Coleman backs off plan to put meters on St. Paul's Grand Avenue

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman is giving up on his controversial plan to put parking meters on Grand Avenue, one of the city's most vibrant commercial corridors.

The proposal had run into furious opposition and Coleman says he doesn't have enough support on the City Council.

"It is clear that in the absence of Council support, this proposal cannot go forward," Coleman said. "I recognize that this is a very emotional issue. It was very clear, very evident in the community meeting we had a week and a half ago."

Hundreds of nearby residents and business owners jeered the proposal at that meeting. Coleman says he still believes parking meters are a good idea.

The meters were expected to bring the city hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Coleman had been counting on that revenue as part of his 2016 budget.