The cost of metered parking downtown may be about to triple, and that has some merchants concerned.

The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday will consider a proposal to increase parking meter fees from 25 cents for 90 minutes to 25 cents for 30 minutes.

Maria Martin, director of Downtown Lawrence Inc., said some retailers were worried the increase would deter shoppers from coming downtown.

“One never knows,” she said. ” I think anytime you make a change and the rate goes up, a lot of people are upset by this.”

But City Manager Mike Wildgen said downtown had weathered parking meter fee increases in the past.

“Apparently people are still coming downtown,” he said.

Plus, the fees help beautify downtown and attract shoppers — paying for flower beds, new parking and pothole repair, he said.

“Over time, people understand it costs more to do those things,” Wildgen said.

Now, motorists pay 25 cents to park a car for 90 minutes along Massachusetts Street. They pay less — 10 cents an hour — to park in long-term lots along Vermont and New Hampshire streets. Violators get $2 fines if the meter expires.

Motorists who leave their cars in the parking garage at 10th and New Hampshire streets park free for the first two hours. The city also has 67 free parking spaces in the parking lot at Borders Books Music & Cafe at 700 N.H.; those spaces soon will be transferred to a new condominium project along Eighth Street, and many will be metered.

Parking meter revenues totaled $157,470 through the first six months of 2003. Parking fines brought in another $154,109. Wildgen said he was unsure what the increased fees would bring to city coffers.

“It’s very difficult to project,” he said.

Officials say the increase will serve two purposes: raise needed revenues, and provide an incentive for downtown employees to move their cars to less-expensive lots, a shift that would help downtown shoppers find parking spaces and make the city’s central business district more inviting.

“Obviously we don’t want to do things that will keep customers away. We need businesses to help us make sure people are parking where they’re supposed to park,” Mayor David Dunfield said. “If the convenient shorter-term spaces are being taken up by employees, that’s hurting the businesses.”

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The recommendation from the Downtown Parking Advisory Board would increase the 90-minute maximum along Massachusetts to two hours. There would be no increase in parking fines, despite an earlier proposal to raise them to $5 from $2.

Parking is monitored between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Parking on Sunday is free in all areas.

Martin said merchants could accept the fee increases if the extra time limit was approved and the fines weren’t increased.

“It’s something that none of us wants to see happen, but it’s better than the rates that could have happened,” she said. “I hope people are not terribly upset by this.”

The commission meets at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall, Sixth and Massachusetts streets.