SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The City of San Diego installed new parking meters in some of Pacific Beach's busiest streets. These meters activated Wed., so parking in the area just got more expensive.
"I just think they're unnecessary," said Marcy, who has lived in Pacific Beach for ten years. "They bring on more complications.:
The new meters charge $1.50 an hour, with a two-hour time limit. So Marcy worries they might force people to pump the breaks when they visit PB.
"I don't know who's benefiting. The residents aren't," said Marcy. "It affects the businesses too. If someone parks in here two hour and goes to the beach, they're not going to the business."
Sunny Lee is the executive director of Discover Pacific Beach. She thinks the opposite will happen ... and the meters could help businesses get more customers.
"We're excited for businesses to get the turnover they've been looking for," said Lee.
While some people living nearby don't want to pay, Lee says it may be worth it to put money back into Pacific Beach.
"We've already started some of the programming that these meters are gonna be funding," said Lee. "Part of that is our new beach bug shuttle that you see around Pacific Beach."
If you plan to use the new meters, make sure to bring your phone or your credit card ... because they don't accept coins.
The parking meters in Pacific Beach are part of a year-long pilot program. City officials will decide whether or not to keep them permanently next year.
