Fort Worth city leaders are talking about changing the parking meter situation in the West 7th area — again.
The city installed new parking meters last August to prevent cars from parking in one spot all day in the West 7th Urban Village, a popular area for shops, restaurants and bars.
Many business owners say the parking meters hurt them because customers don’t want to pay to park or risk getting a ticket.
Now the Fort Worth City Council will consider making the meters free for two hours during the day.
Assistant City Manager Fernando Costa talked to several business owners to get their feedback on the parking meters before writing the proposal.
“They saw that charging even for an hour or two was discouraging people from visiting the district,” Costa said. “We don’t want that to happen.”
Costa talked to is Perry Tong, the owner of Pop's Safari Cigars and Fine Wines on Morton Street.
“That was kind of gratifying because then I knew somebody was paying attention,” Tong said of the conversation.
Tong has been opposed to the parking meters since they were installed in August 2018. He said they have caused his business to drop by 30%.
He started a petition with about 300 signatures and sent it to the mayor’s office.
“I think the City’s trying to do the right thing,” Tong said. “I sure hope they get it done quickly because we need the business here for Christmas.”
The current parking meter fees are:
- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: $1 per hour
- 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.: $2.50 per hour
- 10 p.m. to 10 a.m.: Free
But there's a catch: If demand for spots is too high, the city can adjust the parking fees 25 cents a week, bringing the costs up to $4.50 an hour.
On Tuesday, Fort Worth City Council will discuss a proposal to change the parking meter fees to the following:
- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Two hours free. After three hours, it's $3 per hour
- 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.: $3 per hour
- 10 p.m. to 10 a.m.: Free
Council members can't take action on the proposal until Dec. 10. If approved, the parking meter changes will go into effect Dec. 14.
