On December 9th, the Virginia Beach City Council voted to pass a new Oceanfront parking plan. The two largest changes that are being made are the addition of a free $50 parking voucher for all Virginia Beach residents and a change to the price rates of street, surface lot, and garage parking.
The parking voucher is meant to provide Virginia Beach residents with an affordable way to visit the Oceanfront. It will renew annually with proof of residence and will allow users to receive an additional $50 worth of parking funds for only $25 if they use up the free $50. The voucher will be accessed through a digital app as a way to “modernize and simplify payments,” according to the city of Virginia Beach’s website.
The other major change to Oceanfront parking is changing the cost of parking to a progressive hourly rate system.
Under the old system, the cost to park anywhere around the Oceanfront was $2 per hour. Under the new system, the cost of parking on the street is $1 for the first hour, $2 for the second, $3 for the third, $6 for hours 4-5, $7 for hours 6-7, and $8 per hour starting at hour 8. For parking in parking garages or surface lots, the cost is $1 for the first hour, $2 for the second hour, and $3 per hour starting at hour 3.
“For those users that come and stay for long periods of time, which are the people that we’re really trying to incentivise to move to the surface lots and garages, this should provide that incentive,” said the Department of Public Works on November 25th in a presentation to city council. This change would leave the street parking open to users who plan to stay for shorter amounts of time.
“During the summer, I go to the Oceanfront around 8 times with my family, so that $50 is probably enough for one summer,” said senior Jason Medorial. Medorial does not go to the Oceanfront during the winter, so for him, the $50 voucher would be enough to cover Oceanfront parking for a year.
Under the new system, parking anywhere around the Oceanfront is cheaper for the first two hours and the same cost as the old system for the third hour. After that, no matter where you park, it will be more expensive than the old system.
While it will be cheaper to park in a garage or surface lot rather than on the street for a long period of time, for people who stay at the Oceanfront for extended periods of time, whether for work or just a beach day, the cost of parking will increase.
Although the voucher will help Virginia Beach residents park for cheaper, the increased number of visitors at the Oceanfront is seen as a downside for some.
“I think [the new parking plan] would help a lot of people, but it definitely won’t help the crowding [at the Oceanfront]. For those who don’t go to the oceanfront due to money, it will be very helpful. It’s a good way to get Virginia Beach residents more involved with the Oceanfront,” said senior Anna Gemberling.
The summer season is months away, so the effects of this new parking system will not be seen for a while. The new system provides a clear trade off: both tourists and residents will have to pay a higher rate to park at the Oceanfront, but residents should expect little to no change in the cost for themselves due to the parking voucher. As the new system is put into place, the real effects on Virginia Beach residents remain to be seen.
