The city will be slowly rolling out one of the least anticipated aspects of a parking plan in January, as officials prepare to increase rates and extend enforcement hours for prime downtown spaces.

The city plans to distribute fliers and initially issue warnings for expired meters after the increased rates go into effect next month. Citations will not be issued until Jan. 22 in order to give visitors a chance to grow accustomed to the new system, said Sean Brandon, Mobility and Parking Services director.

"It’s new," Brandon said. "And anything that’s new requires getting used to."

City officials say the increased rates are meant to help increase availability of premium spaces for those who wish to pay the extra cost. A free downtown shuttle, with new simplified routes, is meant to serve those who choose to park farther away.

Ridership has doubled since the new routes went into effect earlier this year, with 42,921 riders between Sept. 25 through November, compared to 21,730 riders during the same period in 2016, according to city officials.

The city hasn’t had as much luck renting out spaces it recently began leasing to provide discounted parking for workers.

Staff has been working with Savannah Downtown Business Association to rent out the 24 spaces at Henry and Whitaker for about $20 a month, but the Liberty Street garage, where spaces cost double that, is still the preferred choice, Brandon said.

"It puts you closer to the heart of downtown," he said.

The Savannah City Council agreed in September to lease the site out for $800 a month after agreeing to move forward with a consultant’s downtown parking plan. The plan includes doubling the cost of parking to $2 per hour for spaces north of Liberty Street and enforcing paid parking in that area on Saturdays. Eventually, the Henry Street lot is expected to be rented out and additional lease agreements for underused parking lots could be forthcoming, Brandon said.

"Some of it is gauging what will happen once the plan is in effect," he said.

The parking plan also includes replacing coin-operated meters with digital meters that accept credit cards. The new meters, which are expected to be installed by the end of the year, are also compatible with a mobile app that allows users to pay for parking with their phones.

Since the app was launched in June it has been used about 42,000 times and has made up about 10-15 percent of parking transactions on a typical day, Brandon said. There has been about a 15-20 percent drop in fines since the app allowed users to pay for parking remotely, which officials say was anticipated.

"We’d much rather have people pay on the system and pay what they want to pay than receive a citation," Brandon said.