Action 3 News - Omaha, Nebraska News, Weather, and Sports | Midtown Crossing Parking Meters Cause Confusion
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Omaha, NE - Parking problems arising at Midtown Crossing. There is confusion at the meters that is costing some drivers money.
Many in Omaha are not used to plugging the meters after 5 PM or on the weekends. But at Midtown Crossing, there are different time polices and that's catching drivers off-guard at off-peak times.
Parking meters are catching some drivers by surprise at Midtown Crossing. "I knew as soon as I pulled up. I didn't know they had meters," said Midtown visitor Julie Sebastian.
If you are used to parking downtown, the hours of parking meter operation might catch you off guard. "The hours of enforcement go until 6 P.M. at night and Saturdays. The downtown hours of meter enforcement go until 5 P.M., and are not enforced on Saturday," said Todd Pfitzer who is a traffic engineer for Omaha's Public Works Department.
People coming early for the free Jazz on the Green concert, may end up paying some cash because the meters at Downtown Crossing end at six. So when they come back from the concert, they could find a ticket on their car.
The meters also run on Saturday until 6 PM. The weekend hours were not quite the original recommendation from the developer, according to Omaha's Public Works Department. "They originally requested that we enforce on Friday and Saturday nights until midnight. They also wanted enforcement on Sunday," said Pfitzer.
In a statement, Midtown Crossing says extra business is the reason behind the extended hours. The company says "the meters will foster customer turnover which helps retailers so that customers pull in and pull out of parking stalls".
There are also 3,000 spots at the Midtown Crossing Garage which is free for the first 3 hours. If all the spots are taken just make sure you have enough change. "I was luckily that I had some change. If I didn't have the change, I probably would have just parked and seen what happened," said Sebastian.
The cost of a parking ticket in Midtown Crossing is $16.
Reported By: Geoff Tyler gtyler@action3news.com
