Parking meter changes go into effect in Lewes

LEWES, Del. –  Extended parking meter hours in Lewes are getting mixed reviews from residents and visitors.

“Tomorrow (May 1st) the meter season begins,” says Lewes Mayor Ted Becker.

That means tourist season is just around the corner, a busy time for the City of Lewes since it brings thousands of people to the quaint coastal town.

“Lewes enjoys a very active summer and one of our sayings is we enjoy busy days and quiet night and it’s true it does quiet down pretty quickly at night.”

That’s why the city decided to extend its parking meter hours from 6 p.m. to 8 at night to capture the dinner crowd and encourage people to then go about their night.

It’s something the Mayor says wasn’t happening all too often.

“Lewes has many fine restaurants and if you come downtown, a lot of people were aware that the meter stopped at six, so they would wait and then they would just park and be there all evening without doing any churn,” says Becker.

With this change, they’re hoping to create more opportunities for visitors to park and experience downtown. A move some people think is a good idea but not everyone is on board.

John Li, a Lewes resident, believes, “Yes, I think it is totally reasonable and plus if they are willing to park do a little walk there is free parking within a 10 minute walk of here.”

But one visitor, Daniel Morris says, “If they depend on people driving, they need to provide parking make it easier to come into town and so the extended hours and charging for it makes it all the more difficult in my opinion.”

But with parking rates staying the same, the city believes it won’t be an issue.

“Our parking meters downtown are only a dollar an hour so they’re very economical for anyone coming downtown and I don’t think that this will create a major inconvenience for anyone,” adds Becker.

Now the city is also adding ten new meters along Kings Highway, but the mayor says those meters will stop before the residential areas begins. Those meters are expected to be installed in the next month or so.