Here's what you need to know about the new parking meters in downtown Macon

You'll soon be paying to park on the street in downtown Macon.

Starting in July, it'll cost $1.25 an hour to go shopping or eat at a restaurant in the downtown district, and you'll have to leave your parking space after three hours.

The first of about 600 parking meters were installed Friday.

Meters were removed about 35 years ago when downtown was struggling to attract businesses and people. Now that downtown is thriving, the meters are needed to help manage that growth, said Alex Morrison, executive director of the Urban Development Authority.

The streets that will get meters are: First, Second, Third, Cotton Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Plum and Walnut streets, as well as Mulberry, Cherry and Poplar streets between First Street and Martin Luther King Jr. The meters will accept coins, credit card or pay by the Passport app.

Lanier Parking Meter Services LLC will manage the parking meters in downtown's core. The company also has been working toward managing the garages as well.

By installing meters and enforcing the parking laws, it is expected that downtown employees will choose from more than six public garages for daily or monthly parking. Most of those are now mostly vacant during the day, Morrison said.

The garages managed by Lanier will cost $1 an hour or $5 a day, and the monthly rate will be based on the market rate depending on the location, Morrison said. Money from the meters would go toward paying for the equipment and then toward downtown improvements. Lanier also will provide enforcement of downtown parking laws.

Violators will face varying degrees of tickets with possible towing, Morrison said.

A new website was being set up at www.parkmaconbibb.com. It will provide an up-to-date map showing all the decks and the cost to park at each one, he said.

Parking meter installation will cost $850,000, Morrison said, and it is expected to take about three weeks.

The meters have long been touted by some businesses who say the meters will help their customers find spaces to park and come into their shops or stop for a bite to eat in their restaurants

Cesare Mammarella, who owns three businesses downtown, said he understands why meters are being installed. But, he said, it will create a challenge, especially during the transition, until people get used to the meters with greater oversight on violators. He owns the Tic Toc Room, Bearfoot Tavern and Emerson Ballroom.

"I don't think we have enough retail yet, and I think this could impact restaurants a little bit more than retail," said Mammarella, who has lived downtown about 17 years. The meters "might discourage some people" from eating downtown, but he acknowledges "it's the cost of progress. ... It will eventually all work out."

He is concerned about retaining workers, especially women who worry about walking several blocks to a garage late at night.

"It would be great if we had a trolley or golf carts to take people to the garages," he said.

Downtown Macon resident Drew Jennings said he had mixed feelings about the new parking meters but thinks the consistency of parking enforcement will be good.

Right now, "there's no real consistency of knowing when you're going to get a parking ticket and when you're not," he said.

Telegraph videographer Beau Cabell contributed to this report.

This story was originally published June 17, 2018 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Here's what you need to know about the new parking meters in downtown Macon."