Meter (un)made: Broken parking meters frustrate Fourth Avenue businesses, shoppers

Visitors to Tucson’s Fourth Avenue district are facing an awkward choice when they find a parking meter that will not work: try another way to pay, risk a citation, or leave without knowing whether they have followed the rules. The problem is affecting shoppers, diners and businesses along one of the city’s busiest commercial corridors, where nearly half of the metered parking spaces were out of service at the time of a recent report.

Park Tucson transportation administrator Brandon George said 185 of the district’s 382 metered spaces were not operating. That represented about 48 percent of the meters, a particularly visible problem after the city increased the hourly parking rate from $1 to $1.50 on July 1, 2026. The increase followed a May 5 Tucson City Council vote, and the timing has left some business owners and customers questioning why they are being asked to pay more while so many payment stations remain unreliable.

The immediate cause is a shortage of replacement batteries. Park Tucson said it ordered 500 batteries but received only 50, an example of the supply problems delaying repairs. The department received that shipment shortly before the report, and workers installed all 50 batteries by Monday morning. That returned another 50 meters to service, but it did not resolve the district’s larger problem. If conditions otherwise remained unchanged, roughly 135 of the previously reported broken meters would still need attention.

For people parking on Fourth Avenue, the condition of the equipment can be difficult to interpret. Gina White, who was shopping in the district on a Tuesday afternoon, found a meter with a screen so dim that its instructions were barely visible. A visitor may not know whether the machine has accepted payment, whether it is completely disabled, or whether using it could create a later dispute. Park Tucson said drivers should turn to the GoTucson Parking app or the city’s text or phone payment system when those options are available and functioning at a location.

That workaround does not automatically eliminate enforcement concerns. Park Tucson said a driver may still be cited when a meter is not working if another payment method is available. Parking violations unrelated to the meter, including expired vehicle registration, can also lead to a citation. The city lists the fine for parking at an expired meter as $42. Drivers can use the GoTucson Parking app or call 520-441-3752 to pay by phone, but those options may be less familiar or less convenient than using the machine beside the vehicle.

The uncertainty is especially concerning for businesses that rely on customers deciding to visit, stay and spend money in the district. Maria Mazon, the chef and owner of Fourth Avenue restaurant Boca, said the combination of parking charges and unreliable meters could make the area feel less welcoming. She described the situation as discouraging people who are trying to support local businesses, especially when the cost of parking is added to a meal, shopping trip or evening out.

Mazon also pointed to broader pressures on the avenue, including longer parking hours, free bus fares and what she described as increased transient activity. In her view, the meter troubles add to a growing sense that visiting Fourth Avenue requires customers to accept more costs and inconvenience. For restaurants and retailers, even a small barrier can matter, because a potential customer may choose another destination rather than deal with unclear payment rules or search for a working meter.

Park Tucson has acknowledged the frustration but cannot yet say when every Fourth Avenue meter will be operational. The department said the schedule depends on the arrival of the remaining batteries, and that it is communicating with its vendor while continuing installations as supplies become available. The city expects the July rate increase to produce additional revenue, although the amount will depend partly on how many meters are actually functioning. Officials said that money is intended to support parking operations, facility improvements, maintenance and updated technology.

The meter repairs are unfolding as the city tries to modernize and fund its parking system, but the current experience is putting that longer term plan up against a basic question for residents and visitors: how can they reliably pay for a space today? Until more batteries arrive and additional machines are restored, drivers on Fourth Avenue will need to check whether a meter works, use the app or phone option when possible, and understand that a broken machine may not by itself protect them from enforcement. For the district’s businesses, the hope is that repairs will arrive soon enough to prevent parking confusion from becoming another reason customers stay away.