RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — Paid parking is returning to Riviera Beach's Singer Island on Monday, following a nearly two-month pause triggered by complaints of wrongful citations and confusion.
Signs across Ocean Walk and Marina District are reminding drivers of the change. Residents who frequently visit the area say they are frustrated and still worried about how reliable the program will be.
"It's ridiculous. People shouldn't have to pay," said Brian Betkiss.
We've been following pushback, since the paid parking program first launched in October. Many residents, business owners, employees and visitors received citations even after believing they followed the two-hour free parking rule.
Betkiss said he was wrongfully cited twice. "It was $40 for each ticket so each transaction they charged me $4.99," Betkiss said.
In June, the program was put on pause after a city council member was ticketed without even parking. In July, One Parking officials told the council that tech testing was completed to ensure cameras are working properly and correctly time-stamping vehicles.
Mayor Lawson addressed the issue at that meeting. "I believe Dr. Spiritis is the one that mentioned it, he drove in and drive out and got a ticket. So if that is no longer the case and they do not have to scan the QR code — that means we're very clear. If somebody comes in, it's time stamped, and they come out within that two-hour period, they will not be invoiced?” Lawson questioned. One Parking officials agreed.
Back in March, WPTV Reporter Zitlali Solache spoke with a resident challenging the city in a lawsuit, claiming parking signs are violating federal standards. Parking officials have since updated those signs to clear up confusion and plan to add four additional kiosks throughout the island.
Those changes, however, are still not enough for some. "There's only so many places where the public can go to the beach and now you're going to charge us?" said Betkiss. "It's ridiculous. It's absolutely uncalled for.”
Some out-of-town visitors say paid parking has become the norm in other Florida cities.
Ralph Mosley, a visitor, pointed to Jacksonville as an example. "They don't have a free day like Sunday. You'll pay 24 hours a day," Mosley said.
They said the program could be acceptable if the revenue is put to good use. "They gotta do it and if they use it to keep the roads and the parking lots clean, that's okay," said Mosley.
Parking rates vary by lot. Residents can purchase a discounted annual permit for $50 per year. Employees will be required to register their vehicles to obtain a free permit to park in the Ocean Walk Retail West lot or the Marina lots. Some lots offer the first two hours free, while premium spots along Ocean Avenue charge from the first hour. Here is a full breakdown of current rates, according to the City of Riviera Beach:
Ocean Walk Parking — Premium, Ocean Avenue
- 0–1 hr: $3.00
- 1–2 hrs: $5.00
- 2–3 hrs: $7.00
- 3–4 hrs: $9.00
- 4–8 hrs: $20.00
- 8+ hrs: $40.00
Ocean Walk Parking — Retail, West of Buildings
- 0–2 hrs: FREE
- 2–3 hrs: $7.00
- 3–4 hrs: $9.00
- 4–8 hrs: $20.00
- 8+ hrs: $30.00
Marina District Parking — Marina Paved Lots, North & South
- 0–2 hrs: FREE
- 2–3 hrs: $10.00
- 3+ hrs: $15.00
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