New Dynamic Pricing Parking Meters Around West 7th In Fort Worth
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - If your Friday night plans take you to Fort Worth's West 7th District you may be paying more to park. That's because new parking meters have been installed.
Anyone driving around 7th Street on a Friday or Saturday -- especially in the evening – has probably done laps trying to find free parking on the street.
This is the first weekend taht drivers will have to pay to park in about 250 spaces that until now didn't cost a thing.
Parking rates will start at $1 an hour from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day. The rate goes up to $2.50 an hour in the afternoon and evenings.
Officials hope the new dynamic pricing meters will make it easier to find a parking space at peak times, even if it costs more. For the first time Fort Worth will experiment with changing rates that are based on demand; ranging from 25-cents up to a potential high of $4.50 an hour.
It's the city's attempt to open more parking spaces, more often.
One business owner told CBS 11 News her customers are still getting used to the one-way street changes that happened this summer – another move by the city to control crowds and cars.
"My customer's mentality, some of them are like, that whole area is just so crazy now. With all the traffic, and the one way streets, and now they're going to meter the parking," she said.
Fort Worth's city parking manager says when prices go up people will make choices about transportation, use a garage, park in a paid lot, take an ridesharing vehicle, or park at a meter and pay a premium price.
