Parking Rates Rise for St. Pete Beach Visitors
- October 21, 2022
Commissioners vote to raise metered parking rates for visitors and allow residents to park for free
Soon, visitors of St. Pete Beach will have to pay more than ever before to park in metered spaces. What does this mean for residents? We will fill you in on the details below.
During the October 11th meeting, Community Development Director, Michelle Gonzalez, proposed an ordinance to increase the metered rates by 50 cents an hour. The ordinance also includes an increase for boat trailer and holiday parking rates to $20 per day.
The current parking rate on St. Pete Beach is $3.25 an hour, with boat trailer and holiday parking at $15 per day.
“I don’t think even at $3.75 an hour we’re not out of whack when it comes to what the value is,” said Mayor Al Johnson. “All you need to do is go to the commercial lot over there on Treasure Island and they’re charging $5.50 to $6 an hour.”
City Commission Meeting Oct 11
But what does this mean for residents? In addition to the raise of parking rates, the ordinance includes a proposal to eliminate the fees associated with annual residential parking permits. Currently, residents of St. Pete Beach have to pay an annual fee of $20 for a parking permit. If this proposal passes, residents will no longer be required to pay an annual fee for a parking permit. That’s right, if this proposal passes, St. Pete Beach residents will be able to park in metered spaces for free.
Providing residential parking permits for free, will decrease the City’s revenue by $65,000. It is estimated that the 50 cent increase for metered parking will generate approximately $400,000 in additional revenue and make up for the $65,000 loss.
These additional funds will be used to enhance public beach accesses, beach maintenance and related projects, Gonzalez said. “We added staff, a beach manager, and will enhance some of the beach accesses,” she said. “Where you see the little beach accesses, we want to beautify those, so that revenue is going to offset those improvements.”
These changes will likely go into effect after the second reading of this ordinance on October 25th. For questions, comments, and concerns, contact your commissioner for more information.
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