GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — The new Uptown Greenville parking regulations we’ve been talking about leading up to 2023 are now in effect.

Despite some ongoing discussions between city officials that have been ongoing since before the coronavirus pandemic, those parking restrictions are now in place. Whether you’re parking for work or visiting a business, there are some things you need to know as the new plan has gone into effect. A few of the major changes to parking involve those who purchase reserved or unreserved parking spots.

An annual reserved spot now costs $840, while an unreserved spot costs $600. For surface lot parking, it will cost $.75 per hour. The first hour is free.

“To try to get as much turnover as we can for the on-street that’s located conveniently to businesses, and we feel like that helps businesses in the long run because they get more people in and out of their doors,” City of Greenville Public Information Officer Brock Letchworth said about the reason for the parking regulation changes.

You can get the Passport Parking Program mobile app to help pay for parking through your phone. While nobody likes the prospect of having to pay to park, this is about as good a process as one new resident to the city could hope for with regard to parking.

“Me and my sister we actually live really close to the area, so I don’t think it will affect us too much,” said Shaila Kennedy. “But thinking about like especially my friends, like I’m in grad school right now so whenever we do come up to Uptown, I could definitely see it effecting us, especially when we’re going out. I don’t really know how it’s going to go through.”