Issues to watch 2019: Parking

Before the month is finished, an on-street paid-parking program should go into effect in St. Armands Circle, kicking off a series of parking-related changes expected to take place in 2019.

City Parking Manager Mark Lyons said more changes are set to take place in January or February. A new 500-space parking garage is expected to open soon on St. Armands. The city will increase the hours in which it enforces on-street time restrictions, expanding to 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The amount of free time offered in city parking garages will decrease from three hours to two hours.

One of the most controversial changes, which narrowly received approval from the City Commission and drew vocal opposition from some downtown merchants, will take place later in the year. The city plans to install on-street meters on Main Street and Palm Avenue, a process Lyons hopes to begin in May.

These policies are designed to address a growing deficit in the city’s parking budget. Lyons is quick to point out some spaces in paid parking districts will remain free, but he also believes it will prove beneficial for businesses in those areas.

He knows there is public anxiety about the forthcoming changes, but he hopes the creation of a new parking advisory committee will help address concerns and promote the upsides of paid parking.

“I think that’s going to go a long way to improve that process,” Lyons said.

Meanwhile, the county is continuing to examine the possibility of starting its own paid parking program on Siesta Key. For more than a year, county officials have been studying options for addressing parking shortages and traffic congestion on the barrier island. On Feb. 27, the county will hold a workshop to discuss those options — including paid parking.

The idea of charging to park at the beach has drawn support from leading Siesta Key organizations, though groups such as the Siesta Key Association were split on the best way to implement such a program.

The county is considering other policy changes on Siesta Key, such as the creation of a park-and-ride shuttle onto the island and a bike-share program.

Although the city has previously discussed the possibility of expanding paid parking to Lido Beach, Lyons said there are no plans to charge to park outside of downtown and St. Armands anytime soon.

“I think it’s important for us to normalize for some period of time before we look at expanding further,” Lyons said.