The problem of finding Uptown parking, which plagues both merchants and customers, might have become a little easier.

The Athens Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Athens have developed a token-operated parking system to provide Uptown shoppers a chance to park in the city parking garage for a discounted rate.

Athens Mayor Ric Abel announced yesterday at his weekly press conference the city will begin selling the tokens for $1 at the Utilities Billing Office located in the City Building, 8 E. Washington St.

The tokens will be valid anytime a parking garage attendant is not on duty, Abel said. Usually this is from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and all day Sunday. Because there is an attendant on duty Saturdays at only certain times during the year, the tokens also can be used then.

Abel said the new token system is designed not only to bring more customers Uptown, but also so some businesses can use them for promotional purposes.

The new program will not be limited to merchants, however. Churches might find the new system helpful for evening events, Abel said.

In addition, he said the city's goal is to generate a revenue base of about $72,000 a year. This will allow the city to start improvements to the parking garage such as new elevators and aesthetic changes to the stairwells.

However, if not enough money is generated from the token system, Abel said the city will need to re-evaluate it. The "experimental period" is planned to last through December.

Athens Area Chamber of Commerce member Larry Payne is urging businesses to take advantage of the new opportunity. Uptown businesses are unable to compete with free parking at shopping malls in cities such as Lancaster and Parkersburg and this could be a solution, he said. Some businesses might even be willing to extend hours if the new system is successful, he said.

Sentiment from business owners has been positive, with some businesses planning to start the program as early as Saturday.

According to Payne, these businesses are: Bungalow's, 8 S. Court St.; Dalt's Court Street Diner, 18 N. Court St.; Cornwell Jewelers, 10 S. Court St.; Perk's Coffee House & Roastery, 49 S. Court St.; and Baron Men's Shop, 67 S. Court St.

Fred Cluff, owner of Baron Men's Shop, said he is planning to purchase a couple hundred of the tokens for his customers.

"Not a day goes by that we don't have a parking problem," he said. "Anything to alleviate the problem -I'm all for it."

Cluff said he thinks his store could do as much as 25 percent more business if the parking problem is solved.

"Parking is mission impossible up here," he said. "We have some customers drive around looking for spaces anywhere from five minutes to an hour. And even then, they risk getting a parking ticket."

The idea is not just to get people in the stores. Customers only will be given a parking token if they purchase something, pick up an alteration, or conduct some other form of business with the store, Cluff said.

William Duerson, owner of Athena Cinemas, 20 S. Court St., said attendance at the theater has gone down during the week. He points to parking problems as the main issue, noting that his business has more advanced features than some of the competition.

Duerson said he went to the Chamber of Commerce about a year ago requesting that customer parking be free at night and on weekends. In addition to affecting his business, Duerson said many "after movie businesses" such as Perk's or Dalt's are affected by the parking problems.

Unlike the other businesses taking part in the program, the Athena will not begin honoring the token system until May 7, Duerson said.

"It will be interesting to see how effective (the new token system) will be," Duerson said. "I think it will have more long term effects. People's habits are not going to change overnight."