Parking meters aren't generally cause for celebration, but new ones just installed on High Street in the heart of Downtown are a sign of progress.

Parking meters aren�t generally cause for celebration, but new ones just installed on High Street in the heart of Downtown are a sign of progress.

The meters added to the west side of High between Gay and Long streets were made possible after the Central Ohio Transit Authority moved a bus stop that had been there. The change was made to streamline stops and service.

The resident population of Downtown has increased significantly in recent years, bringing even more vitality to the city center. Proprietors of the growing number of storefronts and restaurants increasingly have been saying that their customers need better access to parking to maintain the momentum of Downtown businesses.

The city of Columbus has been working to balance this call with the need to get around town by car and bus. For example, the city recently began to allow some street parking during rush hours on Third and Fourth streets, which are major arteries in and out of the city for commuters.

Plans by COTA to redirect more bus traffic off of High Street also should help eliminate some of the congestion and make businesses more visible on what long has been Columbus� major retail thoroughfare.

This is all good news as more businesses, residents and visitors make their way Downtown.