PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – It will no longer be free to park after 6 p.m. in Providence.

The Elorza administration said Wednesday it is preparing to extend the hours on the city’s 2,100 parking meters until 9 p.m. It’s one of several measures designed to help Providence generate about $4.2 million in meter revenue during the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.

“We’re in the process of going to 9 p.m.,” Evan England, a spokesman for the mayor, told WPRI.com. “Signs are starting to go up but we haven’t announced the switch and meters do not yet reflect that.”

England later clarified that some meters are already charging customers until 9 p.m., but all meters will be changed over by the end of the year.

The city also plans to extend meter limits from two hours to three hours in some parts of the city.

A longtime city law allows meter fees to be in effect from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, but no meter has charged customers after 6 p.m. in recent years. It’s unclear if the city plans to hire more parking enforcement officers.

The city budget for the fiscal year that started July 1, 2015, added about 700 parking meters on Federal Hill, parts of the East Side and near the vacant I-195 land. The city also updated every meter in the city to accept credit cards.

Officials said they thought the changes would generate an additional $2 million in revenue during the current fiscal year.

Providence currently charges $1.25 per hour to park.

Continue the discussion on FacebookDan McGowan ( dmcgowan@wpri.com ) covers politics, education and the city of Providence for WPRI.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter: @danmcgowan