Scrounge up your pocket change to feed Columbia parking meters an hour later now
It has been a long-time open secret that you would only have to pay to park until 5 p.m. on weekdays and not at all on Saturdays in Columbia, even though downtown parking meters say you must pay until 6 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays.
But apparently the city is stepping up its meter enforcement until 6 p.m. after all. The Vista entertainment district posted a Tweet this week warning folks to feed the meters an hour later than they’re used to.
Heads up! As of today, parking officials *will* ticket until 6p (they'd been stopping at 5). Don't forget to pay your meters. pic.twitter.com/b6hUda9RxZ
— The Vista (@VistaColumbiaSC) June 1, 2017
It’s not clear whether the city is cracking down on Saturday parking yet. Although in Five Points, meter enforcers have started ticketing on Saturdays in recent months.
In addition to enforcing the longer meter hours, the city is likely to take a look at raising parking rates this year, parking services director Elle Matney has told The State.
The cost of parking in Columbia is “below market value,” Matney has told City Council members.
It costs 75 cents an hour to park at metered spaces, a maximum of $10 a day to park in a city-owned garage and $8 to pay a ticket for an expired meter. Monthly rates for reserved garage spaces range from $52 to $105.
This story was originally published June 3, 2017 at 8:05 AM with the headline "Scrounge up your pocket change to feed Columbia parking meters an hour later now."