Edgartown selectmen approved a series of parking reforms Monday that included additional time allowances at parking spaces, increased fines for violations, and a name change for the Dark Woods Trolley Lot, the sinisterly monikered park-and-ride at the entrance to Edgartown.

The rulings follow the recommendations of the Edgartown planning board and a voluntary parking committee, who have met for the past five months to come up with ways to alleviate parking pressure in downtown Edgartown.

Top of the agenda for the planning board and parking committee was the completion of the renovation of the park-and-ride. Nearly two years ago, $230,000 in spending was approved by residents at the 2006 annual town meeting for repairs that are yet to go ahead. The committee, keen to have paving in place at the park-and-ride by the summer, urged on the work, which includes tree and shrub planting, improved lighting and drainage. Highways superintendent Stuart Fuller, present at the meeting, said he was confident the repairs would be finished by June.

Alison Cannon, representative of the parking committee, said that many of the traffic issues are basic. “A lot of it is signage. There are signs lacking in crucial spots,” she said yesterday by telephone. “If you drive in from Oak Bluffs, there’s no way you can tell where it is.”

In a similar spirit the committee decided on the more descriptive Upper Main Street Park-and-Ride for a new name.

To encourage Edgartown commuters to keep their cars out of town, the committee is also encouraging local restaurant owners to provide van transport to the park-and-ride for employees working as late as 3 a.m. in the summer months.

The committee brought in the board of trade, highway department, the Vineyard Transit Authority and others as well as members of the public before making their recommendations. “We talked to everyone,” said Mrs. Cannon.

Several members also drove several routes through towns, identifying the spots that should be signed, while member Christine Rose went out to take pictures.

The town will also put up clearer signs to the Chappaquiddick Ferry. Last summer ferry owner Peter Wells resorted to putting up his own makeshift signs to direct traffic flow down to the appropriate dock.

Final signage decisions were postponed by selectmen, who will revisit the issue next week amid concerns they may be over-egging the pudding. “There are going to be so many signs that I won’t read any of them,” said a sceptical Michael Donaroma, Edgartown selectman.

Mrs. Cannon said that it was the feeling of the committee that the fine hikes for parking may add more of a disincentive for parking violators.

Edgartown parking spaces where one hour is the time limit will be changed to two-hour spots. However, drivers who extend their stay beyond the allotted time will face heftier fines.

Standard parking fines will go up from $10 to $25; $30 instead of $15 will be charged for a variety of infractions ranging from improper snow removal, to parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant; and the penalty for illegal beach parking was upped to $65 from $50.

“Lots of the summer visitors are very, very rich,” she said. “They don’t care and they are going to park anyway.”

At the same time, she explained that the hour-long window provided tourists with a more reasonable time frame, for lunch, shopping or sightseeing.

The new tickets are expected to be printed and in use by the county within the month.