Sunday, Jun. 08, 2008

Settling in: Know before you park

The city of Columbia operates six parking garages in the downtown area and 4,600 metered parking spaces. Though there are moments — particularly at lunchtime — when every space seems to be filled, you generally can find a spot if you know where to look.

KNOW YOUR COLORS

Red meters: 30-minute parking; found primarily at the end of a block

Green meters: Two-hour parking

Blue meters: Five- or 10-hour parking; found primarily in the USC campus area

NO CHANGE FOR THE METER?

SmartCards and tokens are available at the Parking Service Department’s Customer Service Office at 1212-B Hampton St., in the rear of the Sumter Street Parking Garage behind the Marriott Hotel.

One token is good for a full hour on any city meter. Tokens can be bought in bags of 50 for $35, a savings of $2.50.

SmartCards can be bought in increments of $20, $50, $75, $100 or $150. The SmartCard itself costs $5. Once the original amount has been used, the card can be “recharged” at the Customer Service Office. You get a 6 percent bonus of time when you buy a SmartCard.

SmartCards can be used in all city meters except those on five blocks of Bull Street from Lady Street to Laurel Street. To pay for parking with a SmartCard, insert it into the slot in the parking meter. The meter will read a microchip in the card and show you how much money is left on the SmartCard. By leaving the card in the meter, you can use the card to purchase time in 20-minute increments every few seconds.

PAY NOW OR PAY MORE LATER

75 cents: Hourly meter rate throughout the city

$7: Fine for letting a parking meter expire

$5: Penalty for not paying ticket within seven days

$10: Fine for refeeding a parking meter after it expires

$15: Fine for double-parking, blocking a driveway or sidewalk, or parking in a no-parking or loading zone

$20: Fine for leaving your keys in an unattended vehicle

$200: Fine for parking in a handicapped space without a permit

DOWNTOWN PARKING GARAGES

Rates are monthly

Lady StreetGarage, * 1100 Lady St.; $105 (assigned), $78 (unassigned)

Park StreetGarage, * 1007 Park St.; $80 (assigned), $65 (unassigned)

Washington StreetGarage, * 1100 Washington St.; $105 (assigned), $78 (unassigned)

Sumter StreetGarage, * 1400 Sumter St.; $105 (assigned), $78 (unassigned)

Taylor Street Garage, 1100 Taylor St.; $52 (unassigned), meters (75 cents/hour)

Arsenal Hill Garage, 900 Lincoln St.; $52 (unassigned), meters (75 cents/hour)

* Hourly parking available at $1 for the first half-hour, $1 for the second half-hour, and then $1 for each additional hour, up to $10 per day

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