Customers and businesses share worries about finding free parking along Park Avenue

ROCHESTER, N.Y. It’s now going to cost you some money to park your car on Park Avenue. As News10NBC found out, the change isn’t popular with everyone.

The lot is located across the street from Stever’s Candies and is quite popular when it’s hard to find on-street parking. Now it will cost you $2 per hour.

“I am disappointed because my friends will probably have more issues with the idea of parking as opposed to the free parking of the past,” said Rochester resident Janet Ferrante.

What was once free is no longer the case if you park your car at the larger section of the Park Avenue Public Parking Lot. Dozens of green and white signs have gone up in the lot next to a 7-11 and other businesses letting you know to pay up or risk having your car towed away.

“It seems a little high for having lunch,” Linda Pasnak said. “We’re probably there over an hour so it would be an extra $4 for lunch. So it could be that we choose somewhere else to go instead of coming to Park Ave.”

Deborah Dishaw-Smith owns Deborah Jean & Company. A women’s clothing store on Park Ave. and her customers use this lot, but she says so do employees of other businesses.

“The employees are parking and that takes up parking spots for the customers that want to come here,” said Smith. “So I totally get it.”

There are still some free spots in the same lot. Chris Fowler, an employee of Park Ave. Laundromat said, “They get taken, and it’s going to affect all the other little streets because people are going to park there instead, and it’s going to hurt our business and all the business in this area.”

Dishaw-Smith tells News10NBC if her business is impacted by pay for parking, she has a plan.

“I will tell my customers if you can show me that you paid for parking, and you spend more than $20 with me, I will give you $2 off your purchase to refund your parking fee,” said Dishaw-Smith.

You can pay for parking by simply using the QR Code reader on your phone. Alloco Real Estate Management owns the parking lot. News10NBC reached out to it for a comment but hasn’t heard back from the company.