Parking meters in downtown Pontiac are a thing of the past as the city carries out a plan to overhaul its parking system and start fresh again.
The goal is to cut down on the operating costs of checking and maintaining the meters and also to make parking downtown more convenient and cost-efficient, says Khalfani Stephens, director of commercial and industrial development for the city. Pontiac's finances are in such a shambles that the city is being run by a state-appointed emergency financial manager.
In addition to removing every parking meter in downtown Pontiac, the city will also privatize its largest parking structure and lots and sell the others.
Downtown business owners have met the change with mixed reactions, with some thinking customers won't miss the meters and others saying losing timed meters hurts business, Stephens says.
"When it's all over," Stephens says,"it should be a situation where the department's operating costs are in order and the businesses and customers have a more pleasant experience coming downtown."
Source: Khalfani Stephens, director of commercial and industrial development
Writer: Kim North Shine
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