Lawrence city commissioners are being asked to reconsider their decision not to provide some short-term parking spaces in downtown Lawrence.

The request on Tuesday’s agenda is for the city to give a 12-month test to placing four 15-minute meters in each downtown block of Massachusetts Street. The plan also calls for charging a $5 overtime parking fine on those meters instead of the standard $3.

The purpose of the meters would be to accommodate people who have just a quick errand to do downtown. It would allow people to run into the bank, pick up a newly framed picture or grab a carryout order. The 15-minute spaces wouldn’t always be available, but they would encourage many customers to patronize downtown businesses for a variety of reasons.

The main reason commissioners turned down this proposal when they made other downtown parking changes in July was that they though the short-term meters would be confusing to motorists. The meters should be clearly marked so that drivers won’t pull into them by mistake, but once people get used to them, they will be a real convenience for many downtown patrons.

Limiting a few downtown meters to 15 minutes was a good idea when it was proposed last summer, and it still is a good idea. Commissioners need to take another look at the measure, which could benefit many downtown businesses.