Athens City Council introduced an ordinance yesterday to lower the cost of metered parking in the City Parking Garage to equal the cost on the streets.

If the ordinance is passed, metered parking in the garage will cost the same as metered parking on the streets, 25 cents for 30 minutes instead of the same cost for 22 minutes.

“One of the ideas behind this is to get more cars off the street and into the garage,” said Councilwoman Amy Flowers, D-at large.

The city would lose $41,000, or about 23 percent of its 2006 revenue, if the number of cars using metered spots in the garage remains the same, said Flowers. The advantage of longer-term parking meters should draw more drivers into the garage, she said.

To make up for lost revenue, council members have discussed selling passes to business owners for unused fifth-floor spaces. The business owners would then decide how to distribute the passes to their employees to open up more metered parking Uptown.

Council members also introduced an ordinance that will begin the summer road construction season in Athens.

Service-Safety Director Ray Hazlett will have as much as $450,000 to work on roads such as Richland Avenue, West Union Street, Dairy Lane and Home Street if the ordinance is passed.

Andy Stone, director of the city Street Department, can begin accepting bids for the construction as soon as the ordinance passes, which could be in about a month, Flowers said. The first project, which is the resurfacing of North Court Street, could begin as soon as June 11, she said.