South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Downtown Boca Raton losing free parking spaces
Business owners were concerned that drivers take up the free parking spaces for too long, preventing other shoppers or diners from getting access. Several owners asked the city to make a change.
It’s hard to find a parking spot in downtown Boca Raton. And it soon will become more expensive.
Next month, the city will turn on 26 parking meters — now fully installed but covered up with green canvas bags — in the business district east of Federal Highway behind the Hyatt Place hotel at 100 E. Palmetto Park Road.
Business owners were concerned that drivers take up the free parking spaces for too long, preventing other shoppers or diners from getting access. Several owners asked the city to make a change, Mayor Scott Singer said.
Many South Florida downtowns now charge for parking, including Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Hollywood, Surfside, Lauderdale-bythe-Sea and Miami Beach. Most use pay stations that can be accessed through a phone app or
Mayor Scott Singer single meters that accept credit cards and cash.
In Boca Raton, an abundance of new residential complexes, as well as public events throughout the year, including concerts, art fairs and yoga festivals, have increased demand for downtown parking spaces. Assistant City Manager Mike Woika said downtown Boca has a deficit of about 400 spaces, with a shortfall of 475 to 650 spots expected in the coming years.
“There’s no single solution,” he told the city’s Community Re- development Agency at a recent meeting.
The new meters will join 171 existing downtown meters, as well as 350 spaces that limit parking to a half hour to three hours. The date of activation has not yet been determined.
The city has been scrutinizing downtown parking for several years, examining an assortment of approaches as residents and visitors have complained about the