New meter costs take a toll on drivers

Norwich (WTNH) - A quarter just doesn't buy you what it used to in Norwich. What used to pay for an hour, now only pays for 20 minutes on the city's meters.

A Jewett City woman sat in her car and didn't feed the meter. So did a lot of other people, who walked away with the meter flashing.

"I don't usually come to Norwich but I won't come now," she said.

Merchants say having the city's 85 meters go from 25 cents an hour to 75 cents an hour is bad for business. Right now only parking lots and garages are metered while street parking is free.

And, parking enforcement officers are really cracking down. A man said he got a ticket for not feeding the meter. "I have this double $30 ticket here," he said.

Gerard Arpin of Norwich is a little more understanding.

"Well, I guess the city needs money," he said.

The parking commissioner said the city does need money. It's losing $20,000 a year because of a drop in leased spaces and it's hoping raising the rates will make up the difference.

"I think it's a little high, I think it's ridiculous," said Anastasia Chamiec of Norwich. "I mean how do they expect people to pay for it?"

The city is hoping to make a total of $42,000 on meters now that the new rates are in place.