The Lancaster Parking Authority got about half of what it wanted Tuesday.

The Lancaster Traffic Commission approved adding parking meters on six city blocks. That will mean 88 additional curbside meters in the city, but far less than the 170 proposed by the parking authority in July.

"What are we trying to solve here? Is this to raise money or turn over spaces?" asked Mayor Rick Gray, acting as Traffic Commission chairman.

Larry Cohen, Parking Authority executive director, said the intent of adding meters was to encourage turnover of streetside parking spaces for downtown business and to encourage use of city parking garages.

The revenue generated from the additional meters would be nominal, Cohen said.

Yet, Traffic Commission members chose to act on individual blocks proposed for metering, rather than consider the authority's overall proposal.

With each block, they asked about the ratio of businesses to residences. And they rejected metering residential blocks — particularly those where residents had spoken out against the meters.

Such was the case in the 400 block of North Prince Street, the first block of East Lemon Street and the 200 block of East King Street.

The areas where the meters will be added are:

• North Water Street, between West Orange and West Chestnut streets.

• North Water Street, between West Walnut and West Lemon streets.

• North Prince Street, between West Walnut and West Lemon streets.

• West Orange Street, between North Water and South Prince streets.

• North Market Street, between West Grant and West Orange streets.

• North Lime Street, between East Lemon and East James streets.

Parking is a thorny issue in the city, Gray said.

"The biggest complaint I get from city residents is parking. The biggest complaint I get from noncity residents is meters," the mayor said.

The 88 additional meters will join the 916 meters now along city streets. There also are 26 electronic kiosks along downtown city blocks. Each kiosk is used to pay for parking for between five and 22 spaces.

It was the introduction of the kiosks in 2009 that provided the authority a surplus of 96 meter heads which will be reused on the additional blocks.

Cohen said there will be no cost to the Parking Authority to install the meters beyond the labor, which will be done by authority staff members. Installation will be done within 60 days, he said.

All meters will have two-hour time limits. The cost to park at the meters is 25 cents for every 10 minutes.

The proposal came as a result of a six-month study of city parking, said Cohen. It was the authority's first comprehensive, city-wide study.

"It was a good process. People who had concerns were able to voice them," he said.

The Traffic Commission first heard the proposal in July but opted to delay action until more study was done and residents and business people were given a second opportunity to be heard.

And, despite Tuesday's votes, part of the proposal remains pending. The addition of 70 meters to Park Avenue, in the northeast part of the city, will be considered by the Traffic Commission on Nov. 15.

bharris@lnpnews.com