More open parking spaces in downtown Ballard has meant means better customer flow for businesses, now that the community has gotten used to the automated pay systems installed in late 2005.

The green pay stations replaced the old hand cranked parking meters. They were installed on both sides of Northwest 56th Street, the south side of Northwest 57th Street and parts of 24th Avenue Northwest and Market Street.

The city says automated pay systems are working fairly well and the result has been better parking turnover.

In past years, the city experimented by placing two hour parking hoods on meters along Northwest 56th Street. This was done to free up parking on retail oriented Market Street where there was two hour free parking.

People tended to park too long on Northwest 56th Street with the two-hour hooded meters, according to the city, and the kiosks eventually replaced the free spots.

The pay stations charge $1.50 per hour with a two hour limit, and across the city, 1,500 pay stations have been installed.

The changes were made after Seattle Police, the Seattle Department of Transportation, Ballard businesses and residents met to discuss parking problems. Based partly on community recommendations, parking direction signs were installed, load zones were re-evaluated and paid parking was extended.

Consultations were hired in 2005 to study parking trends in Ballard from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. They looked each half-hour to see which parking spots were filled with cars.

Meghan Shepard, associate transportation planner for the city's department of transportation, said it made sense to try to create better parking turnover, especially in a busy neighborhood like Ballard.

The study found that with free two hour parking, some people exceed that time limit, sometimes staying hours over.

"It's a delicate balance," said Shepard. Some residents or employees need all-day spaces, but the top priority is parking for customers, she said.

Ballard Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Beth Miller said she has heard no complaints about the pay stations.

"It is doing what its intent was," said Miller.

"They are working out great," said Crystal Carlson, co-owner of Great Harvest Bread Company on Market Street. "I notice more open spaces. I'm definitely seeing a lot more movement."

The pay stations have also benefited small businesses that depend on regular customer flow, said Mary Hurley, owner of Best Regards and president of the Ballard Merchants Association.

"It has made a difference in turnover of customers," said Hurley. "Customers can now find parking on Market Street. It has been good for business. People come and park, shop and leave space for new people."

The 2005 study did determine, however, that the two hour free parking on Ballard Avenue was working and it was left unchanged.

Shepard said her department is committed to coming back to Ballard and assessing the parking situation to see if it is working to maintain what she said again was a "delicate balance."

For some people, getting used to the pay stations took some adjustment. When they were put in, volunteers from the Goodwill Industries job-training program were sent out roaming the streets to help people use the new parking system.

"Initially people did not know how to use them," said Miller. "I've seen people helping others. For tourists, it's a challenge."

Just last week Hurley helped a well-dressed man in a suit and briefcase use a parking station for the first time.

Parking is especially heavy during evenings and weekends when people come to Ballard to take in a movie at the Majestic Bay Theatre, and enjoy the neighborhood's many restaurants and bars.

Hurley said she's driven to her store on Market Street on a Sunday night and found it difficult to find parking nearby.

Many employees also use up parking spots meant to be reserved for customers in downtown Ballard. Others park in all day spots on residential streets.

But the city has said employee parking is not its priority. It would like to see employees take the bus or use other alternative transportation to get to work.

Ballard based graphic designer Hovie Hawk said people should be able to park close to work if the city's public transportation system isn't meeting their needs.

If Seattle is serious about getting people to ride the bus, they should make buses come much more often, he said.

"If your job is to be here eight to 10 hours a day, there has to be somewhere to park, otherwise jobs go elsewhere," said Hawk.

The city and county are implementing programs to boost bus service in Seattle.

Voters approved the Transit Now initiative last year that aims to increase King County Metro bus service15 to 20 percent in the next ten years, including some of Ballard's major routes like the 44 from Ballard to the University District and routes to downtown.

The goal is to get up to 60,000 drivers off the road and into buses each weekday to curb congestion, according to Metro.

Hawk said Seattle should look to European cities, such as Milan, Spain, for examples of efficient and effective public transit. When visiting his Milan office, Hawk said he uses the city's public transportation because it's reliable and frequent.

"Milan has a great (system)," said Hawk. "The subway or bus comes every five minutes."

Dean Wong may be contacted at 783.1244 or dino@robinsonnews.com.