SEATTLE -- New parking meters installed to control congestion along Westlake Avenue are stirring up frustrations among commuters who say the city's solution only made matters worse.

Yacht broker Brian Calvert has a parking peeve. Finding a free parking slot at work along Westlake just got tougher for him.

"I parked down that way at least a quarter mile or more and had to walk back," he said.

But Calvert's concerns stretch beyond his own situation.

"My employees have no place to park and my customers have no place to park unless they pay," he said.

The city installed meters after a study revealed parking along a strip of Westlake in front of boating businesses and condos is too tight.

"On the vast majority of times people weren't able to drive and find space," said Rick Sheridan with the city's Department of Transportation.

Paid parking with two to three-hour limits create turnover, but also frustration.

"It's not as much (about) the money as having to stop what I'm doing and come out here every two hours and feed the meters."

The DOT kept two-thirds of the stalls as free spots. But those spots fill up early morning, mostly by commuters who leave their cars parked in the spots all day long.

For commuters who don't luck out with one of those free spots, the new meters pose a new hurdle.

"This morning on my way to work I counted 59 empty spaces that used to be servicing community here and now (sit) empty because of the paid parking program," Calvert said.

Some workers say they don't necessarily need free parking, but they do need more options.

"Give me a permit same as the residents across the street or live aboard on the boats living on the dock. I'll pay for it the same as they do," said Bruce McElroy.

Under city regulations, only residents are eligible for parking permits.

The DOT said it would expand the parking meters' time limits from two to ten hours.