Congratulations to members of Downtown Lawrence Inc. for leading the way on a plan to increase downtown parking revenue. The plan they put on the table earlier this month has many positive features but might benefit from a little additional tweaking.

There are two basic reasons to control parking. One is to provide revenue, and the other is to encourage parking “churn,” the need for people to finish their business and move their cars so their parking spaces become available to someone else.

Although everyone likes to complain about the expense of parking downtown, the cost of parking is not nearly as great a deterrent to downtown patrons as the inability to find a parking place. With that in mind, raising the cost of parking on Massachusetts Street and charging people to park in the early evening and on Sunday afternoon is a reasonable step.

Even though the cost of parking on Massachusetts would nearly double, it still would cost only 50 cents an hour. Under the Downtown Lawrence proposal, meters would be enforced from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. instead of the current 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Saturday. Meters also would be enforced from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The switch in hours is an accurate acknowledgment of the busiest times for downtown parking, the times when merchants would want to maximize the parking churn.

The plan to convert two parking meters in each block to 15-minute meters also is a good idea that would accommodate people who just have a quick errand to run. Those spaces would need to be well-marked so people won’t be parked and out of their cars before they realize they aren’t at a longer-term meter.

Perhaps more problematic is the proposal to reduce the time limit on Massachusetts Street meters from two hours to 90 minutes. Ninety minutes is barely enough time to enjoy a leisurely lunch, let alone do any incidental shopping. People who come downtown for happy hour after work might have to interrupt their dinner to feed the meter before the 7 p.m. cutoff. Raise the fees, but leave the time limits alone.

Of course, for many people, simply paying a ticket is preferable to worrying about the meter running out. That’s a problem that increasing the fine for overtime parking from $2 to $3 is unlikely to solve. Most out-of-town visitors are amazed at how inexpensive parking tickets are in Lawrence. Why worry about the meter if the tickets are so low? Parking in downtown Topeka is 90 cents an hour, but a ticket for overtime parking costs $8. Meter limits will be far more effective if the overtime parking fine is higher.

Whatever changes are made, the city should make every effort to help visitors understand the parking regulations and avoid tickets. The arrows on current parking meters continue to be confusing for many. Change machines at a few downtown locations also might be appreciated.

Residents and visitors also should keep in mind that the cost and convenience of parking in downtown Lawrence is nowhere near as bad as in many other cities. Paying for parking is a minor inconvenience, but we’re fortunate to have a downtown that so many people want to patronize.