Parking meters, fees and signage were among the topics of a June 13 Mayor and Council discussion about parking in Rockville Town Center.
The discussion was a follow-up to a Feb. 25 work session, during which the Mayor and Council met with parking area owner/operators, merchants and parking users. Participants at that session said that parking fees and expired parking meter fines, as well as customers’ inability to find parking, is putting merchants at a disadvantage when competing with other retail districts that offer free parking.
On June 13, the Mayor and Council requested an estimate of the cost to hire a consultant to perform a comprehensive review of how to improve directional and parking signage in Town Center. The Mayor and Council want to consider the rates charged by the city’s parking meters, the hours the meters are in effect, the fines for meter violations and the idea of instituting a grace period before a parking violation ticket is issued.
Merchants have said they would also like the city to amend its sign ordinance to allow larger and more prominently placed signs indicating parking areas, something the Mayor and Council will consider.
Find a parking map, information about parking discounts and more at www.rockvilleparking.com.
Find more information about city parking at www.rockvillemd.gov/parking and under the June 13 meeting listing at www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter.