he thinks it is unfair there is no downtown parking catered toward employees.
"Without the employees, there would be no downtown," he said.
Last year, DAPS' five parking violation officers wrote nearly 106,000 tickets, Miller said.
After five outstanding tickets, drivers are subject to receive a boot on their car or be towed, according to the downtown Athens Web site.
Though parking in metered spaces downtown leaves room to receive a ticket, or even a boot, there are other parking options.
In addition to the 815 public on-street parking spaces, the parking deck on College Avenue offers hourly, daily and monthly rates. Spaces in surface lots are also available.
Christina Shatzen, a junior from Lawrencevill, said, "the change from $3 to $10 is a drastic increase, and it makes me rethink parking downtown."
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