Say Hello to Downtown Parking Meters

They're coming. After years of debate, and fears that paid parking will scare away patrons and visitors, prep work begins this week for the installation of parking meters in downtown Sarasota. The high tech meters themselves won’t be installed this week. Work crews will adjust curbs and dig along First Street, Main Street, State Street, Cocoanut Avenue, Gulfstream, Palm Avenue, and Pineapple Avenue in advance of the installations. Most of the work will be unobtrusive to the public; occasionally a parking space will be unavailable for a short period of time. The prep work is expected to be completed in about two weeks, followed by meter installation. About 460 meters are going in to high traffic areas. The meters will be bagged until the entire system is operational in mid-May. Free and low cost public parking still will be available.   Nearly 1,400 parking spaces will remain free, including the new Palm Avenue parking garage which will offer complimentary parking through October 2011. Nearby parking structures will cost 50 cents per hour, and the new metered spaces will be $1.00 per hour.  For more information, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit www.sarasotagov.com or contact Capt. Jeff Karr in the Parking Division: 941-954-7057. ~BG