by Mark Sproxton
Northern News Services

NNSL (DEC 11/96) - Parking meters. Some people love them, others detest them.

The argument of whether the steel coin-collectors help or hinder business has arisen on 50th Street.

Since the addition of 33 metered spaces along the downtown street about a month ago, Ted Yaceyko of The Sportsman said he has seen two changes in customers.

Firstly, there has been a drop in the number of people who come into the store to browse, he said.

And secondly, those who do come are sometimes pre-occupied with worrying about the time left on the meter, he added.

"There are no more of the customers who come to look and see and spend 15 or 20 minutes," Yaceyko said. "And if I do get a customer who stops there, he's looking over his shoulder to see if bylaw is there."

But Gil Cox, head of municipal enforcement, said he is surprised to hear business people concerned about the meters.

"We consulted with the business people and tried to meet their needs," he said. "As far as I know, I'm not aware of any complaints we've received."

The Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce has been supportive of the parking- meter concept.

The chamber and many individual business people say the parking meters keeps space open so more people have a chance to run quickly into a store and then move on to their next order of business.

"If the street is open, that just means it's available for people to use," Cox said.

Yaceyko stands by his concerns the meters are a hindrance to business.

"It makes me wonder how the city got along to this point," he said. "I think the city is trying to pluck the last feather from the golden goose."

Dale Johnston of Wolverine Sports, who is also on 50th Street and just north of where the new metres were installed, said he hasn't noticed a change in the number of customers.

"It's actually been busy, earlier this Christmas season," he said.

But Yaceyko said he is entertaining the thought of moving from the downtown core and opening in a section of the city where parking isn't as restricted.

There are about 14,000 vehicles registered to people with Yellowknife addresses. About 13,000 vehicles travel on Franklin avenue each day.