Columbia parking meters typically present their hours of operation as 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. all days except Sunday, but have traditionally been enforced neither to 6 p.m. nor on Saturdays outside of Five Points. For years it has been evident that motorists expired meters past 5 p.m. go unpunished, until last week.
Free Times reported Friday that city parking officials will begin enforcing parking violations through 6 p.m. on weekdays. Quoting an email from city parking administrator Elle Matney, the article states that the extension went into effect on June 1.
The announcement comes following several whispers of change, including a January 2015 recommendation by consultants to begin charging for parking on nights and weekends and discussion in September of pushing back the start of free parking to 9 or 10 p.m.
Attempts to contact Columbia’s Parking Services office have been unsuccessful as of Tuesday evening.