Some businesses in Windsor's Walkerville neighbourhood want parking meters removed from their district.

The business improvement association there thinks more people would come to shop if the meters were yanked between Chilver Road and Gladstone Avenue.

Chantal Jhawar, who owns Gourmet Emporium, wants the meters pulled.

"The last thing you want is to go in to have lunch somewhere and come out and have a ticket," she said. "Or you go in and buy a coffee and come out and have a ticket.

"Parking here is a little bit of an issue and it's becoming busier and busier."

Debbie Kay frequently shops in the area and is puzzled by why there are meters there in the first place.

"I don't understand why you have to pay for parking at the meters here," she said. "I don't have to do it when I'm in Riverside. I don't have to do it in Sandwich. I don't have to do it in lots of neighbouring communities."

Coun. Alan Halberstadt represents the Walkerville area and said he is not sure he wants meters removed.

"I know in talking among the executive of the BIA earlier this week, some of them said maybe it should be all or nothing, and right now, there's a scattergun approach," he said.

City administrators recommend the business association's request be denied. The city said free street parking has been tried before and didn't work.

"Downtown has tried in the past to try free parking one particular year. They had free parking where the meters were not enforced for the month of December, it was a bit of a disaster because what ended up was all the employees ended up parking on those meters and did exactly the opposite of what they were trying to do," said Mike Palanacki, the executive director of operations of public works.

Meters have time limits. That means employees or residents can't hog spots all day.

We do want these areas available for customers so if there is only two hour parking, I know that someone that's shopping or whatever will be heading on their way, that car won't be out front of my shop all day," said Louise Jones, who owns Jones & Co. Vintage.

The meters on Wyandotte Street East provide an average weekly revenue of about $500.

In total, there are approximately 5,000 spaces in Windsor's parking program. They spaces generate about $3.5 million per year.

The Walkerville BIA said it would not officially comment at this point because it wants to wait until discussing the matter further at its annual general meeting on Dec. 19.