BELLEVILLE, Ill. – The Belleville City Council approved a new bill to remove parking meters downtown.

“It is less confusing for people. The meters we’ve had here in Belleville are quite old. They’re getting in disrepair,” David Schoenborn, owner of the Lincoln Theatre, said. “Some of them are even in dangerous conditions because they are falling off or have sharp edges.”

Schoenborn said the parking meters cause a lot of confusion for visitors. That’s because you’ll find free parking lots across the street from some meters.

Schoenborn said removing the remaining meters gives visitors consistency and eliminates the need for repairs. He had this advice for people visiting downtown Belleville.

“There’s lots of free parking. The parking is just behind all of the buildings mostly and now it’s going to be the streets, and all of the buildings will be more accessible to everyone, which I think is a good thing,” he said.

The city expects to begin removing the meters after Christmas.