The leadership of the City of St. Pete Beach is pleased to announce exciting changes to parking options just in time for Memorial Day Weekend. These changes will help reduce congestion and improve the beachgoer’s experience by reducing the amount of time to find a parking spot and the cost associated with parking.
From May 28th-May 31st the City of St. Pete Beach is rolling out flat-rate holiday parking of $15 a day. Holiday rates take affect the holiday weekend of Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day including Friday-Sunday and the observed holiday. The intent is to make it more attractive and affordable to spend the holiday exploring St. Pete Beach, not watching the meter. The St. Pete Beach Freebee service is available from many sites including County Park South. Visitors can park in one place, enjoy the beach and lunch, and then take the Freebee to explore other attractions, beach spots, shops, or restaurants.
In Pass-A-Grille, Park Smart has installed sensors throughout the Pass-a-Grille Way public parking area. This innovative program will launch by Memorial Weekend. Beachgoers with the app or access to the City website can see parking availability in real time. The city is paying a discounted fee of $25,000 per year for the service in Pass-A-Grille. The City will be completing the project in June with adding additional parking sensor along Gulf Way. After this roll-out, the City is will monitor and collect data on the program to consider expanding the real time parking information to other areas within the city.
City Manager Alex Rey said, “We’re using technology to improve the beachgoing experience. We want visitors to enjoy the beauty of our area and spend the day doing so. We’re really excited about these programs and know visitors will be too.”
There are additional plans for the Park Mobile parking meters to send out push notifications to app users as they enter St. Pete Beach. The notifications would encourage users to share real-time updates of parking spaces and availability in much the same way Waze encourages crowd-generated traffic reports.
About the City of St. Pete Beach
The City of St. Pete Beach is a barrier island community located just off the Pinellas County mainland of Saint Petersburg, just south of Treasure Island, and 20 miles from Clearwater Beach. With miles of pristine, white sandy beaches, year-round sunshine, an abundance of recreational opportunities, restaurants, and shopping, St. Pete Beach is one of the most enjoyable places to live and vacation, in the world.
The City of St. Pete Beach has a permanent population of about 10,000 residents but is also a popular winter residence for people living in other parts of the United States, Canada and Europe. Nearly 28 percent of the total residential homes and condominiums in St. Pete Beach are owned by people claiming primary residence elsewhere, reflecting a high volume of seasonal visitors.