MACON, Ga. — Every day, dozens of people in downtown Macon use the parking meters and that includes some of the people who work in the area.
For some, it can get costly to park if they're using the meters daily. The Urban Development Authority said there are ways around paying a lot of money just to park for work.
No matter the time of day, it's a safe bet someone is looking for a parking spot downtown.
Ashley Mason works in the area.
"We work 10 to 12-hour shifts, so parking can be very costly and inconvenient," Mason said.
She usually parks on the street right outside her job.
A parking garage, about two blocks from the shop, is designated for long-term parking. However, she prefers to park closer.
"It's a safety issue walking from the shop to the deck to our vehicles [and] we don't feel safe all the time at night," Mason said.
Besides that, she told 13WMAZ she is paying about $300 a month to park near her job.
"It's very inconvenient when we have to keep running out to the meter or checking our phones to make sure we have enough time so we don't get ticketed," Mason said.
The meters located downtown have a maximum time of three hours.
Alex Morrison with the Urban Development Authority said it's designed that way so long-term parkers don't impact customers who need to get in and get out.
"There had been a lot of stagnant business growth and one of the reasons that a lot of lenders gave for not supporting retail and storefront business downtown was the lack of available parking," Morrison said.
If you're like Ashley and safety is a concern, Alex said there are ways to not break the bank because of parking.
"Our preference would be for employees to reach out to us and do bulk parking plans for their employees," Morrison said.
He adds anyone working downtown can call the Park Macon office and see about their options.
"We will provide cheaper rates for downtown employees if needed, especially if it's a bulk rate," Morrison said
It's important to note this is available not only in the Mulberry parking deck, which is public but in other private parking decks too.
Ashley, however, still prefers to be close to her job.
"The business downtown would really appreciate it if we had the option of having a parking decal, because the meter fees, the distance and the safety of the parking deck is just inconvenient," Mason said.
If you're interested in learning more about those discounted rates, go to Park Macon's website.