Parking Meters Return to Downtown Carbondale
By: Eric Deabill
Updated: December 7, 2012
Carbondale, Lackawanna County - Just in time for the holiday shopping rush, one city in Lackawanna County has installed new parking meters in its downtown.
If you will be visiting Carbondale anytime soon, don't forget to bring some change with you.
People haven't had to pay for parking in downtown Carbondale since 2005 when there were certification issues with the city's parking meters.
This week, new meters have been installed and put online.
Carbondale mayor Justin Taylor say the new parking meters are not just about making money but are more about controlling traffic.
Not everyone is happy.
"There's no business here as it is. We can't get anybody to come here. There's empty stores everywhere," Jim Lloyd of Carbondale said.
In just the last week, 150 new parking meters have been brought online. At least 75 more will be coming in the future.
Michele Sosa lives in an apartment on Main Street and now has to find new places to park where she can without having to pay.
"I think it's not the greatest idea just because I live right upstairs and now I have to park in the alleyway which is awful," Sosa said.
City officials say they expect the new parking meters to bring in $60,000 every year but they say the main goal of the meters will be to control traffic.
Donna Zaremba, a downtown shop owner, says she's already seen the meters as a success. She says people no longer hog one parking space outside her store all day long.
"The biggest thing with customers coming in is that they couldn't find a place to park," Zaremba said. "Now there's open places for people to come in and park."
Some businesses, who didn't want to appear on camera, worry the meters will now drive customers to other communities.
Violators will face fines. If paid within 24 hours, tickets will cost $15 but after 24 hours, the price will jump to $30.
Many people think that is high but the mayor disagrees.
"It costs $8 a day to park at the meter so our previous ticket was $5," Mayor Taylor said. "You can't get a ticket for $5 and a meter all day for $8 because everybody would just park there and not put any money in the meter and take the ticket. It's cheaper so it needed to be somewhat steeper."
The mayor says the meters will be enforced six days a week, Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
