Parking pickle

People are getting charged after parking in what they assumed were city-owned lots downtown.

Why it matters: The city stops charging for parking after 5pm and on weekends, but private lots owned by Parking Management Company, or PMC, still charge during those times.

Catch up quick: District 4 Council Bill Kling, who represents downtown, said he's heard from residents who ended up getting charged after mistaking the private lots for public ones.

• He's pushing for a simple fix: better signage. He shared a photo of a PMC sign in Savannah, Ga. that reads "Paid Parking." The signs in Huntsville read, "Public Parking."

What they're saying: "I'm trying to take a direct approach," Kling said. "(I'm) saying change out the signs saying this lot is paid ... similar to people parking at the Civic Center lots, the city parking garages."

• He said the city attorney is working on an ordinance to regulate it more thoroughly, but signage would be the easiest fix.
• "The guys who own the lots are not the bad guys," he said. "We just need everybody to get on the same sheet of music."

How it works: PMC owns two lots downtown: one (with two sections) at 303 Williams Ave. SW and one at 508 Madison St. SE.

In a statement to Axios, PMC said the safety of its locations and customers is of utmost importance.

• "This includes clear directional signage. We work to ensure that PMC signage abides by the necessary regulations and requirements in all locations, so that we may offer safe, seamless parking experiences to Huntsville residents and visitors."

💬 Derek's thought bubble: I stopped by the lot at United Community Bank downtown. It's clear that you have to pay to park there.

• I counted at least 10 "Pay Here" signs with QR codes, but as for whether it's waived after hours like city lots — that's not so clear.

Yes, but: The detailed sign at the entrance to the lot beneath the "Public Parking" sign does say, "No free parking anytime."