PROVIDENCE -- Providence Mayor David Cicilline's free parking for shopping during the holidays is not working so well for some city merchants.
Richard Hegeman owns Hegeman Jewelers. He said business during this holiday season has only been fair.
"It's partially due to the economy and I think a contributing factor is the parking situation on South Main Street," he said.
Since there's free parking all day at metered spaces, employees from the nearby courthouse and some from other government offices are taking parking spots early and are staying all day.
It's leaving holiday shoppers out of the stores.
Heidi Keller owns Capucine, a clothing store.
"There's not parking. I have customers who call me, and give me their credit cards over the phone to make purchases. So it's been a little challenging," she said.
Both Hegeman and Keller give the mayor credit for easing parking restrictions for the holidays. However they're not happy with free parking all day.
Cicilline told NBC 10 that might change next year.
"In the downtown, there are areas where if people have used it to park to go to work, and it hasn't worked for the benefit of the merchants. Obviously, we have too look at it and that's about whether we can do it at different times, constrict the time so it's not all day," he said.
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