Sarasota's mayor assists with new meters

The new parking meters were in use downtown for the first time today, and to ease drivers into paid parking, the city has dispatched “parking ambassadors” to instruct people on how to use the meters.

Mayor Suzanne Atwell was one of those ambassadors today, working a two-hour shift in the 1500 block of Main Street.

“It’s a sea change in Sarasota,” she said. “It’s an important day.”

The mayor heard both praise and criticism during her shift.

Some told her how easy it was to use the meters, while others criticized the decision to move to a paid-parking system.

“You’re forcing people away (from downtown) or to go to St. Armands,” said one driver.

Another man told the mayor he would never visit Sarasota again.

One noticeable difference on Main Street today was that there were several empty parking spots per block. Usually, all spaces are occupied for most of the day. One of the goals of the paid-parking program is to constantly have a few free parking spots.

There are more than 450 metered spaces from Orange Avenue to Gulfstream Avenue and McAnsh Square to Second Street.

Most cost $1 per hour. Spaces along Gulfstream Avenue are 50 cents per hour.

More than 1,000 free spaces downtown still exist for those who do not want to pay.

Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].