Parking meters to go in 90-day "trial run"

1965 Lubbock city councilmen, moving rapidly to implement the first phase of an action program for the downtown area, Thursday voted to remove all parking meters within the city for a 90-day "trial run" beginning March 15.

The swift decision came only a few hours after members of the Lubbock Development Corp., armed with their recently adopted Springer Report, proposed six steps "be started at once."

City workers remove downtown parking meters in 1965.

Three of the six, including removal of the parking meters, were given top priority.

The other two on which immediate action was asked - additional one-way streets and head-in parking were referred to a citizens advisory committee, which already had been handed the entire Springer Report for study and recommendations.

Two hours of free parking in general will be allowed, but cars will be chalk-marked on tires, and tickets will be given in an effort to promote "traffic turnover" and prevent motorists from taking advantage and staying in one parking spot too long.

Parking meters produced approximately $60,000 in revenue last year.

The council handed the details of the parking meter removal over to City Mgr. Bill Pitstick and his staff. Their proposals will be studied by councilmen at their next regular meeting March 11.