DEARBORN — The city of Dearborn began implementing a pilot program on Monday that limits free parking to a maximum of three hours at several parking locations in West Downtown, replacing unrestricted free parking.

The measure covers four parking locations in the commercial district, which is busy with restaurants, cafés and other attractions.

The time limit will apply from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, with exceptions during city-organized events, when enforcement will be temporarily suspended.

The parking locations covered by the pilot program are all situated around Michigan Avenue between Oakwood Boulevard and Mason Street:

• Lot D: Located at 925 Monroe Street, near the Dearborn Historical Museum.
• Lot E: At the intersection of Monroe Street and West Village Drive.
• Lot H: At the intersection of Mason Street and West Village Drive, beside the Wagner Place parking garage.
• The ground floor of the Wagner Place parking garage: Located at 1034 Monroe Street.

City officials said the new pilot program was implemented in response to requests from local business owners, dozens of whom expressed concern about parking conditions in West Downtown amid increasing congestion.

Meanwhile, several downtown apartment residents expressed concern about the new policy because of insufficient parking for their vehicles overnight.

The policy was approved by the city’s Parking Advisory Commission, which will evaluate the program and make adjustments as needed, according to a city statement.

In 2004, Dearborn adopted a plan to install paid parking meters in West Downtown. Revenue collected from the meters, which charged 50 cents an hour at the time, was used to build two new parking garages in the area. However, parking fees faced widespread opposition from local business owners, who believed requiring customers to pay for parking could hurt their businesses.

In 2014, the city stopped collecting parking fees at surface lots and parking garages throughout downtown. By the following year, all parking meters in the area had been removed.

Parking violations in Dearborn are civil infractions punishable by fines of up to $100.