AUSTIN -- Parking is about to get a little more organized - and costly - for one Austin bar district.
Meters will be activated on Thursday, Feb. 28, in the Rainey Street District as part of an effort to ease pains along the crowded street.
The activation includes 31 pay stations along Rainey Street, East Avenue, Davis, Red River, Cummings, River and Lambie Streets - as well as the parking lot of the nearby Mexican American Cultural Center.
City officials say the bar district has about 300 available on-street parking spaces. About 15 will be added, and another 125 spaces will be available at the MACC.
Metered parking will be $1 an hour and includes the following hours:
- Mon-Wed: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Thurs-Fri: 8 a.m. to midnight
- Saturday: 11 a.m. to midnight
Paid parking hours at the MAAC will be:
- Mon-Sat: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ($1 an hour)
- Mon-Sat: 6 p.m. to 3 a.m.($5 flat fee)
City leaders are also discussing making Rainey Street a one-way street in the future, and adding sidewalks and bike lanes.
