Twin Falls, Idaho (KMVT-TV) The parking meters in downtown Twin Falls are now a thing of the past.

Early Sunday morning the city removed the last remnants of the once controversial meters.

Just after sun up Sunday, the Twin Falls Streets Department went to work downtown removing the last remnants of the decades old parking meters.

"What we're doing is we're cutting off all the meter posts. We've got a crew coming in that's cutting them off and then a crew right behind them that's grouting the posts in so everything is flush with the sidewalk. There's about 120, 130 posts that are coming off. There was 240 meters roughly. Most of them were double meters so there's only single posts," said Mark Thomson, Twin Falls Street Department Supervisor.

The meters were installed in 1974 to encourage steady customer turnover.

But as of late, city council members believed the meters were actually hindering business.

Robert Speer of the Idaho Youth Ranch agrees.

"Not a lot of people carry change anymore for one and two it just wasn't very convenient to have to come down here and spend money to spend money. So, I think it was a good decision," said Robert Speer, Supervisor, Idaho Youth Ranch.

On June 11th the city council approved the removal of all parking meters in the downtown area.

And, the city parking enforcement officer began removing the meters the following day.

As of Sunday afternoon, there was not a meter in sight.
"I think it's a win, win for businesses and for consumers and customers that come down here. It's making it a lot easier for them especially in this economy," said Speer.

Downtown businesses and city leaders have been working to revitalize the once flourishing district.

This could be just the push it needs.

The Twin Falls City Council is deciding what to do with the parking meters.

Some ideas include selling the meters and putting the money into a fund that benefits the city.