City Council will decide Monday whether to shift free uptown parking during the holiday shopping season from Court Street to the Washington Street parking garage.
For the last few years, Athens has allowed free parking on Court Street between Thanksgiving and Christmas to encourage holiday shoppers to buy gifts Uptown, said councilwoman Chris Knisely, D-at Large. The ordinance would shift free two-hour parking to the city garage, beginning Nov. 27 and ending at midnight Jan. 1, 2010.
Directing holiday shoppers to the garage appears to be a win-win for the city, which can continue to collect change from the parking meters along Court Street and Uptown businesses, which found their employees, not customers, were using the free parking spaces.
Money collected from all meters on Court Street totaled $8,318 in December 2008, while the meters in the parking garage netted $2,372 during the same time period, Knisely said.
The Athens Uptown Business Association also supported the move.
We asked the council to change the location to highlight the convenience of our parking garage
said Josh Thomas, chairman of the association and owner of Brennen's Coffee Cafe, 38 S. Court St. Fewer employees' parking on the street should free up spaces for shoppers.
That really defeated the purpose of the free parking in the first place he said.
Council designed the offer to help compensate for the exodus of Ohio University students from Athens during winter break, which begins Nov. 25. During the academic year, student dollars drive spending on Court Street. In response, many Uptown businesses cut hours during winter, spring break and summer.
Shifting holiday shoppers to the garage may also reduce confusion between meters marking carriage parking, topped with orange bags, and meters marking free parking, topped with yellow bags.
The ordinance will have its final reading and be voted on during Monday's council meeting.
Parking officers will enforce the two-hour time limit in the garage and monitor all other meters as usual, Knisely added.
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Elizabeth Lundblad
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