Free, unlimited Saturday parking is about to be eliminated

The city of Richmond will start enforcing timed parking restrictions in two sections of town on Saturdays beginning this weekend, but is giving folks a two-week grace period.

• So, really, parking enforcement starts Oct. 29.

Why it matters: Until now, Richmonders have enjoyed penalty-free, no-limit street parking on weekends in every part of town that has weekday limits.

• Tickets for exceeding parking time limits start at $25 and increase by $10 after 15 days and again after 30 days if not paid.

The city collected just over $4.5 million in parking citation fees for fiscal year 2022, John Everett, an analyst with Public Works, tells Axios.

Details: The Saturday enforcement will be for most of the Central Business District, from Belvidere to I-95 and Leigh to Broad streets.

• And in Scott's Addition, on Arthur Ashe Boulevard from Broad to Moore streets.

The intrigue: An initial announcement shared by the city on Facebook last week showed a larger part of the downtown included in the enforcement area, extending to Franklin Street.

Driving the news: Business owners in those areas requested the additional enforcement, Everett said.

The other side: Some business owners in the new enforcement areas tell Axios they’re opposed to the changes.

• "I have never had any of my tenants on the Boulevard ask for this," Charlie Dirdour, who owns multiple properties on the stretch, tells Axios.

Of note: Two-hour parking is from 8am-6pm. Sundays will continue to have no enforcement.