City Changes Meter Hours in Ocean Park

In response to opposition from businesses and residents in the Ocean Park neighborhood against parking restrictions, hours of parking meters operation on Main Street will be reduced beginning today.

In July, parking meter hours in the Main Street commercial area were extended from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. as part of a pilot program implemented by the city and the Main Street Merchants Assn.

The idea, said city spokeswoman Judy Rambeau, was to discourage Main Street employees from occupying parking spaces that should have been open for customer use.

Although that goal was met, Rambeau said, residents complained that they could no longer park in metered side street spaces after 6 p.m., and business owners said the late meter hours discouraged late-night patrons.

Under the new plan, meters will operate on Main and adjacent side streets until 10 p.m. Residents with neighborhood parking permits will be able to park at the metered side street spaces free of charge after 6 p.m.