DEARBORN — according to Mayor Jack O’Reilly, an objective to decommission parking meters in west Dearborn is now in full swing. 

At this week’s city council meeting, O’Reilly announced that the city has been revoking parking meters in the business district in downtown Dearborn since late February. 

From Feb. 24- March 3, the city decommissioned the parking meters E, on West Village Drive, east of Monroe; meter F, south of the railroad tracks, east of Monroe; meter G, south of the railroad tracks, between Monroe and Mason and meter I, in the West Village Commons Plaza.

From March 4-10, the city will be decommissioning meters C, located on Garrison Street, between Monroe and Mason and meter D, located east of Monroe, between Michigan Ave. and Mason. 

Parking meter H, located on West Village Drive between Monroe and Mason, is scheduled to be decommissioned between March 11-17.

From March 18-24, the city will decommission parking meter A at Garrison and Military. 

Paid parking inside the two parking decks located between Terry Street and Howard Street near Michigan Ave. have also been eliminated. 

The city estimates it will have most of its paid parking meters decommissioned by the end of March, although there could be slight delays. 

O’Reilly noted that the city might still enforce parking meters in some areas of the district where short term parking policies will be implemented. 

Local business owners welcomed the elimination of paid parking in the area. They’ve claimed for years that paid parking had created a negative impact on their businesses.

The area houses vibrant businesses that includes a Buffalo Wild Wings, Panera Bread, Kabuki Sushi, Moose Martini, iBurger, LeCigar and Famous Hamburger, which opened this week. 

O’Reilly said the city was aiming to decommission paid parking in the area by subsidizing the maintenance for the parking lots and putting it under the fiscal responsibility of the west Dearborn Downtown Development Authority.

The city will also pay for a portion of the maintenance of the parking lots through its general funds.