Dearborn launched a three-hour parking limit at four West Downtown parking locations on Monday, Oct. 5, after nearly four dozen businesses provided feedback about parking availability, according to the city’s announcement.

The one-year pilot program covers Lot D at 925 Monroe St., Lot E at Monroe Street and West Village Drive, Lot H at Mason Street and West Village Drive, and the ground floor of the Wagner Place Parking Deck at 1034 Monroe St. All four sit near Michigan Avenue, west of Oakwood Boulevard, in the dining and café district.

The three-hour limit runs from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, according to the city's announcement. Dearborn police handle enforcement. The Detroit News, in a report republished by AOL, reported that parking violations generally are civil infractions punishable by fines of up to $100 under city code. The city will waive the limits during designated city events. Vehicles parked in designated accessible spaces with valid permits are exempt from time-limit enforcement.

Economic Development Director Jordan Twardy said in the Oct. 1 press release that the city's nine-member Parking Advisory Commission acted after hearing from the businesses. "Balancing the needs of customers, visitors, and employees is critical to making sure our businesses can continue to thrive," Twardy said.

Employees and business owners still have access to hundreds of unrestricted spaces on the upper levels of the Wagner Place deck and the East and West parking decks on West Village Drive.

Not everyone is sold. Gigi Alyawl, a resident of the West Village Lofts near Michigan Avenue and Mason Street, told The Detroit News, in a report republished by AOL, that her building has only five first-come, first-served parking spots. She typically parks in a nearby structure and worries the new limits could complicate that. She called the three-hour cap "arbitrary," though she said she understands the reasoning behind it.

Workers feel the squeeze, too. Sayed Noman, assistant manager at Turkish Village Cuisine on Michigan Avenue, called the pilot "a positive thing" for customers but said employees are complaining about having to park farther away, according to The Detroit News. Area worker Zahraa Elghoul told WDIV she had to walk farther to reach her car and expects winter to make it harder.

The restrictions mark a shift for West Downtown. The city adopted a paid-parking plan in 2004 with a rate of 50 cents an hour, using the proceeds to help finance two garages. It stopped charging at West Downtown surface lots and structures in 2014, and most meters had been decommissioned by 2015, according to The Detroit News.

The Parking Advisory Commission meets quarterly and will evaluate the pilot's results, making adjustments as needed, according to the city.